Best Mantı in Istanbul: 7 Top Spots for Turkish Dumplings

Ask any tourist about Turkish food and they will tell you all about kebabs. Ask an Istanbulite and you may get a short speech about mantı instead: a hint of meat wrapped in soft dough, swimming in garlic yogurt with a kiss of sauce, finished with mint, sumac, and pepper. The standout right now is Sinop Mantı in Beşiktaş, where the fillings run from meat to spinach, cheese, and walnut. For a first taste in fine-dining form, book Yeni Lokanta in Beyoğlu.

What mantı is

One well-known variation is the Bosnian mantı, where a skilled cook rolls the dough so thin it turns almost translucent. Another famous version comes from Kayseri, in central Anatolia. Customarily, when a couple got engaged, the bride-to-be would prepare mantı for her prospective mother-in-law, who judged the making of the dumplings and the serving of them. The smaller the dumplings, the more skilled the cook. How small? Forty should fit on one spoon.

That is why dumplings in Turkey sit closer in size to Italian ravioli than to most Asian dumplings. Do not let the size fool you. Mantı’s origins are thought to trace to Mongolia or the Uyghurs, both considered ancestors of modern-day Turks, and the dish traveled down the Silk Road to Anatolia.

Curious how it tastes? Here are the seven best mantı restaurants in Istanbul. If you are planning the rest of your meals too, start with our full guide to the best food in Istanbul.

All 7 mantı restaurants at a glance

Place	Area	What to order	Price level
Sinopia Mantı Evi	Kadıköy, Bağdat St	Sinop-style mantı, walnuts over the yogurt	Cheap eat
Doyum Mantı	Cihangir, Beyoğlu	Handmade, Bosnian, or crisp fried mantı; breakfast	Cheap eat
Sayla Mantı	Kadıköy, Caferağa	Mantı; uncooked by the kilo to take home	Cheap eat
Sinop Mantı	Beşiktaş	Walnut mantı, or spinach and cheese fillings	Mid-range
Nişantaşı Mantıcısı	Nişantaşı, Teşvikiye	Any of the six mantı types	Cheap eat
Aşkana Mantı	Ulus, plus branches	Fried or boiled mantı, filling portions	Mid-range
Yeni Lokanta	Beyoğlu, İstiklal	Mantı off the à la carte menu	Special occasion

1. Sinopia Mantı Evi, Kadıköy

Sinopia Mantı Evi has been a great ambassador for Sinop-style mantı in Istanbul. Sinop mantısı differs from the standard version in one happy detail: walnuts go on top of the yogurt.

The mantı here comes out tiny and lightly roasted, with a delicate flavor that says handmade. Good butter and the nutty, fried dough carry every bite. The room is done in warm wooden tones, the seats are comfortable, and it is an easy place to settle in. If you are a mantı fanatic, do not skip Sinopia Mantı Evi on Bağdat Street.

2. Doyum Mantı, Cihangir

With its charming old-fashioned decor, Doyum Mantı belongs on your list. The kitchen makes three types of mantı: the traditional handmade, the Bosnian style, and a crisp fried version. Come in the morning and a wide breakfast spread will hold you until dinner.

Reviewers gush about the kindness of the servers and the location. The cafe opens in the morning and runs late, has wi-fi, and takes credit cards. One thing to know before you search for it: the place now lists itself as 1932 Cihangir Doyum Mantı on Google and Instagram, so do not be thrown by the longer name.

Address: Firuzağa Mahallesi, Firuzağa Cami Sokak, No 1/B, Beyoğlu, İstanbul

3. Sayla Mantı, Kadıköy

Once upon a time, Sayla Mantı was the go-to place for any celebrity who wanted mantı. The menu also runs to çiğ börek and a couple of other dishes, but the mantı steals the show, from the start of production at 10 am to last call. For more places to eat in the neighborhood, see our Kadıköy restaurants guide.

The best part? If you are having guests over and cannot be bothered to cook, Sayla has you covered: buy the dumplings by the kilo and boil them when you get home. Throw some flour on yourself and tell your guests how long you slaved away in the kitchen.

Address: Caferağa Mah., Nail Bey Sk No: 32/A, Kadıköy, İstanbul

4. Sinop Mantı, Beşiktaş

If you leave Istanbul without stopping by Sinop Mantı, you only have yourself to blame. The menu is full of creative cooking, and the mantı itself is a revelation. You can choose fillings from spinach to cheese to meat, and you can even try dumplings filled with walnuts. Yes, walnuts. Where else do you get crunch inside a dumpling?

It runs slightly more expensive than the other neighborhood mantı houses on this list, and it earns the difference. Book before you go. If you are building a day around the area, our Beşiktaş restaurants guide covers the rest of the neighborhood.

Address: Sinanpaşa Mahallesi, Köprü Sokak, Tellioğlu İş Hanı, No 8/1, Beşiktaş, İstanbul

5. Nişantaşı Mantıcısı, Nişantaşı

Have you ever wanted to compare six types of mantı in one sitting? Nişantaşı Mantıcısı has the spread. Highly recommended for the taste and the pleasant staff, this cozy restaurant will have you feeling like a guest among locals.

Address: Teşvikiye, Poyracik Sk 61 B, Şişli/İstanbul

6. Aşkana Mantı, Ulus

This is the place to bring your boss, your date, or your future in-laws. In short, anyone you want to impress. The decor is lovely and understated, and unlike most restaurants with a polished ambiance, the portions are genuinely filling. Both the fried and the boiled versions of Turkish mantı are on the menu. The best part? If you cannot get to Ulus, other branches of Aşkana Mantı are scattered around Istanbul.

Address: Maslak Mah, Maslak 1453 Cd, Sarıyer, İstanbul

7. Yeni Lokanta, Beyoğlu

On the busy İstiklal Caddesi, this one plays a different game from everything above. Yeni Lokanta is a fine-dining restaurant that has been featured on the World’s 50 Best website. Its mantı is one of the best in Istanbul, and these days the kitchen serves a full à la carte menu alongside its tasting menu, with the tasting menu required only for larger parties. For more tables in the neighborhood, see our Taksim and Beyoğlu restaurant guide.

The rest of the menu is bold and worth reading twice: fresh salads, octopus, monkfish, buffalo ice cream. If you have never tried mantı and want your first to be the finest version in town, get yourself to Yeni Lokanta. It is the most expensive restaurant on this list, and there is a reason we gush.

Make a reservation here.

Address: Tomtom Mahallesi, Kumbaracı Ykş. No:66, Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Final words

Mantı is one dish on a very long list. Go deeper into traditional Turkish food while you are here; hundreds of other dishes are waiting if this is your first time in Istanbul. And if you would rather eat with a local leading the way, our Istanbul food tours have been running since 2013, with groups capped at 10 guests.