The 14 Best International Restaurants in Istanbul

Homesickness happens, even in Istanbul. Turkish cuisine has enough flavors and varieties to fill every meal of a long trip, and still there comes an evening when nothing will do except pad thai, fondue, or a plate of dim sum. These 14 restaurants exist for that evening.

Turks happily boast about their own kitchen, yet the city’s cooks hold real respect for everyone else’s. Some put an Anatolian twist on international recipes. Others keep every dish as close to the source as they can. If you would rather stay on Turkish plates altogether, start with our guide to the best food in Istanbul.

All 14 restaurants at a glance

1. Aida - Vino e Cucina, Italian

Finding a gluten-free Italian place is about as easy as finding a rainbow eucalyptus tree. Aida goes further than most: whatever your dietary requirements, just tell a staff member. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options come highlighted on the menu, and other dishes can be adjusted to suit your needs.

The interior keeps its color muted, so the room settles into the background of a quiet tête-à-tête. If there is a lull in the conversation, you can always comment on how chic the place looks.

The menu carries a strong selection of Turkish and Italian wines, and Aida ranks among the city’s best Italian tables. For more of them, our guide to Italian restaurants in Istanbul runs the full list.

You can bring your own desserts for a small fee, but it would be a shame to skip their minimal, excellent treats.

Address: Caferağa, no: 10, Ressam Şeref Akdik Sokağı No:10, 34710 Kadıköy/İstanbul

2. Asuman, Iranian

The vibe runs low-key and the prices stay humble, yet you will eat like a shah. Come hungry and you will still struggle to finish your plate. Iranian cooking remains mostly unknown internationally, which is a shame, because each dish arrives fragrant, colorful, and succulent.

No one makes meat as soft and fluffy as Iranian cooks do, and Asuman holds that standard. The kitchen mixes barberries into the rice, and the unfamiliar ingredients taste better than you would guess. The seasoning stays balanced, never tipping too sweet, too spicy, or too sour.

Walk in with high expectations. The food will still get past them.

Address: Kemal Paşa, Haşim İşcan Gç. No:42 B, 34134 Fatih/İstanbul

3. Trattoria Serenzo, Italian

Eating here is close to visiting the house of an Italian friend’s nonna. The menu runs long, which suits friend groups with differing tastes, and some of the combinations will be new even to people who eat a lot of Italian food. The music is lovely, and the staff seem to be multilingual, so there is a fair chance someone speaks your language.

Vegan meals, salads, pizzas, and meat dishes all get the same careful attention to taste and presentation. A simple room that pulls you back again and again.

Address: Gayrettepe, Vefabey Sokağı Say apt D:No:25/C, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

4. Shang Palace, Cantonese

At Shang Palace, the décor is graceful and a little mysterious, like a frame from a classic Hong Kong film. Diners who know Cantonese cooking will recognize every dish, and everyone else gets a pleasant surprise at how far the menu reaches past the one or two famous plates. It comes in English, Turkish, and Chinese, with pictures, which makes it dangerously easy to over-order.

This is fine dining, with the kitchen run by a team of highly skilled Chinese chefs. The two-course Peking duck and the dim sum are the known standouts, and the wine list pairs Turkish and international bottles with the Cantonese menu. For more of the city’s Chinese tables, see our guide to Chinese restaurants in Istanbul.

Address: Sinanpaşa, Hayrettin İskelesi Sk., 34353 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

5. IST TOO, International

This swanky, upmarket dining room fuses the Turkish kitchen with a run of international cuisines. Picture genuine sushi served as part of a meze. By genuine, we mean the sushi tastes exactly as it does in Japan; our guide to sushi in Istanbul covers where else to find that standard.

The executive chef has an artistic streak, the waitstaff are friendly and professional, and the classic design holds up. After a meal here, a subpar eatery becomes harder to forgive.

The menu runs pasta, pizza, sandwiches, seafood dishes, and salads alongside the appetizers, plus traditional Turkish kebabs and pides. Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian flavors fill out the rest, with an impressive vegetarian and vegan selection.

Like Shang Palace, IST TOO sits inside Shangri-La Bosphorus.

Address: Sinanpaşa, Hayrettin İskelesi Sk. No:1, 34353 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

6. Saruja Restaurant, Syrian

Syrian food is the underdog of international cooking, and if you have never tried it, you are missing a lot. Many Syrian restaurants opened in Istanbul in the last ten years, and Saruja stands among the best of them.

The portions are very Middle Eastern. Bring your loose trousers for lunch or dinner, because you will leave stuffed like a turkey on New Year’s Day. The kitchen stays open for anyone to peer into, which settles any worry about cleanliness, and the Syrian architecture inside gives the room an elegant design. Take a window seat, order widely, and let the time melt by.

Address: Akşemsettin, Akşemsettin Cd. NO:31-A, 34080 Fatih/İstanbul

7. Nicole, French

A short walk from İstiklal Avenue in the historic Tomtom neighborhood, Nicole sits on the terrace of Tomtom Suites with views over the Old Peninsula and the Sea of Marmara. Chef Serkan Aksoy applies French fine-dining technique to seasonal Anatolian ingredients, and the recognition has followed: the restaurant has held one Michelin star since 2023 and won the 2025 Michelin Service Award.

Be warned that this is a tasting-menu restaurant, so save it for a special occasion and book ahead. It is the splurge option on this list, and the kind of evening you plan the rest of the day around.

Address: Tomtom Suites, Beyoğlu/İstanbul

8. Dubb Indian, Indian

Founded in 1998, Dubb runs two branches: one in Sultanahmet (the Old City) with terrace views of Hagia Sophia, and one in Şişli overlooking the Bosphorus.

The cooking works to bring the cultures of Turkey and India together, comforting and well seasoned at once, and Dubb is widely accepted as one of the best Indian restaurants in Istanbul. The architecture carries the same idea. Both countries once had their own stops on the Silk Route.

The credentials are real. Head chef Vinod Kumar Chauhan brings his own garam masala recipe to a country that prides itself on its spice bazaars. The two branches cook the same dishes with menus slightly altered per location: the Bosphorus branch runs sleeker and more modern, while Sultanahmet keeps a dreamy, romantic vibe.

Address: Alemdar, İncili Çavuş Sk. No:10, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul

9. Çok Çok Thai, Thai

The name translates to “very, very Thai,” and the food backs it up. Named for the range of flavors in Thai cooking, the restaurant takes its inspiration from the Silk Route connection between the two countries, and the kitchen leans on fresh spices and herbs in every dish.

Fair warning for Thai devotees: after eating here, Thai food anywhere else in the city may stop measuring up. It sits on the pricier side, and you will probably still order more than you can eat.

Address: Asmalı Mescit, Meşrutiyet Cd. No:51/A, 34430 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

10. Le Fumoir, Garden Bar

Located in the gardens of Çırağan Palace Kempinski, Le Fumoir is a chic garden bar and cigar lounge serving premium drinks, shisha, and bar snacks. Forbes Travel Guide named it on its 2025 Star Bars list, and a cocktail or two under the magnolia tree makes this the spot for a pampering night out.

The bar embraces the local culture, yet the stroll through the lush green gardens to reach it feels like leaving the city for an hour. The specialties change monthly, so repeat visits keep paying off.

Address: Yıldız, Çırağan Cd. No:32, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

11. Ranchero, Mexican

It is hard to read this menu without getting hungry, and the surprise is how genuinely Mexican the cooking turns out to be. Generous portions back up the flavor, and the kitchen’s steady commitment to vegetarian options and healthier versions earns Ranchero a marked spot on many regular rotations.

The inviting décor makes it a natural stop after shopping at the local stores around Maçka. A margarita pairs well with whatever you just bought, cute red dress included.

Address: Harbiye Mah. Maçka Caddesi Milli Reasürans Çarşısı No:35/A, 34367 Şişli

12. Quetal Tapas & Sangria, Spanish

It is said that Salvador Dalí’s ‘The Persistence of Memory’ came to him while he was contemplating Camembert cheese. Perhaps that explains why the surrealist’s portrait hangs in this tapas bar, which could pass for a spot on Las Palmas. If the cheese plate does nothing for your imagination, one of the other artsy dishes will. Dalí famously tied food to beauty, and ¿Qué tal? works the same combination.

The crowd skews artistic. Don’t be shocked if the next table holds a director or a film star.

Address: Şahkulu, İlk Belediye Cd. 5/A, 34421 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

13. Chalet, Swiss

Set in the grounds of Swissôtel The Bosphorus, this is a seasonal spot with two faces. In the winter months the 120-year-old wooden chalet serves fondue and raclette by the fire, and you may feel like you’ve stepped out of Istanbul for a short while. Come summer, the same grounds open as Chalet Garden, with stone-oven pizzas and a summer take on the fondue.

The flavors run big, and the food shares the bill with the program. Chalet is known for hosting events, live music included, and the welcome is warm enough to double as a masterclass for anyone hoping to work in hospitality.

Address: Vişnezade Mh, Acısu Sokaği No:19, 34357 Beşiktaş/İstanbul

14. Ayaspaşa Rus Lokantası, Russian

Born in 1943, this restaurant has had decades to perfect its menu, and it shows. Russian tourists favor it, which says plenty, and the menu comes in three languages: Turkish, English, and Russian.

Each colorful dish is filling enough that you will leave completely satisfied. Unsure what pairs with what? The helpful staff is happy to guide you.

The decoration would suit a tsar, and on nights when the piano plays live, the room feels like Russia before the October Revolution.

Address: Gümüşsuyu, İnönü Cd. Ankara Palas Apt. D:59/A, 34437 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

Final words

Istanbul hosts kitchens from half the world, and the 14 above make a strong cross-section, whether you want a taste of home or a cuisine you have never gotten around to. Once the homesickness lifts and you are ready for Turkish cooking and Turkish street foods again, join one of our Istanbul food tours. We have run them since 2013, always with 10 guests or fewer.