Istanbul · Karaköy
Meşhur Ocakbaşı
Charcoal-grilled lamb in a sixty-year-old room off the Galata stairs. The ribs are the order; ask for them before the…
Alcohol-free Prayer room Delivery
Istanbul
The easiest major city in the world to eat in — and still worth a guide, because the tourist strip is not where the food is.
4,180 verified venues
Stay in Karaköy or Kadıköy
Ask: “Bu et helal mi?”
A day here
Planned around prayer, not around monuments
- 07:30
Karaköy breakfast
Simit, menemen and tea by the water before the ferries fill.
- 13:00
Dhuhr at Süleymaniye
Then the courtyard view over the Golden Horn, empty at that hour.
- 16:00
Spice Bazaar run
Three verified vendors for pistachio, sumac and a proper baklava box.
- 20:00
Ocakbaşı dinner
Sit at the grill, order the lamb ribs, book two days ahead.
Local knowledge
The two things visitors get wrong
Stay inKaraköy or Kadıköy
AvoidAnything with a photo menu on İstiklal
Useful phraseBu et helal mi?
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