Leaving Istanbul with a Wonderful Taste in our Mouths

January 06, 2011

Pomegranite cart in Istanbul

Fresh squeezed pomegranite juice available throughout city.

For those following my fabulous journey from Istanbul to Barcelona I'm back to Istanbul with a few parting street scene shots before we board our cruise ship.   

Chestnut cart in Istanbul

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

My husband and I were surprised to find we loved the food, the people and the city so much.  Normally when you travel with someone else you don't get to meet the locals in the same way as you would if you were traveling on your own.  We found the Turkish people to be very welcoming and open.  We enjoyed many a leisurely conversation with waiters while sipping our lattes and afternoon beers.  Besides tourist talk, politics were sometimes discussed but always with a sense of humor and listening ears on both sides. 

I can't leave Istanbul without giving a restaurant recommendation.  We actually had good food at every place we stopped and although there are top-notch Italian and French restaurants we only went to those serving Turkish food.  When in Turkey..., right?  One night the four of us decided to venture out with an ethnic Anatolian recommendation from Melik Kaylan, a contributor to the Wall Street Journal and a columnist for Forbes.  He's lived in Istanbul off and on since childhood and has been very interested in the culinary revolution taking place in Istanbul where Turkish food is getting the elevation it deserves.

We took a taksi (Turkish taxi) ride over the Galata Bridge and the Golden Horn to the restaurant Kiva (address:  Galata Kulesi Meydanı No:4 Beyoğlu/İstanbul,) right next to the Galata Tower.  The review said that it seemed only Turks ate there even though it was a perfect tourist location.  There were only a couple other tables and they did appear to be locals.  Not knowing what to order and seeing a fine display of appetizers, we asked them to just bring what they thought we'd enjoy.  Sigh... We had dish after dish and were in culinary heaven.  If they hadn't been so delicious I probably would've remembered to take photos and write down ingredients, but alas it was difficult to stop and even order main dishes, but we knew we must and we did.  We highly recommend a dinner here if you find yourself in Istanbul!

Istanbul street scene

Parting shot of a Sultanahmet neighborhood Since the weather was rainy and cool our whole visit we know the city has a lot more to offer.  We missed getting a rooftop view of the city which we've read is spectacular and not duplicated anywhere else in the world.  Other than our special dinner, we stayed in the old part of town and didn't explore the newer side or countryside since we were short on time and suffering jet lag.  A return to Istanbul would not be unwelcome.

"On the meeting point of two worlds, the ornament of Turkish homeland, the treasure of Turkish history, the city cherished by the Turkish nation, İstanbul, has its place in the hearts of all citizens."   Atatürk