1. Samatya, the extension of the fishermen
Kumkapi is Istanbul’s former fishing district, which has now become gentrified and transformed into a variety of tourist restaurants. If you want the same neighborhood, but more authentic, frequented only by Turks, visit Samatya, another fishing district about three kilometers from the city center on Kennedy Avenue. In the dark, the small square and all its restaurants and terraces offer the authentic locoregional animation that has already been lost in Kumkapi. If you want to enjoy beautiful views, I recommend the terrace of the Forsa restaurant.
2. The best baklava
Baklava is a pastry made from a paste of pistachios or crushed walnuts and spread on a phyllo dough soaked in syrup or honey. They are very typical of Turkey and are the hallmark of Hafiz Mustafa confectionery created in 1864 during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz Khan. They have several stores in town. One in the central square of Taksim and two others at numbers 37 and 121 of Istiklal Street.
Hafiz Mustafa is one of the best confectioneries in Istanbul to try baklava. paco nadal
3. Sip tea or smoke shisha at Corlulu Ali Pasa
Corlulu Ali Pasa is a café located in the courtyard of an old mosque at 38 Yeniçeriler Caddesi, the central street that runs from the mosque square to the grand apothecary. Oasis of loco-regional life in a very touristic area where, at least more, the embers of the hookahs are already set in motion. The waitress service is very efficient.
4. Interview the book frame
In the street between the Gran Botica and the Beyazit Mosque, there is a stone door that gives access to a bookstore. Very small and small, but ideal if you like books and prints.
5. Walk around Yerebatan Caddesi
It is an uncrowded street, full of hotels, souvenir, carpet and antique shops with restaurants and terraces open until late, which leads to a corner of Sultanahmet Square (the one with the mosques ). A good job for a late dinner or a drink.
The Orient Bar at the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul. paco nadal
6. Have a coffee at Pera Palace
The historic hotel, built in 1892 for passengers on the Orient Express and where Agatha Christie wrote much of her book Crime on the Orient Express, also has a mythical cafeteria. The Orient Bar is open from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. upon prior reservation. If you can’t find a place, you can console yourself with sweets, coffee, tea and free entry to their pastry shop.
7. Dinner under the Galata Bridge
Don’t be too lazy to book a table at one of the restaurants under the Galata Bridge. While they are rightly more expensive than the city average and very touristy, they are quite a sight. The panorama is spectacular.
8. Souvenirs cheaper than in the Gran Botica
Walking along the street that connects Pera Palace to Galata Tower is also a feast of sensations. It is content with cafes, shops and good entertainment. Souvenir prices here are cheaper than in the Gran Botica.
Cicek Pasaji, a good job to try traditional Turkish cuisine. paco nadal
9. Turkish cuisine in a local entertainment
Cicek Pasaji is a small L-shaped glazed shopping alley on the famous Istiklal Street, where you will find several restaurants serving traditional Turkish cuisine.
10. Walk through Nevizade Sokak
A narrow alley on a slope linked to Cicek Pasaji and full of bars where the Galatasaray affinity usually goes when there is a match. Locoregional area with little tourism.
11. Interview with Dolmabahçe Palace
It replaced Topkapi as the sultans’ residence from 1856 until 1924, when the caliphate was abolished. Selamlik: the part where the administrative offices and official rooms were located. — The most interesting are the harem and the private chambers of the sultan and his community.
12. Ortakoy Mosque
Ortaköy is a beautiful mosque on the banks of the Bosphorus, one of the most beautiful and harmonious in Istanbul. It can be perfectly combined with a tourist to Dolmabahce Palace, which is not far away. In the neighborhood there is a lot of animation of terraces and cafes. Even many jewelry stores. On Sundays, they set up a small clothing market. A good place to taste kumpir, a herculean potato stuffed with all kinds of sauces and ingredients: it is the most typical street food in the Turkish city.
13. Tea with a view
Having sunset tea on one of the terraces near the Süleymanye Mosque while the songs of the muezzin echo from the minarets is an unforgettable experience for the senses. You have the best panoramic view of the city with the magnificent silhouette of the Mosque on one side, the Golden Horn, the Galata Tower and Beyoğlu on the other; and Asia in the background. The expansion is very shabby but the experience is worth it.
Street food kiosks at the foot of the Galata Bridge. Ida Square
14. Try a horse mackerel bun on the Galata Bridge
Balik ekmek is passionate about Turkish and they do it very well at Tarihi Eminonu, one of the street food kiosks at the foot of the Galata Bridge. Residents and tourists succumb to this delicacy.
15. Asian Cross
You cannot miss the crossing to Üsküdar, the expansion of the Asian part of Istanbul. Ferries depart from Eminonu on the European flank. Once there, visit the Mihrimah Mosque, its market, much more local and authentic than the others.—and stroll along the coast to Kiz Kulesi, the Tower of the Virgin, located on a small island in the Bosphorus Cartridge that inspired myths and legends.