Taksim is one of those places where Istanbul never really slows down. Streets stay busy from early morning until well past midnight, and food plays a big role in that rhythm. You can grab a quick bite between shops on İstiklal Street, sit down for a long meyhane dinner in Asmalımescit, or head up to a rooftop for a long meal with city views.
What makes eating in Taksim interesting is the range. Michelin-starred restaurants sit just a few minutes away from old-school taverns, vegan kitchens, late-night comfort food spots, and historic cafés that have barely changed in decades. Some places are polished and quiet. Others are loud, social, and best enjoyed slowly with friends.
Our guide focuses on places that locals actually return to. Restaurants with consistent food, good atmosphere, and locations that make sense when you are already exploring Beyoğlu. No hype-only stops. No places that rely on views alone.
If you are staying around Taksim, passing through for the evening, or building a food-focused walk around İstiklal and Pera, these are the restaurants worth your time and appetite.
Taksim’s Food Scene
Taksim sits at the center of modern Istanbul, and you can feel it the moment you arrive. Busy streets. Late nights. Constant movement. Food here follows the same rhythm. Fast when you need it. Slow and social when you want it.
Along Istiklal Street, eating is almost unavoidable. Street carts, tiny counters, old bakeries, crowded cafés. This is where many visitors try their first ıslak hamburger, grab a late döner, or stop for baklava and lokum between shops. Nothing feels staged. People eat standing up, walking, talking.
Step a few streets away from the main drag and things change. You find lokantas serving home-style dishes behind glass counters. Stews. Rice. Vegetables cooked in olive oil. The kind of places locals use for lunch without thinking twice.
As evening sets in, meyhanes take over. Tables fill up. Meze arrives piece by piece. Conversations stretch. Rakı glasses clink. Food becomes part of the night rather than the focus.
Taksim covers every mood. A quick bite before a show. A long dinner with friends. A midnight snack that turns into breakfast plans. Eat with curiosity here and the neighborhood does the rest.
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Best Restaurants, Places to Eat and Drink in Taksim
Taksim eats differently depending on the hour. Late lunches slide into dinners. Cafés turn into wine bars. Fine dining sits a few steps away from no-frills classics. That mix is exactly why eating here can be great or disappointing, depending on where you stop.
Below are places that hold their ground beyond location.
Mikla Restaurant
€€€ · Mediterranean Cuisine, Modern Cuisine
Mikla sits above the city, literally and figuratively. On the rooftop of the Marmara Pera, it looks out over Istanbul in full sweep. But the reason people return is the kitchen.
Chef Mehmet Gürs helped define modern Turkish cooking, and Mikla reflects that clearly. Dishes feel restrained yet confident. Grilled octopus done properly. Vegetables treated with as much care as meat. Flavors that stay clean rather than decorative. The vegan menu stands on its own instead of feeling added later.
This is not an everyday restaurant. It’s a planned evening.
Istanbeautiful Team note: Go close to sunset. The view becomes part of the meal.
Address: The Marmara Pera, Meşrutiyet Cd. No:15, Beyoğlu
Nicole Restaurant
€€ · Modern Cuisine, Turkish
Nicole feels quieter than Mikla, more inward-looking. Housed in a restored monastery, it balances elegance with calm. The terrace opens to the city, but the room never feels loud.
The menu builds around Turkish ingredients with modern structure. Lamb cooked slowly. Seasonal seafood. Sauces that support rather than dominate. The wine list is serious, which matters here.
This is a good place for long dinners and conversations.
Istanbeautiful Team insight: Nicole works best when you let the kitchen guide you.
Address: Tomtom Kaptan Sk. No:18, Beyoğlu
Aheste Restaurant
€€ · Turkish
Aheste is small, focused, and confident. Mezze is the heart of the menu, but not in the expected way. Dishes feel thought through. Ingredients are seasonal. Flavors come together quietly.
Some plates surprise. Grilled lamb heart, for example, lands far gentler than you might expect. Vegetarian options hold their weight. The room stays intimate even when full.
Istanbeautiful Team advice: Order several meze and share. That’s where Aheste shines.
Address: Asmalı Mescit Mah., Meşrutiyet Cd. No:107/F, Beyoğlu
Cuma Restaurant in Cukurcuma
€ · Mediterranean Cuisine
Cuma feels like a pause. Hidden among antique shops, it moves at its own pace. Breakfast, lunch, early dinner. Everything built around seasonal produce.
Mediterranean flavors run through the menu. Sea bass ceviche, pizzettas, homemade pasta. Nothing flashy. Just solid cooking that suits the space.
Istanbeautiful Team note: This is a good mid-day stop when Beyoğlu feels loud.
Address: Çukur Cuma Cd. No:53/A
1924Istanbul
€€ · Russian, Turkish
1924 Istanbul carries its history openly. Founded by Russian émigrés, the place still feels early twentieth century. Mirrors. Wood panels. Live music some nights.
The menu blends Russian and Turkish classics. Beef stroganoff. Pelmeni. Pirozhki. Comfort food with atmosphere.
Istanbeautiful Team insight: Come here for mood as much as food.
Address: İstiklal Cd., Olivya Geçidi No:7, Beyoğlu
Cok Cok Thai – in Asmalimescit
€€ · Thai
Çok Çok Thai does not adapt Thai food to local taste. That’s its strength. Flavors stay sharp. Spice levels stay honest.
Pad Thai, green curry, som tam. Everything arrives balanced and direct. The room feels casual but focused.
Istanbeautiful Team advice: If you miss Southeast Asian flavors, this place delivers.
Address: Meşrutiyet Cd. No:51/A, Beyoğlu
Eleos Beyoğlu Greek Restaurant – in Istiklal Street
€€ · Greek
Eleos sits above İstiklal Street, looking toward the Golden Horn. Inside, it feels like a Greek taverna that forgot it was in Istanbul.
Seafood leads the menu. Grilled octopus. Sea bass. Mezze that encourage sharing. Greek wines and ouzo round things out.
Istanbeautiful Team note: Order several mezze first. Let the table build slowly.
Address: İstiklal Cd. No:231, Hıdivyal Palas, 2nd floor
Kubbeli Lounge – in Pera Palace Hotel
€ · Classic Cuisine
Kubbeli Lounge sits inside the historic Pera Palace Hotel, and you feel that weight of history the moment you walk in. High ceilings, soft light, polished details. It’s calm, elegant, and slower than the streets outside.
This is a place for classic flavors done properly. Afternoon tea is what many people come for, served with fine porcelain, pastries, and Turkish delights. If you stay longer, the menu leans into traditional dishes with a European touch. Braised lamb shank, hummus with subtle updates, well-executed desserts.
Istanbeautiful Team tip: Come here when you want a quiet break or a refined afternoon rather than a full night out.
Address: Meşrutiyet Cd. No:52, Asmalı Mescit
Sofyalı 9 Restaurant – in Asmalimescit
€ · Turkish
Sofyalı 9 feels like a proper Beyoğlu night. Tables close together. Music in the background. Raki glasses filling up quickly.
The menu is straightforward and reliable. Mezze comes first. Spicy ezme, fava, atom. Fried liver arrives hot and crisp. Grilled meats follow without fuss. Everything is built for sharing and long conversations.
Istanbeautiful Team note: This is a social place. Come with friends. Stay longer than planned.
Address: Sofyalı Sk. No:9, Beyoğlu
360Istanbul Restaurant – in Istiklal Street
€€€ · Mediterranean, Modern, Turkish Cuisine
360 Istanbul is about contrast. You start with dinner and city views. You end with music, movement, and a packed room.
The rooftop wraps around the building, giving wide views over the Bosphorus and historic peninsula. Food blends modern Turkish meze with international touches. The meze platters work well. Desserts are designed to share. Wines and cocktails carry the evening forward.
Istanbeautiful Team insight: Go before sunset for dinner, stay if you want the night to continue.
Address: İstiklal Cd. Misir Apt. No:163/8
Asmali Cavit – Asmalimescit, Istiklal Street
€€ · Meyhane, Seafood, Turkish
Asmalı Cavit keeps things traditional. No theatrics. No reinvention. Just solid meyhane culture.
Seafood mezze leads the menu. Shrimp, calamari, seasonal fish. Raki flows easily. The room stays busy, especially later in the evening.
Istanbeautiful Team advice: Order small plates and build the table slowly.
Address: Asmalı Mescit, Beyoğlu
Topaz Restaurant
€€€ · Mediterranean Cuisine, Turkish
Topaz sits slightly above the noise, both physically and in mood. The dining room looks toward the Bosphorus and Dolmabahçe, especially striking after dark.
The menu blends Mediterranean cooking with Ottoman influences. Grilled octopus is a highlight. Seafood pastas are balanced and clean. Spice levels can be adjusted, which helps.
Istanbeautiful Team note: This works well for date nights or quieter celebrations.
Address: İnönü Cd. No:50, Beyoğlu
Community Kitchen
€€ · Vegan, Vegetarian
Community Kitchen feels open and friendly from the first step inside. It’s casual, welcoming, and focused on comfort food without animal products.
The menu covers vegan takes on Turkish classics alongside international plates. Vegan iskender, burgers, soups, salads. Sundays bring an open buffet that attracts locals as much as visitors.
Istanbeautiful Team tip: Come hungry on Sunday. Try a bit of everything.
Address: Kumbaracı Yokuşu No:35/A, Taksim
What to Eat in Taksim
Taksim works best when you eat in layers. Small plates first. Something filling later. A sweet stop at the end if you still have room. The neighborhood rewards curiosity, so mix classic Istanbul dishes with places that do one thing very well.
Start with meze in Asmalımescit. Cold plates come first. Haydari, fava, grilled eggplant, spicy ezme. Order slowly. Add grilled fish or liver if the table feels ready. Rakı usually follows, even if you planned just one glass.
For a full meal, modern Turkish cooking stands out in Taksim. Restaurants here take familiar flavors and tighten them up. Think slow-cooked lamb, seasonal vegetables, creative mezze plates, and clean presentations that still feel rooted in local kitchens.
Late hours call for comfort food. Taksim never judges timing.
- Islak hamburger for something fast and messy
- Kokoreç for bold flavor after dark
- Döner from a busy counter with constant turnover
Seafood lovers should look for Greek and Aegean-style kitchens near İstiklal. Grilled octopus, fried calamari, fresh fish, lemon-heavy plates. Simple food. Strong technique.
Plant-based eating is easy here. Vegan and vegetarian kitchens around Taksim do more than salads. Vegan İskender, hearty soups, mezze built around grains and legumes, desserts without shortcuts.
End the night gently. A historic café. Turkish coffee. Maybe a dessert plate. Taksim handles big meals well, yet it shines when you let the evening stretch and eat at its pace.