Pandeli Restaurant

Türkiye: Ancient Roads, Diverse Culinary Traditions at Lokanta 1741, Pandeli, Aheste

"Anchored on the top floor of the Spice Bazaar since 1957, this Bib Gourmand stalwart—established in 1901 and closely identified with the Republic—embodies “İstanbul cuisine” with permanence and care. Expect cult flavors like olive oil dishes, döner kebab, aubergine pastry with döner kebab, Sultan’s delight, cherry brewis, and almond cookies, while the most renowned is seabass cooked in paper, a signature tied to Greek-origin founder Pandeli Çobanoğlu. The turquoise tiles sheathing the rooms—“Pandeli’s turquoise,” contrasted with dark blue—are as emblematic as the recipes handed down from Mr. Pandeli (d. 1967) to his son Hristo and to Abdullah Sait Sevim, who has led the kitchen for over 25 years alongside service manager Özay Çınar for just as long. Generations of regulars still return with their grandchildren, the flavors deliberately kept the same, and the windows frame an iconic view over Eminönü Square and the Galata Bridge—an honor to the legacy within the historic Spice Bazaar." - Le Guide MICHELIN