Cuisine of Istanbul for gourmets. Places for dinner - best restaurants

Zoe Teras Lounge & Bar & Club is surely one of best restaurants devoted to national cuisine. Its tables are placed on a large outdoor terrace. The restaurant is open until late in the evening, so you can expect to find there noisy discos and theme parties. Several years ago the restaurant ‘360 Istanbul’ was named the best dining facility of the city. In addition to popular dishes of Turkish cuisine, this place serves excellent Mediterranean dishes. The restaurant will be loved by fans of seafood and noisy night parties. Interesting cultural programs are organized here right every day. Haci Abdullah restaurant is the oldest institution of the city. Here guests often order delicious fish with spices cooked on the grill. Marinated vegetables and salads will become a wonderful garnish for meat and fish dishes. The restaurant is famous not only by an excellent menu and unusual design of the hall, but also by very fast service.

Korfez restaurant has become a favorite place of rest for politicians and pop stars. Stuffed sea bass is considered the restaurant’s specialty. For dessert, guests prefer to order a popular eastern desert - yogurt. However, this is not the usual milk drink, which is so ordinary to Europeans. In Turkey yogurt is a thick sweet mass, which is sliced into small pieces and decorated with powdered sugar.

In 5.Kat restaurant you can try best dishes of international cuisine, which are cooked by local chefs in strict accordance with receipts and traditions. The interior of the hall is also very interesting. It is decorated with furniture made of precious wood, velvet curtains and a beautiful "antique” chandelier. Lovers of exotic cuisine will need to visit Changa restaurant. Each dish here is a unique masterpiece. Kebab with classic French sauce is one of the most unusual delicacies of this place. Changa also features elegant interior decoration, which has brought the restaurant a Wallpaper prize. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Boncuk restaurant looks more like a small cozy tavern. Unique dishes of Armenian cuisine remain the main "attraction" of this place. Most often visitors order mackerel, which is baked on an open fire by a skilled chef. The restaurant’s tables are located on the terrace, so this place is perfect for a family holiday.

Istanbul is a wonderful place to start your acquaintance with the classical Turkish cuisine. Local people consume many various soups that are usually cooked on meat or fish broth. Vegetarian guests will be pleased to try hearty vegetable soups that usually contain rice and noodles and then served with yoghurt. Istanbul residents regularly eat Tarhana çorbası. The basis of this soup is prepared beforehand as it is a mix of dried peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Tarhana çorbası contains flour and even such an unusual ingredient as yeast. Yoghurt is then added to the soup right before serving. The ready dish is served with freshly baked bread. Travelers wishing to try something more traditional will enjoy local lentil soup.

It is impossible to imagine the local cuisine without meat dishes. In Istanbul, travelers are welcome to try juicy kebabs and various meat skewers. Not only restaurants but also Istanbul markets offer wonderful meat dishes. By the way, travelers who choose markets will be able to see how the food is cooked right in front of buyers. Kadinbudu Kofte is one more interesting meat dish. It is cooked from best veal with various spices and fragrant herbs. The meat is sliced into small pieces, shaped into balls, and then stewed in a vegetable broth.

Shish Kebab is considered one of the most popular dishes in Istanbul. Local chefs usually keep their recipes of this meal in secret. They cut meat into cubes, pierce and hold it on skewers together with various vegetables, and then cook. The secret of Shish Kebab is in its special grilling process, during which the meat remains juicy. Doner is an interesting variety of kebab that is cooked in a vertical grill. Doner Kebab has meat cubes mixed with meatballs on skewers. It is important to mention that only lamb meat is used in Doner Kebab.

Local pastries offered by numerous bakeries in Istanbul also deserve a mention. Local cafes and small street bakeries cook fragrant Simit circular bread that is available in a variety of types. The bread dough can contain various ingredients such as cheese, sausage, olives, and many other unusual fillings. The freshly baked Simit bread is inexpensive, so it has quickly become one of the most popular types of street food. Local people also love Pogača – small and attractive looking buns that can also come with a variety of fillings. Many say that these buns are reminiscent of patty cakes.