Sorry, but no: Ikbal – Istanbul
What happened to the Ikbal which we used to go and eat döner sandwiches even early in the morning? Well, sustainability is a monster for some. The big split is…
Sorry, but no: Dükkan Burger – Istanbul
I seriously did not understand what the fuss is about. Always packed, most of the people around me like to talk about this place. They sell only burger and potato…
Şahin Lokantası – Istanbul
Walking down the Orhan Adli Apaydın Sokak, if you see a crowd of suits and white collars, people gathered, waiting hungrily or smoking happily then you are in front of…
Sorry, but no: Kasap Osman Et Lokantası – Istanbul
The word of mouth and the reviews said it is worth a visit. So we did. They serve iskender. And they are proud of it, so we ordered. One of…
Sorry, but no: Otto Santral – Istanbul
A very trendy place. This could not mask the bad service and bad food. Supposedly 3 mushroom pizza being served with tinned one type mushroom, cold coffee, stale, almost perished…
Vefa Bozacısı – Istanbul
A narrow street, a little away from the center of town. A historical landmark, since 1876. Crowded inside. People enjoying, chatting, nibbling on roasted chickpeas and sipping boza. Boza, is…
Şekerci Cafer Erol – Istanbul
Before you go in the wonderland, you have to decide what you want to purchase, otherwise you feel like Alice falling down the hall. A sweet dream. A paradise of…
Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi – Istanbul
Third generation, same place, same menu. Pure success story. Lot of similar restaurants popped up in years, scattering around Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi. They stayed the original, humble, delicious. Entering through…
Petek Büfe – Istanbul
In the good old days, when fathers or grandfathers took their sons or grandsons to a movie, they used to stop at Petek Büfe to grab a bite. But not…
Sabırtaşı – Istanbul
In loving memory of Ali Topçuoğlu His face was one of the faces I had gotten familiar in the first years I moved to Istanbul. His apron was spotlessly white…
Borough Market – London
I can not write enough about my one and only Borough Market. The place. The only place I want to return every year. And I do. We choose a Friday…
Yusuf Usta’nın Yeri – Istanbul
This place became one of our safest places. It is like an escape from that fancy, so called kebab restaurants that try to make us forget the real taste of…
Çınaraltı Cafe – Istanbul
Early in the morning. So hungry. Just want to have champions’ breakfast. Çınaraltı is the place you want to be. The neighbourhood is calm, near the Bosphorus, the small streets,…