Pandeli Restaurant

"Take the stairs to the first floor above the Egyptian bazaar and marvel at the characteristically Turkish decor with its blue mosaics on the walls and its historical cachet. In addition to the main dining space, there are two more private rooms if you would prefer a more intimate setting. The chef resolutely sticks to traditional Turkish dishes: think fragrant dolmas stuffed with rice, berries, pine nuts and a dash of vinegar, or courgette flower filled with feta, deep-fried and paired with a rich and spicy yoghurt dip, to name but a few. This perennial favourite never disappoints!" - Michelin Inspector

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

Three Kitchens, Three Culinary Styles

"With a reverence for the classics of Turkish and Istanbul cuisine, the kitchen centers zeytinyağlılar, lamb specialties, döner kebab, and sea bass en papillote. Vegetables braised in olive oil take pride of place—think winter celery with quince or summer okra and beans—simmered slowly over “candlelight” to preserve flavor, while crisp delights like puff pastry and squash blossoms are fried quickly without absorbing oil. The traditional round stuffed vine leaf, made Greek style since the time of Pandeli Çobanoğlu, is not to be missed, its rice, pine nuts, onions, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, dill, and parsley cooked gently with onions, lemon, and plenty of olive oil. Chef Bayram Karaçam’s mastery with oak charcoal lends a defining smokiness: eggplant is roasted and folded into beğendi with butter-sautéed flour and aged kaşar; spinach is blanched, shocked, and finely chopped to stay vivid; döner is cooked over oak and served atop the famous eggplant pastry. A classic sea bass en papillote is wrapped with butter, tomatoes, and lemon and grilled on an oak wood grill, and melt-in-the-mouth lamb tandoori and lamb shank with buttered rice pilaf reaffirm how indispensable well-prepared classics remain." - MICHELIN Guide

53 restaurants spotlighted in the first selection of the MICHELIN Guide Istanbul

"Fans of traditional Turkish cuisine should head to this historic spot just above the Egyptian Bazaar, adorned by magnificent blue ceramic decor." - The MICHELIN Guide

The 38 Best Istanbul Restaurants | Eater

"The story starts over a century ago, when Pandeli Çobanoğlu served piyaz (bean salad) from a street cart near the Spice Market. Eventually he worked his way up to opening this iconic restaurant. Today Pandeli Lokantası is one of the oldest restaurants in town, with 119 years of history and a list of historic guests like Winston Churchill, Audrey Hepburn, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Located on the first floor of the Spice Market, the space mesmerizes guests with its iconic blue tiles, but many diners choose to sit looking out at the ferries and trams passing through Eminönü Square. Pandeli serves classic Istanbul cuisine with a couple of modern twists thrown in. The signature dishes are divine, including hünkar beğendi (charcoal-roasted eggplant pureed with milk, butter, and cheese, served with tomato-braised veal), dönerli patlıcan böreği (eggplant börek topped with döner), lamb shank with mashed spinach, sea bass en papillote, almond cookies, and vişne tiridi (bread pudding soaked in cherry syrup, served with clotted cream)." - Tuba Şatana