The warmth of the autumn sun as the sky turns from a rich amber to a deep ruby red floods the tiny rooftop restaurant. Scores of mosques, with their polished domes and minarets, light up one after another as the natural light fades and the darkness takes over. Lovers, friends and families chatter over Turkish tapas and raki whilst I enjoy the incredible views across the Old City. This bustling kebab house is not the only restaurant offering good food and amazing panoramas, there are many restaurants in the city, which can offer this fantastic combination of fine food and delightful ambiance.
We are sitting in Hamdi, one of Istanbul's famous, traditional kebab houses. It is lies in the Old City's Grand Bazaar district on a bustling square bordered on one side by Yeni Camii, the Ottoman Imperial New Mosque and to the front by the Galata Bridge and the Eminonu Harbor. As if this colourful location alone wasn’t enough, the old Egyptian Spice Bazaar with its olive stands, fruit stalls, tea shops, and nut and spice merchants lures your senses with its enticing bouquets. Sunday is the best day to dine on the restaurants rooftop; this is the day when you can observe the many wedding boats and their amazing celebratory firework displays.
True food lovers regard Turkish cuisine as one of the best in the world, indeed some would say that there are only really three notable cuisines that have any true influence on society and the other two are French and Chinese. Istanbul's magnificent cuisine has its roots in its ancient history; mixing Byzantine, Hellenic, Islamic and others into the kitchens of the everyday Istanbul inhabitant. Its crossroads between two continents, Europe and Asia has also impacted on this.
After the drinks are ordered an enticing tray of cold mezes appears at our table; it’s a veritable feast for the eyes - dark roasted aubergine, mint and garlic yogurt, endless fresh salad, glistening sweet red peppers and ground walnuts, an inviting dollop of humus, gleaming artichoke heads and finely sliced mushrooms with tasty scallions. The raki tastes extraordinarily good with these magnificent dishes as does the bottle of Yapincak wine, which lends a certain something to the taste of the hot mezes, which suddenly appear. Asif Hamdi is popular for its icli kofte, scrumptious balls of fried bulgur packed with meat and lahmacun, a thin pizza covered with spiced lamb, garlic, parsley and hot pepper. The restaurant’s signature dish is its kebabs and they are best eaten with the mint yoghurt and garlic concoction from the cold meze. Or else order yogurtlu kebap, the yogurt kebab, where you can choose a combination of grilled lamb skewers or a mix of lamb and veal minced together served on a thick yogurt base garnished with mouth-watering ripe tomatoes. Alternatively, the beyti kebap is worth tasting. It is a blend of minced lamb and veal, seasoned with parsley, sweet peppers and garlic and served with pilaf rice and a parsley and onion salad, which really does compliment the succulent taste of the meats.
Dining in Istanbul is a treat and activity that can easily overshadow all other aspects of your stay here; there are so many remarkable restaurants that you need never dine at the same place twice for fear of missing out elsewhere. In addition to the Hamdi Restaurant, at Tahmis Caddesi Kalcin Sokak Eminonu (www.hamdirestorant.com.tr) try the Istanbul Modern Restaurant/Cafe at the Istanbul Modern Art Museum on Meclis-i Mebusan Cad. Liman Sahasi, 4 Nolu Antrepo Salipazari, Karakoy (www.istanbulmodern.org) or the Mikla, at the Marmara Pera Hotel on 1174 Mesrutiyet Caddesi, Tepebasi (www.istanbulyi.com). This place offers some stunning fusion cuisine – a combination of Scandinavian and Mediterranean dishes. The Rumeli Iskele at 1 Yahyakemal Cad., Rumeli Hisari, Sariyer offers traditional seafood dishes on the edge of the Bosporus offering incredible views of Asia. Generally restaurant prices in the city are around 2 - 10 euro for a meze and about 50 euro for a main course for three people.
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