Istanbul city guide

What to do

Istanbulite tours
The delightful Eda Skmen specialises in custom-made private tours of Istanbul,
from headline attractions to specialised culinary, art, architecture and in-depth
neighbourhood excursions, including a trip around the up-and-coming multiethnic Fener and Balat districts. You can plump for a walking tour or be
chauffeured around.
Tours from TL400 (115) for a day tour for up to four people, +90 537 346
6020,istanbulite.com
Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami
The stunning 1580s hamam by Mimar Sinan, architect to Suleiman the
Magnificent, has been raised from dereliction. Men and women, instead of
having different areas, have different visiting times, which has helped to
preserve the integrity of the building. After your cleansing and revitalising
session, you emerge renewed into the beautiful public space, to drink sherbet, or
apple tea.
From 28 a session, women 8am-4pm, men 4.30pm-11.30pm, +90 212 393
8001, kilicalipasahamami.com
Chora church
Although Istanbul is laden with Byzantine monuments, this small church in the
Fatih district is the most exquisite, with its mosaics and frescoes depicting the
lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary. The church has been rebuilt many times and
restoration is still under way. The frescoes date from the final period of
Byzantine painting, in the 14th century.
Open daily 9am-5pm (7pm in summer), 4pp, choramuseum.com
Vintage shopping in ukurcuma
The winding streets of ukurcuma, in the European Quarter particularly Faik
Paa and ukurcuma Caddesi are also known as yabanc ky (foreigner
village), because they are beloved of fashionable foreigners. (ukurcuma is also
the home of The Museum of Innocence, based on Nobel prize-winner Orhan
Pamuks 2008novel.) Bijou stores and antiques shops sell everything from old
postcards to antique glasses.

SALT Galata
Housed in the Ottoman Bank (built in 1892), in the heart of the cultural quarter
of Galata, the not-for-profit SALT Galata is a contemporary art gallery, workshop
space and location for great talks, screenings and programmes. There are also
SALT galleries in Beyolu and Ankara.
saltonline.org
Where to eat

Naif

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Naif, Istanbul

With tables and chairs spilling out on to the street and a Mediterranean vibe,
Naif is a cosy, whitewashed restaurant brightened with colourful ceramics and
flowers. The food is light-touch, mainly organic and great for sharing, from
tabbouleh with pomegranate sauce to keskek wheat cooked with lamb and
chickpeas in spicy sauce (about 4).
+90 212 251 5335, naifistanbul.com
Karaky Gllolu
This sweetshop and cafe close to Karaky pier is constantly filled with every
imaginable Istanbulite from every walk of life, here to eat chocolate, chestnut,
hazelnut or orange baklava, traditional flan or Turkish delight. The square
baklava with pistachios, made with 30 layers of pastry, is particularly
recommended.
karakoygulluoglu.com
Dai Pera

Me
ze at Dai Pera

Owner-chef Arzu Gurdamar calls the fare at his eclectic, chic hole-in-the- wall
cafe ev yemekleri home cooking. Its like a Turkish Ottolenghi: fresh, top-class
ingredients prepared to a daily-changing menu, including smoked meats,
cheeses, pies and stuffed vines. For a treat, order pit-roasted lamb and rice with
onions, nuts, diced liver and currants.
+90 212 252 8099, Yeni ar Caddesi 54, no website

Journey
This informal two-floor cafe is peppered with interesting books and creative folk
conducting their working life at its coffee tables. Its a perfect brunch spot in the
heart of Europeanised Cihangir, offering comfort food such as homemade
pastas, pizzas and meatballs. Come for breakfast and choose from pancakes,
brioche, granolas, eggs and toasties.
journeycihangir.com
Where to drink

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Ferahfeza
Ferahfeza colonises the vast top floor of a modern block in Karaky, which
enjoys views of the Galata Tower out the back and of the Sultanahmet district at
the front. Its an upmarket Mediterranean seafood restaurant, but also an
excellent place for a civilised cocktail, best enjoyed from the small, Galata-facing
terrace.
+90 212 243 5154, Kemanke Caddesi 31, no website
Gaspar
Mnferits little sister livens up a quiet backstreet in Karaky. Its moody, dark
interiors, created by layered panels of wood, are the work of Istanbul design
studio Autoban. Two floors of a lounge bar-cum-restaurant-cum-club have been
carved out of a handsome neo-classical building, which was once a printing
press. House music predominates.
+90 212 293 6660, Necatibey Caddesi, Arapolan Sokak 6, no website
Mnferit
The modern take on the meyhane the traditional Turkish tavern, scene of wild,
raki-fuelled dancing and music has caught on in recent years. Mnferit is the
most famous, though its equally renowned for its meze. It comes into its
exuberant own after dinner, when the music ramps up (though you can still
order black couscous with calamari).
+90 212 252 5067, Yeni ar Caddesi 19, no website
The Reina Club

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The Reina Club. Photograph: Sipa Press/REX

There are countless clubs and bars along the Bosphorus. Among the glitziest
and worth a drink for the skyline views, even if the showy side of Istanbul is not
your bag is this celebrity haunt, with several bars, restaurants and dance
floors.
+90 212 259 5919, Muallim Naci Caddesi 44, reina.com.tr
Where to stay

Vault Karaky
The latest and most grown-up addition to the successful House Hotel brand, 63room Vault Karaky takes over a 19th-century bank in Istanbuls trendiest
neighbourhood. Original period detail abounds: marble staircases and fireplaces,
stencilled ceilings and mouldings. To this has been added a dash of pared-down

luxury green and white marble bathrooms, and art and photography dotting
the rooms. The breakfast buffet is a world-beater.
+90 212 244 3400, thehousehotel.com, doubles from 169 B&B
SuB Hotel Karaky
An industrial-chic nook in the heart of trendy Karaky. The aesthetic is
minimalist yet comfortable: grey polished concrete walls, LEDs and docking
stations, designer beds, big factory windows, and anti-stress mattresses. You can
linger over the Turkish-style breakfasts (artisanal cheese, eggs, jams, organic
honey, olives, heavenly pastries), while the restaurant does excellent, simple
Mediterranean food.
+90 212 243 0005, subkarakoy.com, doubles from 99
Mama Shelter
On top of a department store on Istikal Caddesi, Istanbuls throbbing,
pedestrianised shopping street, Mama Shelter is the latest offering from the
stylish, Philippe Starck-designed chain. Theres a public space with a graffitiscrawled ceiling that encompasses a pizzeria and terrace with views of the
Bosphorus, excellent but affordable food, and small, simple, nattily minimalist
rooms.
+90 212 252 0100, mamashelter.com, doubles from 99 B&B
Bunk Beyolu

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Bunk Beyolu

Bunk offers dorm living (though there are en suite doubles available too) in
surprising style, moments from the Galata Tower in Istanbuls heaving,
culturally vibrant European quarter. Expect impeccable cleanliness, fluffy
towels, hairdryers, crisp linen and free Wi-Fi. Theres also a classy street-level
cafe that gets lively at night, marble bathrooms, and a roof terrace with Jacuzzi.
+90 212 244 8808, bunkhostels.com, dorm beds from 15 including breakfast
Djem Istanbul

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A room at Djem Istanbul

A classically furnished 11-room town house filled with Ottoman antiques, Djem
is a cosy, affordable option in the shadow of the monuments of Sultanahmet. A
stones throw from the Blue Mosque (you might think the muezzin is being sung
just for you), its within strolling distance of the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi and
theGrand Bazaar, and has free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour concierge.
+90 212 518 1295, hoteldjem.com, doubles from about 100 B&B