Best Baklava in Istanbul: Top 10 Baklava Shops

Ask where to eat the best baklava in Istanbul and the first name on the list is Karaköy Güllüoğlu: the family has been making baklava since 1843, the Karaköy shop runs independently of every other Güllüoğlu in Turkey, and the counter is rarely quiet. The pick fewer visitors know is Emiroğlu Baklava, a family business from the Asian side that serves one of the lightest, best-balanced baklavas we have tried in the city.

If you have only eaten baklava outside Turkey, expect a different dessert here. Layers of flaky phyllo carry the butter, so each bite gives way instead of fighting your teeth. Baklava is also one stop on a much longer list; for everything else worth eating in the city, start with our guide to the best food in Istanbul.

This list is built for a first or second visit, when you have room for two or three baklava stops and want them to count. Staying near Sultanahmet or Karaköy, you can reach Karaköy Güllüoğlu, Hafız Mustafa, and Köşkeroğlu on foot from the T1 tram. The Asian-side picks reward a ferry crossing: Emiroğlu and Bilgeoğlu are a short walk or ride from the Kadıköy piers, and Gaziantep Baklavacısı in Maltepe and Ataşehir is the kind of trip you only make for the baklava.

Which country is baklava from?

The baklava we eat today has been around since the 15th century, and it took shape in Ottoman palace kitchens. Istanbul was one of the most multicultural cities in the world at the time, and the palace kitchens reflected it: sources name chefs from Anatolia alongside cooks from Syria, Greece, Africa, Lebanon, Persia, Armenia, Egypt, Russia, and parts of the Balkans. Most of the modern countries in those regions claim baklava today, which is no surprise.

So the question “Where does baklava come from?” has no single-country answer on a modern map. The most defensible one is this: baklava originated in the Ottoman palace kitchens.

Types of baklava you can find in Istanbul

Walk into any shop below and you will face trays of varieties beyond the classic: şöbiyet, dolama, bülbül yuvası, walnut versions, and more. Our baklava types guide explains 14 of them, so you know what you are pointing at.

Best Baklava in Istanbul

You do not need to settle on one shop. We recommend visiting at least two or three places from this list and comparing. Each house has its own balance of butter, nut, and syrup, and the differences are bigger than you would expect.

1. Karaköy Güllüoğlu

The Güllüoğlu family has been producing baklava since 1843. Hacı Mehmet Güllü, the first baklava maker in the family, traveled to Aleppo and Damascus, Ottoman regions then famous for the dessert, to train. He returned to Gaziantep and opened his business. After he passed away, his son Hacı Mahmud Güllü carried it on and raised all four of his own sons as baklava masters. Today the family ranks among the largest baklava producers in the world.

One detail matters before you go. The shop in Karaköy is independent and has no affiliation with the other Güllüoğlu branches in Turkey. Mustafa Güllü brought the business here in 1949, opening the first baklava shop in Istanbul, and while brothers in the family’s fifth generation left over the years to start baklava companies of their own, his son Nadir Güllü runs the Karaköy shop to this day.

The Karaköy counter is almost always crowded. Join the line anyway; this is one of the best baklavas in Istanbul.

2. Hafız Mustafa 1864

Hafız Mustafa 1864 has been making baklava for over 150 years, and its counters run wider than most shops on this list: lokum, cakes, halva, milky puddings, and künefe sit alongside the baklava. If you want traditional Ottoman and Turkish desserts under one roof, this is the stop.

The historic main branch is in Sirkeci, and there are now more than a dozen branches around the city, including Taksim Square and Divanyolu, the latter a few minutes on foot from most Sultanahmet hotels.

One practical note. Baklava has a short shelf life, so it travels poorly. Lokum lasts far longer, which makes it the better box to carry home, and the lokum here is some of the best in the city. Our guide to the best Turkish delight in Istanbul covers what to look for.

3. Emiroğlu Baklava

Emiroğlu Baklava started in Sahrayıcedit on the Asian side, and most visitors never hear the name. The family-run business has grown to six branches with its own production facility, and it serves one of the lightest, best-balanced baklavas we have tried in Istanbul: butter, nuts, pastry, and sugar equally present, which is rarer than it sounds.

The Sevim family behind Emiroğlu started in confectionery in 1964, moved into pastry-making in the 1970s, and opened the first Emiroğlu Baklava shop in Sahrayıcedit in 1986. The focus stays on traditional Turkish baklavas rather than dozens of novelty varieties, and the company does not franchise. Every branch is run as part of the family business.

4. Köşkeroğlu Baklava

Köşkeroğlu is another family business out of Gaziantep, in the baklava trade since 1946. The family moved the operation to Istanbul in 1985, opened in Karaköy, and has added a handful of branches around the city since.

The baklava is still made by hand, with butter from sheep’s milk. For a strictly traditional taste, this is the place.

Right next to the Karaköy baklava shop, the same family runs an excellent kebab restaurant. Eat the kebab first, then order the baklava.

5. Seç Baklava

Seç Baklava, which also goes by Gaziantep Seç Baklava, is younger than most names on this list. Founded in Gaziantep, it has grown to 16 branches across Turkey, more than ten of them in Istanbul. Beyond classic baklava, the counters carry şöbiyet, dolama, and bülbül yuvası.

The baklava is produced daily in Gaziantep and shipped to the branches in the company’s own vehicles.

Seç is also known for su böreği, a savory pastry with a feta cheese filling, generally served cold. If you spot it on the counter, it makes a tasty light lunch before you work through the dessert case.

6. Bilgeoğlu Baklava

Unlike every other store on this list, Bilgeoğlu Baklava has exactly one branch. It was founded in 1956 in Kadıköy, which makes it one of the oldest baklava shops on the Asian side.

The specialty is şöbiyet, a clotted-cream-filled pistachio baklava. They also serve Turkish coffee, black tea, and homemade lemonade, so you can sit with your plate instead of taking it to go.

7. Gaziantep Baklavacısı

Gaziantep Baklavacısı, also known as Gaziantep Baklavacısı Mehmet Usta, is another Asian-side stop, with a wide range of fresh baklava varieties.

The catch is location. The branches sit in the Maltepe and Ataşehir districts, and neither is a natural destination on a first visit. You will likely only make the trip for the baklava itself, like the midye baklava in the tray above, mussel-shaped pieces with fanned phyllo layers. Plenty of people do.

8. Hacı Bozan Oğulları 1948

Hacı Bozan Oğulları is one of the most reputable baklava and cake makers in Turkey. The history goes back to 1948, and the first restaurant opened in Istanbul in 1958. The İncirli branch is the one to pick for the baklava, and it serves good kebabs alongside it, so it works as a full meal rather than a counter stop.

Today there are seven branches in Istanbul, all run by family members.

9. Develi 1912 Samatya

This one is a restaurant first. Develi 1912 Samatya is a long-running name for Antep and Turkish cooking, simple and elegant inside, with terraces looking out over the Sea of Marmara. Order the kebab, take your time, and finish with a slice of baklava made by a kitchen that has had more than a century to practice.

You can make a reservation through develi1912.com.

10. Dedeoğlu Baklava

Dedeoğlu sits in Beşiktaş and is one of the favorite baklava stops among Istanbul locals.

The range is broad and the flavors are intense. You can buy a full baklava tray, a selection box, walnut baklava, pistachio baklava, or plain pistachios by the bag, which makes it an easy place to shop for a household with divided loyalties.

Final words

Ten shops is more baklava than any single trip needs, so pick two or three and compare houses. The differences in butter, nut, and syrup are real, and tasting them side by side is the fastest way to understand why Turks argue about this dessert. If your sweet tooth runs wider than baklava, our guide to the best desserts in Istanbul covers twelve more shops, and if the craving follows you home, our Turkish baklava recipe breaks the process into homemade steps.

And if you would rather eat your way through the city with a local leading, join our Taste of Two Continents tour: breakfast near the Spice Market, then a ferry across the Bosphorus to Kadıköy’s market streets. We have been running tours since 2013, in small groups capped at 10 guests.