"Intimate Dining and Friendly Service Rumeli Cafe is an ideal location for dining while people-watching from the streetside terrace in the bustling Sultanahmet neighborhood. Summertime sees the opening of a rooftop dining area, where guests can gaze at the stars and glimpse at the minarets of the Blue Mosque. When the weather chills in winter, the allure of the restaurant moves inside—where the gentle crackling of open fireplaces invite guests to stay a while to appreciate a glass of mulled wine paired with a rich Ottoman dish. Set in a former Ottoman print house, the restaurant has become one of Sultanahmet’s most loved thanks to its friendly service and intimate dining areas with dark wood floors, wrought iron fixtures, and exposed red brick walls—an atmosphere reminiscent of dining in a foregone Byzantine palace. Personal favorites are the grilled marinated calamari, the Ottoman-style Marmara A’la Rosto (roast beef with rice and vegetables), and the seafood linguini. Also on the menu are regional specialities such as Ali Nazik (minced lamb and beef on a bed of pureed eggplant and yogurt); Byzantine dishes like Papaz Yahnisi (stewed lamb and vegetable served with cumin and garlic in a terracotta pot); fresh seafood including sea bass, sea bream, and jumbo shrimp; and vegetarian options."
