With its moodily lit terrace, constellations of shimmering glass orbs, and a wine room that’s become a hotspot for marriage proposals, Isokyo at Raffles Istanbul draws a well-heeled crowd who come for elevated plates of foie gras-topped kimchi fried rice, scallop sashimi lightly torched and slicked with jalapeño ponzu, and wagyu gyoza bobbing in dashi butter. The restaurant is set across a series of distinct dining spaces, from a grown-up main room to a glossy DJ-backed terrace framing views of the soaring minarets of the Çamlıca Mosque just beyond a giant fluttering Turkish flag. Cocktails match the mood, full of yuzu, shiso, and just the right amount of smoke.
The Galataport development surrounding Fasuli Lokantası may be changing at breakneck speed, but the cooks here continue to quietly get on with what they’ve been doing for years, cooking vats of deliciously rich, bright orange kuru fasulye, which is white beans cooked in butter and creamy tomato sauce. Wonderfully and surprisingly moreish. Lining the stairs are huge tubs of pickles which are the perfect side dish for the beans, along with a classic helping of fluffy white rice. The staff are cheery, the ambience is laid back and it is a very busy scene come lunchtime. If beans aren’t your thing, the menu also offers mixed grills and various pides (flat oval-shaped bread usually filled with meat or cheese).
The standout restaurant at the new Rixos Tersane, Josephine confidently glides into Istanbul’s dining scene at the far end of the hotel’s soaring glass atrium, beneath a fleet of polished boats strikingly suspended mid-air. The food here leans contemporary Mediterranean with bold, playful touches. Tuna tartare comes layered with avocado cream, caviar, and pickled cucumber on a crisp rice cracker. Lobster tagliatelle is as decadent as it sounds—tangled in heirloom tomatoes and silky bisque. Even the more humble-sounding “artichoke soup” arrives dramatically poured over truffle brioche and a caramelized heart. There’s an emphasis on shareable dishes too, like seafood paella piled with wild sea bass, vongole, and prawns, or the indulgent truffle-butter schnitzel with arugula and potato salad. The space is no less impressive: a high-ceilinged gallery of glass, steel, and nautical polish that spills out onto one of the most beautiful terraces in the city, looking straight across the Golden Horn and the ever-transforming Tersane waterfront.
Run by an Armenian-Istanbullu, Jash is a classic neighborhood restaurant with white tablecloths and a welcoming vibe in trendy Cihangir. The menu is wide ranging, with meatballs cooked in tomato and yogurt, chicken in butter sauce, and stuffed vine leaves but the thing to try is the Armenian meze dish topik, which is unlike anything else. Usually prepared for Lent, topik is made with tahini, onion, pine nuts, currants, and cinnamon and is served in a little roundel. In warmer months, the restaurant opens out onto the street and there is a good wine and raki list. Perfect for lunch but equally good for dinner too.
