Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

NEED TO KNOW

Price Ranges The following symbols indicate the average cost of a main course in the reviewed restaurant or eatery. € less than ₺ 20 €€ ₺ 20–35 €€€ more than ₺ 35 Opening Hours Standard opening hours for restaurants and cafes: Breakfast 7.30am to 10.30am Reservations Friday and Saturday nights are busy at all popular restaurants. Be sure to book at least a week in advance. Alcohol Many simple eateries in İstanbul don’t serve alcohol. In our reviews, we have indicated if a place is alcohol free. Tipping In restaurants, bistros and meyhanes, a 10% tip is standard if you have been satisfied with the service. There’s usually no expectation that customers will tip at cafes, lokantas, kebapçıs, köftecıs and pidecis. What’s on the Menu? The local cuisine has been refined over centuries and is treated more reverently than any museum collection in the country. That’s not to say it’s fussy, because what differentiates Turkish food from other national noshes is Lunch noon to 2.30pm Dinner 6.30pm to 10pm