The large, popular restaurant, Güney, can get crowded and a bit chaotic, even mid-morning. If you’re looking for a breakfast in a really laid-back fashion in a small, cleverly conceived café, look no further than Dukkan Galata. Dukkan Galata pens at 8:30 am weekdays, 9:00 am Weekends. Closes at 6:30 pm. The little café offers a full array of breakfast dishes, sandwiches, salads and Turkish pasta.
It’s rare that we publish a review for a hotel restaurant, but Glens, the restaurant adjoining the Glens Palas boutique hotel in Nişantaşı, earned a place in our short list of favored restaurants in Istanbul because of its prime location, early opening time for those seeking a hearty breakfast, and an excellent, well-executed, Italian menu.
Antakya is a region in far southern Turkey adjacent to the Syrian border. Restaurant Antiochia brings the cuisine of that fertile region, a melting pot for Turkish and other middle eastern cuisines, to Istanbul. Similar at first glance to that of other local restaurants, the cuisine uses slightly different herbs and spices, relying heavily on the flavor of cumin, to bring a unique taste to everything on the menu.
International celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, Spago, recently opened in the St Regis Hotel in Nişantaşı, making it only the second upscale international restaurant in the city. The décor, menu, service, and execution of the menu are underwhelming, especially considering the hefty price tag of the menu items by local standards. Consumers apparently agree. It only garners 4.2 stars on Google Reviews. Still it’s one of only a handful of restaurants in the city that claim to be “upscale”.
Restaurant 24 is the rooftop restaurant of a small boutique hotel near to Galata Tower. The menu elevates Turkish dishes and ingredients to gourmet level. The décor is upscale. The service staff friendly and efficient. Great spot for a romantic evening meal overlooking the Bosporus. Also a great place for an early morning breakfast, opening at 8:00 am and offering both a Turkish breakfast spread or scrambled eggs for the less adventurous.
Café Firuz is the only restaurant making our short list of published reviews in Istanbul’s Cihanger neighborhood. The restaurant opens at 8:00 am, offering a customary Turkish breakfast or your choice of several western breakfast favorites, including omelets, French toast, and crêpes. Also one of the best places in the city for western pop-culture items, from burgers to pizza.