Karaköy Güllüoğlu

While in Istanbul, Sandi and I were ready to go to the Baklava store that was recommended to us, Hafiz Mustafa, which has numerous locations in Turkiye, Dubai, and London. It has been around since 1864. Karaköy Güllüoğlu has fewer locations, with one in Athens, Greece. 

When we asked the trusted people we met at our hotel, they unanimously recommended we go to Karaköy Güllüoğlu instead. And so we did. We ended up going twice during our stay. They had the most incredible flaky baklava (the regular one) and the chocolate. After the first bite of the chocolate, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No baklava can be better than this! They were not overly sweet, flaky on top, and you could almost taste each layer of the phyllo. The bottom is a bit chewy. 

We were told later that their ice cream is also very good. So on our second and last visit, we tried the ice cream. Sandi had the Baklavah Dondurma flavor and the Karadutlu Dondurma (Black Mulberry). She was not crazy about the Baklavah Dondurma but enjoyed the Karadutlu. I had the Karamelli Dondurma and the Limonlu Dondurma, which I loved. Their ice cream is so different. It is made from goat and cow's milk, salep (a flour from orchid tubers), and sugar. They all had a chewy texture and had a resistance to melting.

I highly recommend this place for Baklava. The family has been making baklava since 1843. They have been around for 21 years before Hafiz Mustafa. So they must be doing something right!