Karaköy Lokantası

"Intensely flavoursome tarama with toasted bread, crispy deep-fried courgette with yoghurt, sea bass elevated by a spicy mustard-based remoulade… With a selection of over 80 mezze, a whole host of sharing platters and other traditional dishes, you're spoilt for choice. The chef uses top-quality ingredients and avoids unnecessary complexity. His dishes pack a punch, with subtle Greek influences appearing throughout. This bustling establishment with its quiet terrace has earned its popularity. Delicious food and great value for money!" - Michelin Inspector

In Charismatic Istanbul, the Past Still Shapes the Present

"A popular restaurant known for serving some of the best mezze, including dishes like mince-stuffed zucchini, artichokes in olive oil, and lamb stew."

The 38 Best Istanbul Restaurants | Eater

"A modern tradesmen restaurant by day and a meyhane (tavern) by night, Karaköy is popular among white-collar workers, artists, writers, and lovers of good food from Istanbul and abroad. At lunch, diners choose from a daily menu, while at night they line up to choose mezes from a display case. Options often include olive oil-braised artichokes, fried liver, spinach roots cooked with olive oil, kidney bean salad, crispy fried zucchini, calamari, octopus, and seasonal fish. Reservations are only offered for dinner and tables can be hard to come by, so reserve a week in advance or try your luck walking in for lunch." - Tuba Şatana

Post-Lockdown, Istanbul's Residents Are Embracing Empty Palaces and Sunset Dance Parties

"Restaurant diners gravitate to rooftop terraces like the newly opened one at Karakoy Lokantasi, while dining rooms have empty tables that seem set for no one and music drifting through unusually clear and smokeless air. Printed menus have been replaced by digital ones retrieved through a QR code and there is disinfectant next to the ashtrays on each table. They are constant reminders of our new carefully calculated reality."