Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

5 EATING Generations of shoppers have worked up an appetite around the Grand Bazaar. Fortunately there have always been eateries to meet this need, including a range of good lokantas (eateries serving ready-made food) and fast-food stands. Down near the water, there aren’t too many choices – a fish sandwich on the quay at Eminönü, a döner kebap at Bereket Döner in the Küçük Pazar, or a more formal meal at Hamdi Restaurant are your best bets. o DEVELI BAKLAVA ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; % 0212-512 1261; Hasırcılar Caddesi 89, Eminönü; portions ₺ 10-12; h 7am 7pm Mon-Sat; j Eminönü) As with many things Turkish, there’s a ritual associated with eating baklava. Afficionados don’t use a knife and fork. Instead, they turn their baklava upside down with the help of an index finger and thumb, and pop it into the mouth. To emulate them, head to this famous shop close to the Spice Bazaar, one of the city’s best baklavacıs . The baklava here is made with butter and real sugar (inferior products use glucose) and it’s absolutely delicious. Try the classic with your choice of nut filling, or try the indulgent bülbül yuvası (nightingale’s nest), a pastry filled with kaymak (clotted cream) and pistachio. Those in the know (and with a big appetite) tend to order Develi’s Gazientep-style katmer (flaky pastry stuffed with pistachio and kaymak, ₺ 25), which takes around 15 minutes to cook and comes to your table piping hot. Bliss! o FATIH DAMAK PIDE ( % 0212-521 5057; www.fatihdamakpide.com; Büyük Karaman Caddesi 48, Fatih; pides ₺ 17-25; h 7am 11pm; m Vezneciler) It’s worth making the trek to this pideci overlooking the Fatih İtfaiye Park near the Aqueduct of Valens. Its reputation for making the best Karadeniz (Black Sea)–style pide on the Historic Peninsula is well deserved and the pots of tea

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