Istanbul -- Finding the best restaurants in Istanbul can be a daunting task – every block feels like it’s littered with kebab shops, bakeries, and diners with attractive steam table displays. But a fair warning to you, dear reader: The döner is most-often dry and poor quality, the baked goods are mass-produced and lackluster, and those steam tables are full of reworked leftovers hidden in bechamel or tomato sauce. The fact that these restaurants are more-often-than-not full might seem at odds with the Turkish standard for quality, which is extremely high. But, well, there’s a sucker born every minute, and those steam tables seem to have a particularly strong gravitational pull on the average Istanbul tourist.

Like anywhere else in the world, locals have their go-to spots. But in Istanbul, these are more than neighborhood haunts with cheap drinks and friendly service. Read more