Loti Bistro

This restaurant was not recommended by anyone. We were hungry as we just came from watching the Whirling Dervish in Istanbul. It was late in the evening, past our bedtime so we wanted something light. It also happened to be just a few feet from where we were staying. 

We ordered the three sliders with French fries. One was chicken, the other was a regular hamburger and the third one was steak. They all were delicious.

On our last evening in Istanbul, we decided to return to Loti Bistro and have a regular dinner. We shared an order of Kuzu Pirzola which were Lamb Chops and the Lokum Steak. What makes these dishes more exciting are the sauces that came with them. They were all good. Of course, nothing is complete without the pita bread. 

We had to splurge and have dessert so we orderd the San Sebastian Cheescake with chocolate sauce. Somehow, we managed to finish this cheescake!

Loti Bistro is not a Michelin-star restaurant but if you want delicious authentic Turkish food, this restauant will not disappoint you. 

Gel Gör Kebab

While shopping at the Grand Bazaar, Sandi and I got very hungry. We asked for a recommendation from the place where we bought our shawls. He escorted us to Gel Gör Kebab. 

We ordered the Chicken Shish Kabab with rice. Before we got our kebab, they gave us 3 plates of appetizers, onions with zumac, red cabbage, and tomatoes with lots of parsley and many other ingredients that made it so good. A plate of pita bread landed on our table as well. 

The chicken shish kebab with rice blew us away. The chicken was so tender and juicy. There was so much food that we did not have room for dessert. 

The workers were so friendly and attentive.

When shopping in Istanbul at the Grand Bazaar, be sure to visit this hidden gem, as it serves excellent food and you won't leave hungry.

Seven Hills Restaurant

This restaurant was recommended by the man seated next to Sandi on our flight to Turkey. He was so gracious that he was willing to change seats with me so Sandi and I could sit together for the 13-hour flight to Istanbul. 

We were escorted to this restaurant by Mehmet from Hotel Nena. The restaurant is on a rooftop. Thankfully, they had a lift and we didn't have to climb stairs!  We enjoyed the vast view, including the Hagia Sophia.

We shared a Shepherd Salad, which consisted of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, olive oil, and pomegranate vinaigrette. It was delicious. They had a variety of wild fish, making it very hard to decide what to order. Our server suggested sharing our choice of fish with all the trimmings, which sounded like a good idea. We decided on the Sea Bream.

When our order arrived, the people next to us gave us "the look". Sandi and I had the same look. We couldn't have asked for more. It looked like they included the whole kitchen sink! Potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, and a wonderful sauce that enhanced the fish. We were very happy with our order. It couldn't have been better.

After checking the dessert menu, we decided on the Banana Crepe. It did not disappoint. 

This restaurant is a must-visit when in Istanbul. 

Levant Ocakbasi

We had more luck with this restaurant than with the hotel manager's recommendation in Bodrum.  This was a charming little place, complete with friendly roaming cats.

Aside from the nice pita bread served with meals, they also offered sautéed onions with sumac. We had a salad that was reminiscent of bruschetta, but this one had more flavor.

We ordered two dishes to share. One was the Beyti Kebab, ground meat on skewers with parsley, garlic, and onions. The other was Kuzu Sis, lamb meat on skewers, but they were served without the skewers, which was great as we didn't have to work at taking them off. Both were delicious! Kebab had to have French fries, according to Sandi, so we ordered some.

We loved this restaurant. If you are ever in Bodrum, make sure you visit this place. The servers were all very friendly. 

Arka Ristorante Pizzeria

The restaurant was recommended by the hotel's manager in Bodrum as having a Michelin star. We took a cab, and it seemed like forever to get there because I told the cab driver the restaurant's name was Akra instead of Arka.

They had seating outside, but it was too hot, so we opted for indoor seating. The restaurant was right by the water, and people were swimming right up to the restaurant.

We ordered some Bruschetta and a salad that included walnuts. Both were very good. 

We shared an order of Spaghetti Bolognese and Spaghetti Al Limone. The bolognese was okay. We were very disappointed with the Al Limone as it didn't even have a hint of any lemon flavor. I asked the server if they had given us the wrong pasta. He said it was the right one. I asked for lemon and squeezed some to make it edible. I also asked for some Parmesan cheese, which he served. I later found out they charged extra for it! I'm surprised he didn't charge us for the lemon.

 

  

It turns out Arka is not a Michelin-starred restaurant. It has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which is a distinction in its own right. Still, a Michelin Bib Gourmand means the restaurant serves excellent food at a reasonable price. Sandi and I couldn't understand how it received this distinction. The service was not good. We had to flag a server every time we needed something.  This was disappointing.

Veli Usta

This restaurant was not far from the Renaissance Hotel, where we were staying during our time in Izmir. It was within walking distance of the hotel.  It's located by the water. Although they had an outdoor section, we decided to sit inside, which felt like being outside since the windows were wide open. It also had a more formal feel to it.

Our server accompanied us to the back of the restaurant, where they had all sorts of fresh fish. I couldn't decide what to pick from the wide variety. We both settled on the Sea Bass skewer, which was to be either grilled or fried. We opted for grilled.  

Our server asked what sides we would like; there were a few options, and again, it was not easy to make a decision. The octopus was out since my friend would not eat octopus. There were slices of seabass with mustard sauce. We ordered beets, which turned out to be pickled, so I didn't care for them. We picked something with cheese, and Sandi and I loved it, but we couldn't tell or remember what was in it aside from the cheese. A basket of rolls was also laid at our table.

I thought that would have been enough, but my friend wanted French fries, so we had some. They were very crispy, but they lacked salt.

  

The Sea Bass skewer was grilled, and it was good. There was so much food that we couldn't clean our plates. When our server came back, he reprimanded my friend for not finishing her fries. And yes, I had to agree with him. Since we did not want to order dessert, he asked if we cared for coffee or tea on him.  I asked for Turkish coffee, and Sandi declined any coffee or tea. 

We enjoyed our meal at Veli Usta. Thank you to our server; I apologize for forgetting your name. 

Caftan Rooftop Cafe & Restaurant

This restaurant, located very close to our hotel, looked interesting, especially since it was situated on a rooftop. The not-so-good part was that there were a lot of steps... no elevators here. As we slowly ascended, we could hear the voices of young boys. As we reached almost the very top, one of them asked, "Can I help you?" I said, "Yes, you can carry me." He flashed an adorable smile. 

The two boys were so cute as they pulled out the chairs for me and Sandi. One of them was the son of the owner, and the other was the son of the chef. The rolls they served reminded me of the German brotchen (German rolls), with some olive oil, herbs, and cheese. The boys helped bring some of the items to our table.

The Beet Mutabbel did sound interesting: beets, strained yoghurt, tahini, garlic, salt, and walnuts. The beets were probably not cooked, as they were super crunchy. The combination of flavors did work. 

For our entree, we ordered the Koy Eristesi, their homemade pasta, pumpkin seeds, cheese, butter, and spices. This was so different, and I absolutely loved it. Sandi, not so much. The other dish was the Pottery Kebab with Chicken. This was served in a clay jar/pot, which our server tapped all around, and then, whack! A clean break as she pours the contents on a dish. It is more of a stew, and it was good!

We were so enthralled with the boys who had come earlier and brought a speaker with nice music. Sandi handed them each $5. They were so happy, and they never came back to our table.  We thought that was funny.

Caftan Rooftooop Cafe & Restaurant also happens to be a hotel. The restaurant is good, and it does have an impressive view.

Inci Cave Cafe

On our first evening in Cappadocia, Sandi and I didn't want to venture far from our hotel. We settled on the restaurant next to our hotel, a cozy and charming cave establishment.

 

For our salad selection, we tried the Cevizli Domates Salatasi. This salad consisted of tomatoes, onions, parsley, and walnuts. We couldn't help but be impressed by how delicious this salad was. How can tomatoes, onions, parsley, and walnuts combined taste so good? Before our salad arrived, we had a basket of pita bread with some olive oil, cheese, zatar, and olives. 

It was hard to decide what to order, so Sandi and I decided to do what we sometimes do: order two items we would like to try and share both. The Inci Special Tavuk is their special chicken breast, sautéed with green pepper, garlic, and mushrooms, and served with cream and their special sauce. 

The Limon Soslu Tavuk was the chicken breast with a lemon cream sauce. I loved them both. The Limon Soslu was very lemony, which was great. Our server, Emir, kept us entertained. He spoke perfect English, and we were happy with the service and the hospitality. 

Thank you, Emir, for serving us delicious food on our first day in Cappadocia.