Istanbul travel review & recommendations by Father_Son_Cycle

ISTANBUL - TURKEY

Nobel Hostel - Blue Mosque area (Mimar Mehmet Aga Street No 32 Sultanahmet)

I had stayed in Istanbul as a backpacker aged 20 in 1978 so I knew that the hostels were mainly in the Blue Mosque area near Sultanahmet Square.

My son and I are cycling from Ireland to Japan but arrived in Istanbul by train from Erdine since the road into Istanbul is very treacherous with heavy traffic and no real alternative smaller route. We came out of the station, turned left and walked our bikes up to Sultanahmet square then came accross the Antique Hostel. This hostel is one of the best in Istanbul but was fully booked. However the guy on the desk sent us to their sister hostel (Nobel Hostel) around the corner, which is smaller but equally friendly. If you have the chance I suggest you stay at Antique which is bigger with a nice lounge and superb rooftop bar etc. Nobel also has a rooftop where they serve breakfast.  Both are 12 Euros (20 Turkish Lira) for a Dormitory room or 40E for a double room with en-suite and air-con.  The staff in both hostels are helpful, friendly and (Jimmy at Nobel) full of wicked humour. The hostels and hotels in this area mostly have roof terraces with superb views of the busy waterway and literally hundreds of large cargo ships stacked up waiting to be allowed to load / unload in the cargo ports.

Istanbul is huge and spreads for miles with very different areas. The official population is 15 million but it is reputed to be nearer 20 with the tourists and travellers who hang out at this ancient crossroads of East and West.

Sultanahmet is the main tourist centre on the Eminonou side and is swamped by big tour groups in the high season (Aug - Oct). Coaches clog the roads around the square due to tourists unwillingness to walk a few hundred metres to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Mosque etc. They can be found smoking 'sheesha' pipes in the tourist cafes and being ripped off in the many tasteful carpet shops nearby. This pushes up local prices in shops and restaurants.

The old Pudding Shop (shack type street restaurants) that once lined the main street along the west side of Sultanahmet square are now proper restaurants and priced accordingly but the food is still delicious.

Ferry boats go frequently from the waterfront, near the Galata Bridge along from the main railway station, to the Asian side (Uskudar) for 1.4YTL (less than a Euro) and tour boats take people on 2hr tours of the Bospherous river (probably the busiest waterway in the world - it borders on manic some days).  The Asian side is busy but far more relaxed and cheaper. It is home to Fennerbache football club.

On the opposite side of the Galata bridge is Karakoy (pronounced Karakui - not to be confused with Kadakoy ferry port on the asian side). Here there are big fish restaurants on the bridge and waterfront by the ferry stage. Good but a little touristy (for the many cruiseline passengers who dock nearby).

Walk up from this side of the Galata bridge past the noticeable Galata Tower on the steep hill. This road becomes Istiklal Cadesi (Street) in the Taksim area ind is one of the busiest and best shopping streets in Istanbul. You will find individual tourists wandering along this street but thankfully not tour groups. The street is wide with great bookshops, cafes, fashion shops etc mostly aimed at Turks. There is a tramway up the centre (can be dangerous) of the wide pavement with antique trams once used throughout Istanbul. It begins just above the Galata tower and can be reached by a fenicular railway from Karakoy (Galata Bridge). This is our favourite part of Istanbul. It is quite calm, not expensive and has a huge number of cafes, bars and restaurants as well as music venues, bookshops etc. There is a nice hostel on this street (on the narrow steep hill end of the main street to Taksim (Istiklal) near the musical instrument shops alongside the Galata Tower) called World Hostel. It is only 10E for dormitory bed including breakfast in their relaxed street level cafe.

RESTAURANTS
I recommend the following:

Sultanahmet area:
Doy Doy. This is a traditional Turkish restaurant with a superb roof terrace overlooking the back of the Blue Mosque (best view). It is cheap for this area and the food is good. You will hear plenty of American and English accents on the terrace since it is listed in the Lonely Planet guide. Main course (e.g. Kebab with salad) around 8 YTL (5E). Near Hotel Sarnic.

7 Stars Hills / Restaurant.
More expensive end of the market. Well known for good food and probably the highest roof terrace in the area so superb views. 20YTL main course or basic set menu. Next to Four Seasons Hotel.

4 Seasons Hotel
Beautiful Hotel with rooftop bar and courtyard restaurant. Reputedly the most expensive hotel in Istanbul. It is a fairly recently converted prison with a lovely courtyard garden restaurant and is very central but in a quiet street. Very expensive.

Taksim / Istiklal Cadesi area:

Ara
A friendly and quite trendy cafe / restaurant serving mainly Italian style pasta dishes with Turkish influence. Food is excellent and service good. Prices are reasonable for quality. About 15YTL (8 E) for a main dish. It is at the junction of Istiklal Cadesi and a street that leads downhill towards Tophane (modern) tram stop which you can get to direct from Sultanahmet Square for 1.4YTL. They have lovely old B&W photos of Istanbul from the 1940's / 50s on walls and place mats which they will give you copies of if you ask.

Refik
Beyoglu (South Taksim) just above the Galata Tower. There are numerous street cafes between buildings in the backstreets. Refil is one of most famous as a hangout of Turkish intelectuals but there are many others to check out. Main courses around 15YTL but recommend a Mezze selection of starters which can be enough with a plate of Borec cheese and meat parcels.

Cetin Gurme
A chain I believe and very popular with Turks. This is one of the many traditional Turkish restaurants that display a large selection of delicious dishes in their window and cook in an open kitchen. It is cheap and but be warned that it all looks so delicious that you will find it difficult not to over order and spend more than you intended. This one has a baked potato stand in front (Kunpir) with huge potatoes and a selection of fillings which are generously heaped over the potato. It is a great way for budget travellers to fill up at 6YTL including a fizzy drink (usually 2YTL). A fairly nourishing if not exactly gourmet experience.

Istanbul is a vibrant busy city where it would be difficult to get bored. This is useful since many travellers like us are stuck here waiting for visas to places east such as Iran. There are worse places to be stuck and you meet many great people staying at the many hostels. Few people leave without wanting to return. Turkish people are helpful and even self depracating. They are clever and in Istanbul notoriously good at making money out of tourists, but they do it in a nice way (never have I been so happy to pay more than I know is achievable). They are quite nationalistic (Turkish flags fly everywhere - it is such a beautiful flag) but this is currently discouraged (apparently) by the government who see their future in the EU (though many Turks are getting tired of waiting).