The Best Restaurants in Istanbul, From Meyhanes to Michelin Stars

The best restaurants in Istanbul are scattered across two continents. This guide groups currently operating selections by neighborhood, from a two-Michelin-star kitchen in Bomonti to meyhanes, palace dining rooms, and Bosphorus terraces. Pick by where you are staying, or treat the list as a reason to cross the water.

Who this guide is for

First-timers should work through the Old City and Beyoğlu sections, plus one Bosphorus dinner. Returning visitors can skip straight to Kadıköy and the waterfront. Vegetarians have far more options here than Istanbul’s kebab reputation suggests. And if you’re watching your budget, fair warning: this list leans toward sit-down dinners and special occasions, so pair it with our Istanbul street food guide for the cheap end of town. For the dishes themselves, see the best food in Istanbul; for the full eating strategy, start with our Istanbul food guide; and every district below has a deeper page in our neighborhood food guides.

If choosing and ordering across several neighborhoods feels like more planning than pleasure, you can eat your way through Istanbul with a local guide instead. We have run small-group food tours here since 2013 for more than 75,000 guests, with groups capped at 10.

Choose a restaurant by the kind of meal

Menus and reservation rules change, so check the restaurant’s own site before booking.

Specific dishes change, especially at seasonal kitchens. Use the descriptions below to choose the room and style of meal, then let the current menu make the final decision.

The 2026 Michelin selection also gave Araf İstanbul its first star. Add it to your research if you are building a Michelin-focused shortlist.

Beyoğlu: Istiklal, Pera and around Taksim

Tasting menus, meyhanes, and international restaurants sit within a short walk of İstiklal Street. Staying near the square? Our Taksim restaurant guide covers the area street by street.

Restaurants in this guide

These restaurants span both continents. Open the map to see which ones cluster near your hotel, and which deserve the trip across the water.

Show the map 33 stops across Istanbul

1. 1 Yeni Lokanta Beyoğlu
2. 2 Mikla Asmalı Mescit
3. 3 Nicole Tomtom / Firuzağa
4. 4 Asmalı Cavit Asmalımescit
5. 5 Ayaspaşa Rus Lokantası Ayaspaşa
6. 6 Karaköy Lokantası Karaköy
7. 7 Mükellef Karaköy
8. 8 Frankie Galataport / Karaköy
9. 9 Ali Ocakbaşı Karaköy / Azapkapı
10. 10 Pandeli Eminönü
11. 11 Sarnıç Restaurant Sultanahmet
12. 12 Tuğra Restaurant Beşiktaş
13. 13 Chalet Maçka
14. 14 Banyan Restaurant Ortaköy
15. 15 Yeniköy Kaşıbeyaz Bosphorus Yeniköy
16. 16 IST TOO Beşiktaş
17. 17 Lacivert Restaurant Anadolu Hisarı
18. 18 Borsa Restaurant Kandilli
19. 19 A'jia Restaurant Kanlıca
20. 20 Çiya Sofrası Caferağa
21. 21 The Townhouse Suadiye
22. 22 TURK Fatih Tutak Bomonti
23. 23 Neolokal Karaköy
24. 24 Aheste Asmalı Mescit
25. 25 Mürver Karaköy
26. 26 Alaf Restaurant Kuruçeşme
27. 27 Asitane Restaurant Edirnekapı
28. 28 Beyti Florya
29. 29 Nusr-Et Steakhouse Etiler Etiler
30. 30 Spago Istanbul by Wolfgang Puck Nisantasi
31. 31 Sunset Grill & Bar Ulus
32. 32 Ulus 29 Ulus
33. 33 Summit Bar & Terrace Cihannüma

1. Yeni Lokanta

Tucked down a side street off İstiklal, Yeni Lokanta gives Turkish ingredients a contemporary turn. The room feels polished without becoming ceremonial, which makes it a strong first dinner when you want modern cooking and still want to stay in Beyoğlu.

2. Mikla

The rooftop at the Marmara Pera does half the work at Mikla: Istanbul stretches out below while Mehmet Gürs’s New Anatolian cooking moves with the seasons. Come for a long dinner rather than a rushed plate, and give yourself time for the view.

3. Nicole

Nicole serves contemporary Turkish cooking inside Tomtom Suites and holds one Michelin star in the 2026 Guide. Its terrace and measured tasting-menu pace suit a quieter special occasion; let the seasonal menu lead instead of arriving attached to an old signature dish.

4. Asmalı Cavit

Asmalı Cavit is the old-school meyhane choice in Asmalımescit: close tables, a lively room, and a meal built around plates shared slowly. Start with a mixed spread of meze, add hot dishes as the table develops, and order rakı only if you drink alcohol.

5. Ayaspaşa Rus Lokantası

Ayaspaşa Rus Lokantası is a rare change of direction from Istanbul’s Turkish dining rooms. Its nostalgic Gümüşsuyu setting and Russian repertoire make it the place on this list for a deliberately old-fashioned, international meal.

Karaköy, Galata and Galataport

Old port streets, a renovated cruise terminal, and some of the city’s best drinking food. For more along these blocks, see our Karaköy restaurant guide.

6. Karaköy Lokantası

Karaköy Lokantası changes character with the clock: a family-run lokanta by day and a full meyhane by night. Michelin lists it as a Bib Gourmand, but the appeal is less formal than that sounds. Bring enough people to build a proper table of meze and stay awhile.

7. Mükellef

Mükellef puts Turkish cooking, meze, and grills on a Karaköy rooftop with the city close around it. Daylight makes the terrace the attraction; after dark, the room settles into the rhythm of a longer dinner.

8. Frankie

Frankie sits on the Galataport waterfront with a modern dining room, an international MediterrAsian direction, and a night-out atmosphere. Choose it when dinner is only the beginning and you want the room, event programming, and waterfront energy to carry the evening.

9. Ali Ocakbaşı

Ali Ocakbaşı is the charcoal-grill answer near Galata: kebabs, pide, salads, and shared appetizers without the ceremony of a tasting menu. It is an easy fit for a table that wants a direct, smoky meal in the middle of a busy sightseeing day.

The Old City: Eminönü and Sultanahmet

The historic peninsula does monuments better than restaurants, which makes these two stand out even more. For the full picture between the mosques, see our guide to the best restaurants in Sultanahmet.

10. Pandeli

Pandeli occupies the blue-tiled rooms above the Spice Bazaar and serves traditional Turkish cooking at lunch. Michelin lists it as a Bib Gourmand, but the room is as much a reason to go as the accolade. Ask what the kitchen is proudest of that day.

11. Sarnıç Restaurant

Sarnıç places dinner inside a historic cistern in Sultanahmet, within walking distance of the area’s major monuments. The stone interior and low light make this an atmosphere-first choice for travelers who want dinner to feel connected to the Old City around it.

On the Bosphorus

Palace kitchens, terraces, and dining rooms where the water sits close enough to hear. For the neighborhoods behind this shoreline, our Beşiktaş restaurant guide goes deeper.

12. Tuğra Restaurant

Tuğra is the grand occasion restaurant in Çırağan Palace Kempinski, where Turkish and Ottoman-influenced cooking meets a direct Bosphorus view. If one dinner on the trip needs a palace setting, this is the obvious candidate. Request outdoor seating when reserving rather than assuming it comes with the booking.

13. Chalet

Chalet brings a Swiss Alpine dining room into the grounds of Swissôtel The Bosphorus. It is a seasonal-feeling choice for Alpine comfort cooking rather than another Turkish dinner; confirm the current seasonal format when reserving.

14. Banyan Restaurant

Banyan looks over the Bosphorus from Ortaköy and combines Asian cooking techniques with Anatolian flavors. The room is stylish without losing the water outside, making it a good bridge between a view-led dinner and a menu that takes some chances.

15. Yeniköy Kaşıbeyaz Bosphorus

Yeniköy Kaşıbeyaz is the Bosphorus branch for a table that wants Turkish grills and kebabs with a terrace view. It works best as a generous group meal: salads and shared plates first, then let the grill anchor the table.

16. IST TOO

IST TOO is the all-day restaurant at Shangri-La Bosphorus, spanning Turkish and international cuisine in Istanbul. Its strength is range: mixed-preference groups can sit at one table without forcing everyone into the same style of dinner.

17. Lacivert Restaurant

Lacivert sits at the water’s edge on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, close enough that the trip there feels like part of dinner. Save it for a longer occasion meal and arrive with enough daylight left to watch the view change.

18. Borsa Restaurant

Borsa Restaurant serves traditional Turkish cooking inside the Adile Sultan Palace complex in Kandilli. The palace setting and Bosphorus terrace make it an occasion restaurant, while Michelin’s current listing gives it a useful independent quality signal.

19. A’jia Restaurant

A’jia is the waterfront restaurant at A’jia Hotel in Kanlıca, with a boutique-hotel calm and an international Mediterranean direction. Go when you want the Asian shore to feel like a destination rather than a quick ferry crossing.

Kadıköy and the Asian side

The ferry ride over is its own reward. For the neighborhood in depth, market streets and all, read our Kadıköy restaurant guide.

20. Çiya Sofrası

Çiya Sofrası is a Kadıköy institution for exploring regional Anatolian cooking beyond the dishes most visitors already know. Survey what is available that day, ask questions, and build a meal across vegetable dishes, soups, kebabs, and regional specialties instead of ordering by habit.

21. The Townhouse

The Townhouse is a Suadiye bar-restaurant on the Asian side of Istanbul, with an international food menu and a drinks list built for lingering. It suits a social evening better than a formal culinary pilgrimage.

Modern Turkish kitchens, meze and tasting menus

These scatter across the city, so book by the kitchen rather than the neighborhood. Between them they map where Turkish cooking is heading.

22. TURK Fatih Tutak

TURK Fatih Tutak in Bomonti holds two Michelin stars in the 2026 Guide. The tasting menu turns Turkish ingredients and food memories into a contemporary, highly choreographed dinner. Book well ahead and share dietary requirements during the reservation process.

23. Neolokal

Neolokal at SALT Galata holds one Michelin star and builds modern Turkish menus around regional ingredients and food memory. The setting above the old bank buildings gives the meal a strong sense of place. Michelin lists a vegetarian menu; request it when reserving.

24. Aheste

Aheste is an intimate Beyoğlu restaurant built around modern Turkish and Middle Eastern sharing plates. The compact room and flexible menu make it especially useful for couples or mixed-diet groups who still want to share most of the meal.

25. Mürver

Mürver puts live-fire cooking and seasonal ingredients on a Karaköy rooftop. Smoke is part of the kitchen’s vocabulary rather than a gimmick, and the terrace gives the meal enough theater without turning it into a view-only restaurant.

26. Alaf Restaurant

Alaf draws on the food traditions of southern and eastern Türkiye and brings them into a contemporary terrace setting. Choose it when you want regional references, bold seasoning, and a kitchen willing to move beyond familiar Istanbul restaurant formulas.

27. Asitane Restaurant

Asitane serves Ottoman-influenced cooking beside the Kariye complex, with a garden setting that suits a slower Old City meal. Its official pages currently disagree about opening days, so confirm the day directly before crossing town for it.

Steakhouses, rooftops and international kitchens

For the nights you want a New York strip, sashimi, or a skyline mocktail between all the Turkish meals.

28. Beyti

Beyti is a long-running Florya institution built around kebabs and grilled meat. This is a destination restaurant rather than a convenient central stop, and the sense of history is part of the reason to make the journey. Michelin lists it at Orman Sokak No:6.

29. Nusr-Et Steakhouse Etiler

Nusr-Et Etiler is the original Istanbul branch of the internationally known steakhouse group. Go for the full polished, theatrical steakhouse experience; travelers looking for a quiet neighborhood grill should choose a different entry.

30. Spago Istanbul by Wolfgang Puck

Spago is Wolfgang Puck’s rooftop restaurant at The St. Regis Istanbul, pairing an international menu with a bar, terrace, and Nişantaşı skyline. It is a polished special-occasion option when your group wants something cosmopolitan rather than specifically Turkish.

31. Sunset Grill & Bar

Sunset Grill & Bar combines a broad Bosphorus view with international cooking and a substantial Japanese and sushi section. The range works for mixed tastes, but the hilltop setting is what turns dinner into an occasion.

32. Ulus 29

Ulus 29 is a long-running hilltop restaurant and bar where the Bosphorus view, dining room, and after-dinner energy all matter. Choose it for a dressed-up evening that can continue beyond the meal.

33. Summit Bar & Terrace

Summit is the bar and terrace at Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus, included here for skyline drinks and a light meal rather than a conventional restaurant dinner. It is the right final stop when the view matters more than working through several courses.

Final words

Spread your restaurant choices across both continents, mix a special-occasion room with a meyhane or neighborhood lunch, and leave room for whatever the street puts in front of you between meals. If you want the eating mapped day by day, our Istanbul food itineraries do exactly that.