New dining venue; IST on Istiklal.
For those who enjoy dining out at classy French look-alike bistros, I found a lovely place
on Istiklal Street down in Taksim (Beyoglu) called “IST – Istanbul, Istiklal – Cafe Patisserie Restaurant”.
This new place is a great choice for those who want to dine in style, fashionistas and socialites alike.
Don’t be fooled by the posh looks of “IST”, I found it affordable (lovely grilled chicken with various herbs and garlic, Chinese noodles and potato wedges for 10YTL). Lots of salad choices, have a look at the menu outside if you’d like to have a sneak peak at what you can expect inside.. There was a huge variety of desserts that I couldn’t stop glaring at, they looked wonderful.
Beige is the dominant color and it’s very soothing.
You can sit outside during summer and enjoy a refreshing meal whilst watching life go by on Istiklal or have dinner inside during winter in a cozy environment.
Location: Istiklal Street 10/12 Beyoglu. European side. Close to the French embassy.
Want to book in advance? : (0212) 251 79 44
Sounds great, maybe one day i can try it out.
The name of one chicken dish they had began “Rosemary, taym, ouregano, kekik and tiryaki soslu…” For the Turkish-illiterate, taym is thyme spelled as read in Turkish, kekik IS thyme and no one in Turkey knows the difference between the misspelled oregano and thyme. I bet “tiryaki soslu” meant teriyaki sauce (I am seriously willing to bet). Luckily, I only had coffee there. With such ignorant and careless owners/chef, I give the place 6 months before it closes down.