our favourite iftar spots of this ramadan
words by dilara
Throughout the Ramadan month, I have kept asking the same question to my friend: "Which of Istanbul's restaurants are we going for the iftar?" We looked for the best places to have a scrumptious iftar night. Many restaurants were visited and great food was eaten during this month, hence, leave the iftar list to us. Here are five of our favourite iftar venues that we had visited and favoured during this Ramadan. Since they are our absolute favourite places, there is no order in this list and all restaurant are randomly positioned.
çıraÄŸan palace kempinski
tuÄŸra restaurant
Without a doubt, this is the most popular place to eat in Istanbul. The Bosporus' breath-taking view and the Ottoman Palace's magnificent interiors are followed by a rich open buffet, in which everything and beyond would be present in front of you. While the TuÄŸra Restaurant is the apple of my eye, Laledan has also an amazing atmosphere and menu.
âsitâne restaurant
Since 1991, they are trying to keep the Ottoman cuisine alive. If you are in need of eating delicious Ottoman food in a restaurant -and who aren't?-, Asitane is the place. The menu is full of flavour and the atmosphere is warm that is enough for leaving there full and happy. Especially don't forget to try the Kayisi Asidesinde Dana Külbasti (Veal Fillets Seasoned with Spices and Apricot Sauce). The conviviality of a cute Musiki [Turkish Classical Music] performance and scrumptious food calls for a group of friends. We, as the editorial team, love this restaurant so much that a wide coverage about Âsitâne will be released on Doku soon. So stay tuned!
four seasons sultanahmet
Four Seasons Sultanahmet was one of the most frequently mentioned iftar places of this year. This lovely yellow building was built as a prison when it was first opened its doors -or closed- in 1918 during the Ottoman Empire. Many years later, in 1996, it was transformed into a hotel and made us admire this historical structure while enjoying the food. It's worth going there even for the architectural texture. The presentation is fine dining level with a rich open buffet and I couldn't ask for more!
deraliye restaurant
​This is another restaurant located in Sultanahmet. The menu consists of recipes gathered from the meals of the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The place is quite simple and elegant. Don't forget to save some room for the dessert called "Helatiye", which is a water-based pudding with rose sherbet.
st. regıs ıstanbul
spago & brasserıe
This somewhat neo-art deco hotel came from New York offers Spago by Wolfgang Puck and Brasserie for the Istanbulites. The two Michelin star name behind Spago makes its presence visible throughout the menu. On the other hand, Brasserie is everything a Turk and a tourist could’ve hoped for: a high-end homemade meal from all sorts of kebabs to classic house-cooking recipes like dolma or casseroles.