Where to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in Istanbul, Turkey

Kebabs in Istanbul.

THE EXPERT

After working at Rene Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen and the three Michelin-star Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo, for three years renowned Turkish chef Fatih Tutak headed up The Dining Room at the House on Sathorn in Bangkok, earning it two consecutive wins in Asia's Top 50 Restaurants. Late in 2019, he opened his own TURK Fatih Tutak in Istanbul. See turkft.com

BREAKFAST

Breakfast from Sade.

Sade Kahve is one of the best places to go if you want to discover true Anatolian cuisine. It is my first choice for breakfast because they work with local producers from all over Anatolia – that's why the diversity and taste of their products is incredible. Make sure that you ask for Divle Obruk Cheese, known as the Turkish Roquefort. It was chosen as one of the best quality cheeses in the world. See sadekahve.business.site

MORNING TEA

Balat, has a history that dates back to the Byzantine Empire. it is my favourite area in Istanbul. Then there's Cooklife. I love the contrast of having such a modern place in an old Greek building, built in 1890. What makes it a good spot is that you can have very good coffee and the best sweet vanilla treat because they bring the vanilla bars from Papua New Guinea. See cooklife.com

LUNCH

The best place to eat doner kebap in Istanbul is Karadeniz Donercisi, established in 1973. The doner is made of mostly calf meat but it also has lamb meat in it. Thanks to the marination process made with yoghurt, salt and black pepper, the doner here is very juicy. It is served with grilled onion and green pepper, presenting the beauty of simplicity. No website: Sinanpasa, Mumcu Bakkal Sokagı No 6, Besiktas.

DINNER

Turk represents the new Turkish cuisine that celebrates the rich diversity of Turkish products and combines traditional methods with modern techniques to offer a "fun-dining" experience to its guests. I recommend our turbot with burnt rice and artichoke. Turbot a very local fish from the Sea of Marmara, representing the Istanbul Bosphorus at its best. The fish is cooked on a chargrill so it is very soft and succulent. The sauce under it is made of brined vine leaves and the bones of the turbot. It is served with sunchoke paste and chips and burned rice with tomato. The rice is very special for Turkish people because every Turkish person has the memory of eating the burned part of rice from the bottom of the pan after their mothers cooked the rice. See turkft.com

COCKTAIL

Geyik Coffee Roastery & Cocktail Bar in Cihangir is my favourite place in Istanbul for its cocktails. It's in Cihangir which is a very trendy area with lots of bars and restaurants in historical buildings. My suggestion is to try a cocktail called Space Trade. It has white rum infused for two days with allspice, clove and cinnamon to reach its gold colour, acccompanied by gin and sweet vermouth. It is an excellent choice for Negroni lovers who seek adventure, just like me. See geyikcoffee.com