my question is about Turkish food, which i adore.

Please advise where to go to try the best examples of this marvelous cuisine?

some really good places where i can feel the essence of food culture and enjoy the best cooking traditions.

thanks in advance

 Turkish food is delight,heaven or just a travel to wonderful taste.I think no matter where you eat in Istanbul,a restaurant or a street stall you experience this heavenly taste.I can recommend Cemberlitas restaurant,small,opposite the cinema,nice staff,decent prices and heavennnnnn...mouth watering food,sorry but forgot the name and Istikal street-konya,i think with wonderful Iskander,(Yogurth in it is just great and veggies)red interior,somewhere close to Catholic church or Ortakoy..and there you can go crazy with food and restaurants choice..

yummyyyyyyyyyyyy..just thinking of decent dose of kumpir as lent has already started here;

you can go to:

http://www.hacibabarest.com/

or:

http://www.haciabdullah.com.tr/wp-content/English/

Both are on İstiklal caddesi. Hacıbaba is close to Taksim square. 

the best Kofte you could eat here

http://www.sultanahmetkoftesi.com/

and i agree with ptaszek....kumpir only in Ortakoy

afiyet olsun

ha,

i also thought that no matter where  ....

it does matter! the more i visit the more spoiled i become

that is why i asked people here about their experience or their friends... dont want to try myself

so, if you dined somewhere or had a cup of wonderful coffee - SHARE please. i also want to have tasty memories to survive time out of Turkey

thanks!

it is one of my favourite places inIStanbul, but i have no clue where both are .... i have to learn so much more ....

links are very helpfull, but it was masochism to look with empty stomach before lunch

 to have memories from  you must go to Tophane...there is so many lovely, crowded places as Ali Baba Nargile or Tayfun Cafe

http://www.tophanetayfuncafe.com/

few months ago i was in  Kallavi Nargile Cafe Beyoglu- nice place with wonderful view from terrace in Taksim....but im not sure its still working now...

http://www.beyoglubeyoglu.com/cafeler/nargile_cafe_k/kallavi_cafe.html

it looks so tempting, that i will even start smoking )

or someone on this site has mentioned that it is possible to drink nargile

 Will it be your first time in Istanbul?

I can be your free tour guide lol

Anyways, I can totally recommend you to taste very nice Iskender Kebab and a delicious turkish desert kunefe after it, in KONAK Restaruant on Istiklal Avenue near Galatasaray High School....

If you will come soon, picasso will be shown in Sakıp Sabancı muzesi in Emirgan, very nice district near sea side, also very nice places to walk around

You should not miss to see Kız Kulesi, there are boats to go there from Salacak,Uskudar.

To smoke nargile, if you dont have a big company with your friends i would recommend the cafes under Galata Bridge and little far but the cafes in Camlica are great with the beautiful Istanbul view.

You should not miss to have a breakfast in a small cafe in Gulhane

many many things to do actually so my offer is still valid!

 totally agree....i forgot about this point ..thasnk you Sui

 by the way how do you to want be guide...if you are workohlic ?

thank you for your genuine offer! it was so kind of you to spend your free time for me ) as i understand you just dont have any ... thus, it shows even deeper kindness of you, the sincere Istanbul guide... wat else is in the list of "must see"?

no, it is not my first time in Istanbul and it seems that i have already tried everything in Konak - really tasty and perfect service.  It is alreade like a MUST for me to go there

picasso anecdote: picasso was witness of some crime. Police asked him to draw the faces of criminals. based on that two printing presses, one limo, three laundry washers were arrested.

unfortunately, several last visits were in winter and i did not have chance to drink tea sitting on quay while watching Kız Kulesi. but i still miss it: night around me, many lights everywhere, Kız Kulesi in front of me, me on carpet and hot tea ... just marvelous to feel how time stops there...

nargile: i heard that there were some limits brought up in Turkey recently. bec it spreads tuberculosis. am i right? though, i m sure Istanbul views are not less beautiful without nargile either.

what is special in Gulhane to start morning with?

Dear foka,

as i am kinda boss of my own work here so no problems... its my duty to show the beauties of istanbul to a cute person like raindrops

More ideas and advices Sui? I´m going there too in 3 weeks and it isn´t my first visit as well. (No, I´m not ´fishing´ for a guide!)

oh, i m so embarrassed now...

you are breaking his heart ...

well not for you

you cant fish me, i just offer thats the difference you should understand

 dont worry my friend she is harmless, she doesnt bite

btw...to start morning with a small breakfast... with "demleme çay" in small teapots...you should go to gulhane...

kanlıca, you should see aswell...i have many places to recommend...

why are you hesitating to tell all?) any hidden agenda

no hesitating just i try to wake up the interest in you so that you could accept my offer!!! hehehehe i am bad

 OMG...I LOVE THIS PLACE!!

hm, what are bonuses of accepting offer?

 Dear Sui,

tmm problem yok 

sssshhhh thats secret i cant tell in the public

i m sure you wont be punished for little private message

 raindrops you are serious candidate to be given "teasing classes"

 dont be jealous that i didnt make you the offer

 Sui canim,your offer to me would mean presenting you to my parentssuch offer you madeonce....

Just want to spare you stress,their music taste is awful.

have we met before?! why i dont remember that, i would if you were as cute as raindrops

 we have not otherwise I would remember if you were as cute as  .....................................

Muahahaha

Ps.You forgot to add that raindrops is not  as naughty as I amor perhaps she is..and it is only the matter of time

and how will we learn who is more naughty?

 naughtiness competition?

place:     _____ ?

time:       _____ ?

weapon: _____ ?

 come on girls!!! easy easy no fighting no fighting

 now Sui be ready for punishment

how u could have so short memory....by this way im sure u forgot about xxxxxx ( you exactly know about what , where and who )

P.s. Ptaszku...dont worry Sui have fish memory its all

 I need more clues unfortunately... i even forget names of some people i meet at daily life aswell... lol i guess i am getting older

 YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS you are

 calm down Sui,we are competing in naughtiness field not male´s one.The latter not worth attention at all))))

 please record it with an HD cam corder

 done

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAmEATW5UJA

raindrops third row third on the left me last row the first)))))

 i said HD not 480p....... and the screen play is not good... i didnt like the scenario... the sound is terrible....

no good.... no good...

 Sui,first of all show me a woman who would obey the man,especially Turk

secondly that was a rehearsal,just concentrating before main event...

if you are patient enough after consulting raindrops we may come up with more...

I ate there last week .  It was also the first place I ate in on my first visit to Istanbul.

http://www.turkishclass.com/picture_16323-23628

kumpir in Ortakoy is also a must . . . yummy

why do men think that world (and women) whirls ar them only?! ridiculous

 Where had you been??? I thought they kidnapped you... thank god you are alive

red looks good on me )

 i knowwhich row you are in now?could not find you at this rehearsal..too many competitors...

 this is better than the other one

btw there are some cool ladies...

we are fatal ladies, dear ......

maybe it is better to compete against third party