Istanbul Eats

Traveler managing editor Scott S. Stuckey is just back from a trip to Turkey, and suggests the best places to grab a bite.

Today, October 29, is Turkey’s Independence Day, marking the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. During my visit to Istanbul last week, in anticipation of the celebrations and fireworks to come, streets were strung with pennants depicting the crescent moon and five-pointed star of the Turkish flag and the likeness of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He’s the still-venerated national hero who led Turkey to independence in 1923, and subsequently, into the modern world. (The pennants hung low, whacking the roof of our tour bus–thonk, thonk, thonk–as we navigated the congested streets of this city of 12 million.) October is a great month to visit Istanbul, and Turkey in general, because temperatures are mild and tourist crowds have thinned.

I was in town as part of a contingent of 62 journalists from 25 countries touring Istanbul in a trip organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The city was feverishly preparing–spiffing up museums, organizing dozens of events, spending millions of Turkish Lira–for 2010, its year in the sun as the designated European Capital of Culture, an honor bestowed on a different city annually by the European Union.

A highlight of my visit–or any visit–to Istanbul was eating, not just because of the food but also because of the glorious marine views from the restaurants. Istanbul straddles both the Bosphorus Strait, separating Europe from Asia, and the Golden Horn, a huge estuary dividing old Istanbul (Constantinople) from the modern city. Fine restaurants and tony nightclubs take full advantage of the geography, perching themselves on hillsides that slope down to water’s edge or along the water’s edge itself. We enjoyed the view from the tables of several high-end spots: the Suada Club Restaurant on Galatasaray Island; the Sunset Grill & Bar Restaurant in Ulus; and the Feriye Restaurant–with its views of the Ortakoy Mosque and the Bosphorus Bridge, a lovely suspension bridge lit at night with colored lights.

But I sensed we were missing out on some of the smaller neighborhood restaurants catering to local–and not just gourmet–sensibilities.

Thus my delight in meeting American ex-pat Yigal Schleifer, a dedicated chowhound who moved to Istanbul from New York seven years ago and now edits IstanbulEats.com, a site dedicated to ferreting out the city’s hidden culinary treasures.

I asked Schleifer to rattle off his top picks of authentic restaurants in Istanbul.

“If you want to get real kabob, try Zubeyir,”

Schleifer said, featuring an ocakbasi, “the Turkish equivalent of the sushi bar. You can sit around the grill and watch the master grill meat–chicken wings, lamb chops–served with mezze appetizers,” which are like tapas. Wash it all down with wine or raki, the anise-flavored national drink.

For fish, Schleifer recommends Ismet Baba

in the little village of Kuzguncuk. “It’s a classic fish place right on the water, not fancy but old-Istanbul style.” Also on the Asian side of the Bosphorus is Ciya, in a neighborhood called Kadiköy. “They serve food from the southeastern part of Turkey, a very traditional cuisine,” including rich vegetarian fare “you won’t find anywhere else in Istanbul.”

For authentic street food, Schleifer offered Durumzade, near the fish bazaar in the Beyoğlu neighborhood, on the European side.

“Durum is a kind of Turkish wrap,” Schleifer said. “They take kabob and wrap it in a thin bread called lavash, which is rubbed with spices and put on the grill.”

Another of Schleifer’s picks, Abracadabra, across the street from the Bosphorus on the European side, showcases the work of Dilara Erbay, “one of the great new chefs of Istanbul, who takes Turkish classics and reinterprets them in a modern way,” he said.

Though Schleifer recommends Abracadabra for dinner, our group breakfasted there early one morning, crowding the fourth-floor balcony reached via spiral staircase. We served ourselves from a table inside spread with plates of green and black olives, homemade jam, goat and feta cheese, homemade bread and pastries, and pots of tea. But the real treat, again, was the view of the Bosphorus, lined with yachts and locals enjoying a morning walk. I could’ve sat there all morning sipping tea and chatting with my new friends.

My own favorite eatery of those we tried last week was the Istanbul Culinary Institute, a “training restaurant” under the able direction of Hande Bozdogan. The institute sources many of its ingredients from its own farm, creating new menus daily with such delights as creamy mushroom soup, grilled sirloin, and parsley salad served with pomegranate molasses. It was delightful to see earnest young chefs in training scurrying about the two-story restaurant doing their best to please customers and polish their skills.

Photos: Scott Stuckey