İstanbul is known as the culinary capital of Turkey, so it would be a disgrace not to attempt some heavenly Turkish cooking! In the city of Istanbul, a vacationer focal point for its guests is Sultanahmet. Here one can track down a broad rundown of activities to see and investigate across this dynamic area. Other than old monuments that offer a brief look into the past and best instances of Ottoman design, Sultanahmet likewise requests to your stomach as much as your eye. The site is home to some great cafés where you can appreciate mouth-watering dishes from everywhere in Turkey without going far! Here are the 20 best eateries in Sultanahmet, Istanbul.
Best Historic Restaurants To Try in Sultanahmet
In the article on the best restaurants of Sultanahmet, there are luxurious places where you can have a nice dinner, as well as street restaurants where you can take a delicious meal break. Of course, when we say Sultanahmet, we include not only the restaurants around Hagia Sophia, but also the restaurants close to the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar.
In addition, you will see the meatball and doner kebab restaurants preferred by Istanbulites in daily life in the following lines. Restaurants in this category include the districts of Istanbul Old City, such as Sirkeci, Eminonu and Beyazit, which are within 5-10 minutes’ walking distance from Sultanahmet.
1. Balıkçı Sabahattın
Established in 1927, only four years after the foundation of modern Turkey, this fish restaurant has maintained its popularity by sticking to the basics but doing them exceedingly well. Though located just a few minutes’ walk downhill from the tourist honeypot around the iconic cathedral of Hagia Sophia, an area where few local people still live, such is its reputation that it attracts Istanbulites from right across the metropolis. They are drawn by its atmospheric setting: a traditional wood-built mansion house fronting a steep cobbled street, with white-clothed tables set out on the vine-shaded terrace in summer, and a limited but well-chosen selection of meze and freshly caught and cooked fish. The fragrantly spiced mussel pilaf is an extremely popular starter, and justifiably so; the grilled turbot is superb if you visit in season. Visitors tend to fuss over the wine list, while most local diners keep it trad and sip cloudy white glasses of aslan sütü (lion’s milk), the fiery Turkish aniseed spirit raki mixed with iced water.
2. “Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi” with Famous Grilled Meatballs
Historical Grilled Meatball Restaurant in Sultanahmet might be the most popular restaurant in the area for generations. It may surprise you that it is so close to the tourist area and offers such delicious meatballs.
They become famous for their delicious and unique grilled meatballs. In the first place, it is was opened as a tiny shop almost a hundred years ago. Since then, lots of things have changed, but there is one thing I am sure that the legendary taste of meatballs has remained unchanged.
Now, the shop owner’s grandchildren took over the job and are offering the same flavor to people worldwide.
Hunger is the best and only spice here because meatball here is made off without any spice but only with bread and meat. The taste is expanded from Istanbul to the other big cities in the world.
The service there is so fast. The portion of grilled meatballs comes with pickles and spicy sauce. Besides grilled meatballs, I would also recommend ordering, Piyaz, a salad with beans and onions.
If you are a vegetarian, don’t worry, you can try traditional lentil type soup. If you are not one, well-cooked kebabs with fresh salads would be different and delicious options for you.
3. Matbah Restaurant
Matbah Restaurant is an expert on Ottoman kitchen, but it’s equally popular for its Turkish dishes. And the menu names at Matbah Restaurant have special ones such us Dersaadet or Istinbolin. (the old names of Istanbul)
In these menus, special examples of Ottoman kitchen, such as almond soup, lamb neck stew with plums, imam bayildi (eggplant stuffed with onion, garlic, and tomatoes), balli gemici boregi (pastry with cheese and honey), nirbac (lamb’s quarter and lamb meatballs with carrot stew), hibes (appetizer made of tahini, lemons, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper powder) can be found.
Additionally, special dishes made with beef, chicken, and fish are also included in the menu of Matbah Restaurant. In the a la carte menu, you can try cold and appetizing starters like baba ghanoush and stuffed calamari with shrimps.
Apart from traditional Ottoman cuisines, there are dessert options you can crown your meal with. Almond halva, rice pudding with gum, and baklava are the dessert options at Matbah Restaurant.
4. Hocapaşa Pidecisi
Hocapaşa Pidecisi is one of the extraordinary decisions for the people who need to partake in a super like local people do each day. This fabulous café has a basic yet inviting air and offers a wide scope of pide (Turkish pizza) types. Pide is one of the most well known suppers in Turkey, regardless of where you go. Every area has its remarkable interpretation of it, and this café offers different kinds: Black Sea pide being one of them and is our favorite.
5. Deraliye Ottoman Palace Cuisine
Deraliye Restaurant has been offering traditional palace flavors to its customers in Sultanahmet for more than 35 years. Deraliye Ottoman Palace Cuisine dishes from Central Asian to Iranian cuisine; The Ottoman palace, which is influenced by a wide geography from Anatolia to the Balkans, is prepared with the original recipe.
We strongly recommend you to participate in this tour If you think you are a gourmet and enjoy tasting different cuisines in the world. This is probably one of the best Istanbul delicacies tour!
6. Tarihi Kalkanoğlu Pilavı
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the Ottoman Empire and have access to some of the most delicious foods that were served at Topkapi Palace for Sultans?
At “Tarihi Kalkanoğlu Pilavı,” you can find the same rice dish as Ottoman Sultans used to savor every day.
The founder of “Tarihi Kalkanoğlu Pilavı,” Süleyman Kalkanoğlu was the master rice chef in palace kitchens before he fed the Ottoman army during the Ottoman and Russian war in 1853. Following the war, he retired and opened his restaurant in Trabzon in 1856. Today, the original restaurant still offers its legendary rice and is run by the 6th generation.
What makes this rice the absolute best in Turkey is that its made with bone marrow boiled for 24 hours and the butter made from the cows grazing in the 2000m highlands of the Black Sea region of Turkey.
7. Hafız Mustafa 1864
Hafiz Mustafa is one of the oldest restaurants serving in Sultanahmet. It was founded in 1864 during the Ottoman Empire period and has been focused on a single category, Turkish desserts, since then.
You’ll find all your favorite Turkish desserts at Hafız Mustafa, like baklava, kadayif, and milky desserts. These freshly made delicacies will appeal to your eye taste as much as they appeal to your stomach.
Hafiz Mustafa is a must-visit for anyone on their travels to Istanbul. The main branch of the café is located in Sultanahmet, but it has many branches all around town, and we recommend visiting one that’s close to your hotel.
If you talk with the staff, they can also prepare Âfet-i Devrân (translates as the “beauty of the century”), which is baklava served with water buffalo clotted cream and Turkish goats-milk ice cream. Just wow and start eating it!
