Great Places To Eat Out In Beyoğlu, Istanbul

It’s no surprise that you still have to call Yeni Lokanta in advance to get a table on weekends. Think of artichoke salad with strawberries or grilled octopus with smoked aubergine and olives (to name just a few). Simple but perfect is the word, just like the modern interior with hand painted eggplants on the single row of turquoise wall tiles that line the intimate space.

Nicole has most definitely not received the acknowledgment it deserves. There also happens to be a gorgeous view of the Golden Horn, and, lest we forget, an excellent wine menu with a focus on rare boutique Turkish vineyards.

Zübeyir is the king of the ocakbaşı in Taksim, with two of these aforementioned hearths inside a two-floored restaurant. You’ll get the classic kebab treatment without any frills, whether it’s Adana, Urfa or Beyti kebabs, or a beautiful array of meze. You’ll probably end up watching the people getting delightfully inebriated at the next table and singing old Turkish songs about unrequited love.