Imagine Istanbul

Istanbul Restaurants - A Review of the Hamdi

Istanbul restaurants are not to be missed because dining in Istanbul is a heavenly experience. The food is varied, fresh, tasty and organic. Most of the food in Turkey is healthy – you are eating in the Mediterranean style of eating which is the healthiest way to eat in the world especially for your heart. There are plenty of restaurants serving up a variety of food in Istanbul to choose from.

Every time I have gone to Istanbul, I eat what I want and end up losing weight. This might be due in part to the wonderful organic food and also the endless walking through the endless streets of Istanbul. I’ve walked a million miles in that city. Also, as far as the food goes, Turkey does not have the “corporate farms” like North America where the food is pumped with pesticides, fertilizers, fillers, hormones and antibiotics. So, in Turkey, a tomato tastes like a tomato, sweet and lovely. The food in Turkey is wonderful and tastes like it should. Only once did I sample a meal I didn’t like in Istanbul and that was an omelet I ordered at a café in Ortaköy. The eggs were runny and I just can’t eat them this way.

One of my favorite restaurants in Istanbul is the Hamdi Restaurant. This is a restaurant not to be missed when in Istanbul. I first went there when I had booked a full day tour of the city of Istanbul. We stopped at this restaurant for a classic Turkish, Anatolian meal. We also stopped at this restaurant because it is in the center of old Istanbul – in Eminönü. It is located on the top floor of the building, with bright open windows offering a fabulous view of the Golden Horn where it meets up with the Bosphorus. The panoramic view is superb!

The restaurant is licensed, offers up plates of meza to begin and serves up kebabs and fish. I usually choose the lamb shish kebab because I love lamb. For desserts, there are lots of lovely baklavas to choose from and Turkish coffee.

I went to the Hamdi Restaurant many times, on my own and also went here with the little boy of Istanbul. This is where we met Mr. Executive Vice President of the very big Turkish bank who translated for us and took photos of us dining there. Perhaps you’d like to see the photos of us at the Hamdi restaurant, I also ate a meal here with a young fellow called Cengiz who was a friend of a friend who desperately wanted to learn English because after his stint in the army he wanted to find a job as a chauffeur for some rich person. He came with me around Istanbul sometimes to show me around and take care of me. I tried to teach him English, but it was difficult without a book or a dictionary.

There are many great restaurants in Istanbul to choose from when you stay in the city. But just for the taste and Anatolian cuisine and the view, you must visit the Hamdi Restaurant in old Eminönü. I will write later about other Istanbul restaurants, but the Hamdi is the most memorable for me.

Here are a couple of views taken from the windows of the Hamdi restaurant in Istanbul.

If you like this post, bookmark it!