Eating on İstiklal: restaurants & cafés we like

İstiklal is packed. Always. People, tram, music, shops, cafés, restaurants — and probably another three million people I've forgotten. 😂

Our restaurant and café tips around İstiklal and Beyoğlu — from baklava and simit to Bosnian cooking, coffee and quick dürüm stops.

Of course there are tourist prices here. Of course there are places where I check the menu beforehand. But that doesn't mean you should write off the whole area food-wise. Here are our personal stops. For the full overview, go back to Eating in Istanbul.

Clementine Patisserie — briefly playing fairy tale land

Clementine, for me, is above all: beautiful. Really beautiful. Flowers, playful decor, coffee, tea, sweets. And outside, the historic red tram rolls by.

We don't necessarily go there because I'm claiming: "everyone MUST try this one dessert." We go for this moment. Sitting. Drinking coffee. Watching İstiklal. And escaping the chaos a little.

Turkish-German Bookstore & Cafe — perfect for bookworms. So, my mother.

The concept is really cool. Bookshop, café, German, Turkish, English, several levels, and books everywhere. My mother could probably spend four hours there. Me? Well. 😂 I go in, I look around, I find everything lovely. Then I drink çay. Books, for me, are unfortunately still excellent objects for gathering dust at home.

Still: the atmosphere really is special. Our kids even ate frankfurters there.

Espressolab Taksim Tünel — why always Starbucks?

For a long time I had no idea Espressolab is from Türkiye. My husband loves the cappuccino there. The kids and I go more for hot chocolate. And these days I think: why do I automatically go to the same American chain when I travel, when I can try a Turkish brand instead? Espressolab is perfect for: a break, coffee, charging your phone, saving your feet. 😂

Parole Cafe | Restaurant — when everyone wants something different again

Families know this game. One wants pizza, one wants a burger, one wants Turkish food, one wants dessert. And the kid who demanded pizza four minutes ago now, of course, wants NO pizza at all. Parole solves this problem pretty well: a big menu, breakfast, burgers, pizza, köfte, desserts, international dishes.

Not my "you have to eat exactly this dish here once in your life" restaurant. But my: "here we'll find something for everyone." And sometimes that's exactly more important.

Dürümle — food for when Istanbul allows no break today

There are days when our plan looks roughly like: Galata, İstiklal, shopping, museum, somewhere else, quickly catch a ferry. And at some point: HUNGER. Dürümle is exactly for that situation. Order, eat, move on. No two-hour lunch. No big production. Simply practical.

Simit Sarayı Galatasaray — good, but I still buy my simit on the street

Simit Sarayı is probably known to everyone. Pastries, sandwiches, simit, coffee, convenient. But my personal simit? I'd rather buy it from a street cart. I usually find it better. And cheaper.

Piknik Köfte & Piyaz — a little bit of Bosnia in the middle of Istanbul

This is where my Bosnian heart beats. ❤️ We could speak Bosnian, and suddenly Istanbul feels a little bit like home for a moment. There's köfte, piyaz, grilled dishes and cooked meals.

And I think that's important. Because after a few days, this happens really fast: döner, dürüm, lahmacun, fast food, one more quick thing. And at some point your stomach says: Please. Something. Cooked. 😂 That's exactly when I love places like this.

Saray Muhallebicisi — the shop window wins

You walk past. You're not actually hungry. Then you look inside. Baklava, pistachio, syrup, even more syrup. And suddenly you're standing there like a little kid. 😂 "I walked 18,000 steps today." Perfect. Let's delete that now.

Of course Saray isn't the cheapest place for baklava. Of course you can find smaller patisseries that are cheaper. But sometimes you just want Saray, specifically. Then: in you go.

Hafız Mustafa 1864 — "just looking" doesn't really work here

Hafız Mustafa works roughly like this: "we're just looking." Five minutes later: baklava, künefe, lokum, çay. 😂 The brand is famous, and you pay accordingly for the reputation, the location and the experience.

My tip: if you want to buy two kilos of baklava for the whole family back home, compare prices first. But if you want to experience Hafız Mustafa once: go for it.

My verdict on İstiklal

Yes, İstiklal is touristy. Of course. But that doesn't mean you're not allowed to eat there. I'd just do the same thing as everywhere else: look at the menu, look at the prices, think about what I'm actually in the mood for. And sometimes deliberately say: today the famous baklava is allowed.

For more on eating in Istanbul, check out our Eating in Istanbul overview, and if lively Kadıköy on the Asian side appeals to you, take a look at our Kadıköy guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is eating on İstiklal overpriced?

Not automatically, but you should check the menu and prices beforehand. There are both touristy addresses and places we happily visit again and again.

Where's the good coffee on İstiklal?

We like Espressolab as a Turkish alternative to the well-known international chains, and Clementine Patisserie for a quieter coffee break.

Which café works for families on İstiklal?

Parole Cafe | Restaurant, because the menu offers something for different tastes, and the Turkish-German Bookstore & Cafe for a quiet break with kids.

We have personally visited every restaurant described in this guide. Any collaborations or paid placements are clearly marked as such. Our personal opinion remains independent of that.

– Amra