Restaurants in Nişantaşı

Classic Turkish

Hünkâr, since 1950

Kebab and lahmacun

Tatbak, Develi, Kebapçı İskender

In the MICHELIN Guide

Sade, Tatbak, Foxy, St. Regis Brasserie, Spago

Without alcohol

Sade and Tatbak

The best-known restaurants in Nişantaşı (Nisantasi) cluster on three streets: Mim Kemal Öke Avenue in Harbiye, Akkavak Street in Teşvikiye and Abdi İpekçi Street. For Turkish cooking, Hünkâr has served Ottoman home dishes since 1950, and Sade cooks regional Anatolian food at modest prices. Tatbak is the place for Gaziantep lahmacun and kebab. Beymen Brasserie and the St. Regis Brasserie are the classic upmarket choices, and Foxy pours Turkish wines with small plates.

Quick list

Price levels compare restaurants in Nişantaşı with one another; the neighbourhood as a whole is more expensive than most of Istanbul. “Ask” means we could not confirm whether alcohol is served. Restaurants change hands, menus and hours, so check before you go. No restaurant paid to be on this list.

Turkish and Ottoman cooking

• Hünkâr: a family-run restaurant that has cooked Ottoman and Turkish home dishes in Nişantaşı since 1950. Order the hünkâr beğendi, braised lamb on smoky aubergine purée, and the olive-oil vegetable dishes from the counter. Map
• Sade Beş Denizler Mutfağı: regional Anatolian dishes at modest prices, such as mantı dumplings with lamb and cold tongue salad. Listed in the MICHELIN Guide, and alcohol-free. Map

Kebab and lahmacun

• Tatbak: a long-standing Gaziantep restaurant known for its thin, crisp lahmacun and kebabs. Listed in the MICHELIN Guide, alcohol-free and busy at lunchtime. Map
• Develi: the Nişantaşı branch of a well-known Gaziantep kebab house; try the pistachio kebab, ali nazik and a slice of baklava. Map
• Kebapçı İskender: thin slices of döner on bread with tomato sauce, melted butter and yoghurt, the dish named after the family that created it in Bursa. Map

Brasseries and fine dining

• Beymen Brasserie: the neighbourhood’s best-known people-watching terrace, on Abdi İpekçi Street, with a French brasserie menu. Popular for long lunches. Map
• St. Regis Brasserie: a polished brasserie in The St. Regis hotel, with an afternoon tea. Listed in the MICHELIN Guide.
• Spago: Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant and bar on the roof of The St. Regis, with city views. Listed in the MICHELIN Guide; book for the terrace.
• Gizia Brasserie: a relaxed brasserie on Abdi İpekçi Street, useful for a meal between shops.

Wine, sushi and pizza

• Foxy: a wine bar with a long list of Turkish wines and Aegean-style small plates. Listed in the MICHELIN Guide. Map
• Naomi Sushi Bar: Japanese and Peruvian-Japanese (Nikkei) sushi on Mim Kemal Öke Avenue.
• 400 Derece: thin-crust pizza from a very hot oven, a good choice with children.

When and how to book

• Dinner starts late: most tables fill from 8 pm. Book a day or two ahead for Friday and Saturday.
• Lunch rarely needs a booking, except at Beymen Brasserie on sunny weekends.
• During Ramadan, tables at sunset are booked for iftar. See Ramadan and Eid.
• Halal: meat in Turkey is generally halal and pork is rarely served. For a meal without alcohol on the table, Sade and Tatbak are the surest choices.
• The bill: if there is no service charge, leave around 10 percent.

For how eating out works here, from Turkish breakfast to what to order, see eating out in Nişantaşı. For breakfast and coffee, see cafés and breakfast.

Frequently asked questions