Best Katmer in Istanbul: 5 Places to Try the Flaky Pastry
Katmer is a flaky Anatolian pastry, and the Gaziantep version comes filled with clotted cream and pistachios. The 5 best places to eat it in Istanbul.
Katmer is an ancient flaky pastry from Anatolia, and the best-loved version, from Gaziantep, comes filled with clotted cream and pistachios. When we ask guests to name their favorite food from a walk with us, katmer comes up again and again.
Below is what katmer is, how the regional versions differ, and the five places in Istanbul we point people to. For the city’s full eating map, start with our guide to the best food in Istanbul.
What is katmer?
Katmer is an ancient flaky pastry of Anatolia, traditionally eaten at breakfast. According to some sources, its history may date back to the 11th century. The earliest written reference comes later, from the late 14th century, during Ottoman rule.
The pastry is prepared much the same way as yufka flatbread or baklava. What sets it apart, and what makes it so rich, is the generous amount of butter and oil worked into the dough.
Different types of katmer
Katmer can be served plain or filled, sweet or savory. As with many traditional Turkish foods, each region of the country tends to serve its own variation.
In Afyon, in central Turkey, it is generally filled with poppy seed paste. In Konya, only a few hundred kilometers away, it is more often filled with tahini and served sweet, topped with pekmez (fruit molasses) or icing sugar.
The famous one: Gaziantep katmer
Probably the best-loved version of katmer comes from Gaziantep, in southeastern Anatolia. The city is most famous for its baklava, and it produces some of the tastiest katmer in Turkey too. Gaziantep-style katmer is a sweet pastry filled with both clotted cream and pistachios.
Eaten in the backstreets of Istanbul with a glass of sweet Turkish tea, a plate of this centuries-old dessert is a strong argument for slowing down.
All 5 katmer spots at a glance
| Place | Known for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Köşkeroğlu Baklava | Baklava, kebabs, and katmer | Four branches; the Karaköy one is the most famous |
| Çanak Kebap & Katmer | Kebabs and çiğ köfte before the katmer | Order the eggplant kebab or küşleme first |
| Tatlıcı Safa | Katmer, künefe, and other sweets | New shop in Eminönü, across from the Sirkeci tram stop |
| Develi Kebap | Famous katmer at its main restaurants | The Eminönü shop closed; go to Samatya or Etiler |
| Çiya Kebab and Çiya Sofrası | Gaziantep cooking on the Asian side | Two restaurants next to each other; both serve katmer |
1. Köşkeroğlu Baklava
Köşkeroğlu Baklava is a family business with four branches around Istanbul, and the Karaköy branch is the most famous of them. Alongside one of the best katmer in the city, it serves kebabs and some of the best baklava in Istanbul.
2. Çanak Kebap & Katmer
Çanak Kebap & Katmer is the address for Turkish kebabs, çiğ köfte (raw meatballs), and one of the best katmer in Istanbul. Arrive hungry. Order the eggplant kebab or küşleme, another famous taste of the place, before the katmer lands.
3. Tatlıcı Safa
Tatlıcı Safa is one of the most popular dessert shops in Istanbul, turning out katmer, künefe, and other sweets. It is the kind of place people visit in groups so everyone can work through the case together.
The shop recently moved to a new spot in Eminönü, across from the Sirkeci tram station.
4. Develi Kebap
Develi Kebap recently closed its little baklava and katmer shop in Eminönü. The famous katmer is still on the menu at the main restaurants in Samatya and Etiler.
5. Çiya Sofrası
The most loved katmer comes from Gaziantep, Turkey’s food capital, and Çiya brings that cooking to Kadıköy. There are two Çiya restaurants next to each other, Çiya Kebab and Çiya Sofrası, and both serve katmer along with authentic southeastern dishes that justify arriving for a full meal.
Where to go from here
Katmer has been folded, buttered, and griddled in Anatolia for centuries, and the five places above are where we send people who want to taste it in Istanbul. If you would rather eat through the city with a local leading the way, that is what we have done since 2013 on our Istanbul food tours, in small groups capped at 10 guests. The Taste of Two Continents tour covers both sides of the city in one day, dessert included.
