Insider Istanbul- where to eat, drink, walk and watch people 😜
Istanbul, the city everybody talks about but no one really gives you a selection of what to do. I guess being a foreigner who has lived for a year in this culturally rich metropolis, I have had the opportunity to advise several friends on what to do and where to go to make sure they would fall in love with the city as I did. It is a very big and messy place, so if you don’t have guidance, you might get disappointed and unhappy, and you won’t see the magic of the city. Istanbul is a city of contradictions. You can walk on an amazing street with pretty cafés, newly renovated places, or well-restored historical buildings, and right alongside it, you can see abandoned places. So, you really need to know which areas and streets are nice. At first glance, the city looks huge, but when you break it down, the main areas that you would enjoy visiting are quite small. If you happen to stay longer in Istanbul, don’t rush to go to Sultanahmet. Especially on Saturdays, you should stay away from Sultanahmet and the old town—it’s too crazy. You are anyway here during the week, so save this for Monday morning for the whole day.
Where to stay?
If you want a larger hotel with lots of services like spa treatments and a stunning gym, I really love the Swiss Hotel Bosporus. It has amazing service, and you kind of feel at home. If you want all the services but a more minimalistic style and a business-oriented atmosphere, I recommend the Ritz Carlton.
Both hotels have an amazing, rich breakfast buffet, from fresh green juices to all sorts of omelets, and I recommend getting poached eggs—my favorite breakfast choice.
If you’re looking for something more intimate and stylish, I would suggest the Soho Hotel. If you stay at the Soho Hotel, you are also allowed to go to Soho House, which is probably the best Soho House around the world, as it is located in a very old historical building.
Here is an example itinerary:
Day 1 (Friday)
Breakfast/brunch at Ask Café, Bosporus, Kuruçeşme. Then to Nişantaşı, check out upcoming little art galleries in the fanciest area within town, as there is another upscale area called Bebek that is located right at the Bosporus. If you want to indulge your shopaholic addiction, Nişantaşı is your spot, as there is literally any brand you need, especially at Beymen, a very stylish boutique shopping center that stretches over several floors. If you want to take a break, go down to the ground floor of Beymen to have an aperitivo drink at Brasserie. Since we are in Nişantaşı, I recommend you eat at the rooftop of the St. Regis, called Spago—I love their tuna cones!
Day 2 (Saturday)
Brunch at Bebekoy Backyard: Let me try to describe Bebekoy. Basically, it all started with a super fancy gym called MAC. They have a couple spread over the city. I guess the Turkish elite always needs to have something extra, and so they were not happy with the average, easily accessible location; they needed an extra top spot, and it’s literally on top of the other fancy area I told you about called Bebek.
On top of the gym is located Bebekoy, obviously with the same stunning view and a cute little garden atmosphere. It feels like you just worked out at home, and after your workout, you have your healthy breakfast. So, besides all the unhealthy breakfast choices, they also have tiny dishes like protein breakfasts with egg white omelettes, etc. If you are into health, you will love the place, the food, and the sporty, fancy atmosphere.
After this, I would recommend you go for a walk along the Bosporus, and if you have enough endurance, you can continue walking along the Bosporus until you come to a bike rental station. This way, you can pedal off all the calories from that tempting, delicious Turkish food and create space to then enjoy an aperitivo at Lucca in Bebek.
If you ask me to describe Lucca, I would first say that Lucca is a gastronomical miracle. I mean, from a hospitality perspective, the place is literally a dream as it’s operating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with drinks, and sometimes it turns into a club after dinner. I don’t even want to know the cash flow that place must have, as it is always packed at any hour of the day, any time of the year, or even during horrible weather conditions—Lucca is Lucca and will always have heated seats from previous customers.
Lucca attracts a certain type of customer—la bohème, la elite, and whoever tries to be. "Fake it until you make it" is also very present, but even those individuals are appreciated, as it's part of the charm. Lucca is more of a market; either it's a meat market for humans or a marketplace for people to network and talk business. Trust me, many deals have been made within those white walls of that corner place with big windows and long curtains.
On a Saturday, I would go there around 6 PM, get an aperitivo—the famous Lucca one is called Zazuma—and just lean back and enjoy the show. It’s the ultimate people-watching place. Oh, and Turks love foreigners, so they can show off their English. Trust me, it won’t take more than five minutes until someone is trying to engage in a conversation with you.
You will notice that whoever you talk to actually lives abroad but is Turkish and needs to be in Istanbul or Turkey in general for family business. Translated, that means they studied abroad for a little while but haven’t really lived abroad for ages. Still, in their minds, they do, because, well, it’s somehow cool to say they have. Sunset has a large menu and satisfies cravings from Mediterranean to sushi and even Turkish dishes. Everything is very tasty.
If you guys want to go out, head to Fenix for drinks. It’s also a good place for dinner in case you can’t get a table at Sunset. After Reina, it is a must-see on the Bosporus. If you want to book a table, try doing so through a concierge service or your hotel concierge. The good crowd likes to stay among them.
Day 3 (Sunday):
Brunch at House Cafe—try the green detox juice! During the day, visit Taksim, Gezi Park, and Istiklal Caddesi. Walk past the Kempinski and Four Seasons for coffee, and then in the evening, have dinner at Zuma in Istinye Park and then take a taxi to the hot spot Lucca in Bebek.
Day 4 (Monday):
Now you should finally go to the Old Town and Spice Market. It’s going to be a long day with a lot of walking. So if you don’t have too much time, you shouldn’t miss having a nice breakfast right by the Bosporus. Start the day early and head all the way to the north for a Turkish breakfast at Suetis in Emirgan. Then, go back to the Old Town. Visit Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Suleymaniye, and the underground water system. When you’re done, enjoy a delicious lunch at the end of the Spice Market at Pandelli, and order their main dish, fish in paper. If you arrive earlier in the Old Town area, try to do a one-hour Bosporus tour—pick any boat; it’s only about 4 euros. It’s an amazing bargain and a beautiful experience!
Then, in the evening, head to Karaköy, the Berlin of Istanbul, where stylish alternative people, tech startups, artists, and actors gather. Have dinner at a local place and try Raki (anise liquor with water), balik (fish), with lots of mezze (appetizers), then walk around the streets to feel the vibe before going up to Nişantaşı, Rosemary Bar, Momo, and Boel—must-visit spots. All are very cool bars you can and should try.
Here all in one again
Lunch/brunch :
Ask cafe
Sutis emirgan or arnavutkoy
The house cafe ortakoy
Bebekoy
Lucca ( you can have all 3 meals of the day here )
Dinner:
Zuma
Spago
Roof 16 Swiss hotel
Lucca
Bebek hotel the stay
Boel
Must
Sunset
Ulus 29
Karakoy
Local turkish food experience :
Arnavutkoy Balik
Pandelli at the spice Bazzar ( try fish in paper)
Local insider hack !!
Understand the roads, as there is traffic at certain points. If you are a woman, have a pair of ballerinas that you can put in your purse. Once you use the metro and then take a taxi from certain points to avoid traffic, you will love Istanbul because the only thing you need to know is how to avoid traffic. You will adore this magical place by the Bosporus. Always use Google Maps and be smart about which side of the street you take the taxi from. Sometimes, simply by walking for 2 minutes, you can save 15 minutes of traffic by avoiding turns in a taxi.
J’espère que je te pouvais aider avec ces conseilles .
Bisou
Sabri xoxo
❤️