Meet <a fr-original-style="" href="https://instagram.com/civan_er?igshid=YTY2NzY3YTc=" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Civan Er</a>, chef of <a fr-original-style="" href="https://instagram.com/yeni.lokanta?igshid=YTY2NzY3YTc=" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Yeni Lokanta</a> and <a fr-original-style="" href="https://instagram.com/yenisoho?igshid=YTY2NzY3YTc=" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Yeni Soho</a> living part-time in London and Istanbul. We get together to talk about the culinary scene in Istanbul and find out his favourite secret places and joys in the city.Civan explains Istanbul’s culinary scene as:<blockquote fr-original-style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(212, 199, 116); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px;" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(212, 199, 116); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box;">“Istanbul is known for its diverse food cultures. Even more today, I think. You have all these immigrants from the East who bring their own food culture. In Istanbul, it’s rather tourists, not the locals who make the base clientele of restaurants due to the sad economic situation. In the West, however, the inhabitants of the city constitute the core element of the restaurant industry.&nbsp;The ongoing deterioration of moral values (in trade). It was the non-Muslims who started today's restaurant culture in Istanbul (as owners and customers). They don’t exist anymore and the next bourgeois class created by the state struggled. And they have been replaced with an even newer one recently, as the vicious circle goes on. However, Michelin will make Istanbul even more attractive to tourists.Last but not least, Kanaat Lokantası, Kadıköy Baylan, and Savoy Pastanesi in Cihangir are the ‘oldies but goldies’ of Istanbul.”</blockquote>If you are wondering what Civan's Istanbul is like, you are at the right place.&nbsp;IN ISTANBUL: My favourite street food in Istanbul&nbsp;is boiled corn in the summer and chestnuts in the winter from the same guy in Beyoğlu (he is mısırcı or kestaneci according to the season).When I want to eat mantı (Turkish ravioli) I go to my mum’s or Yeni Lokanta.If I have a special guest, I take them to Zübeyir Ocakbaşı.If I’m out to eat after 01.00 a.m., my 'go-to' is Vakkas'ın Yeri for lamb sweetbreads.For fresh baked goods, I always stop by&nbsp;Üstün Palmie.I always make a reservation at Asmalıcavit when I miss the meyhane.&nbsp;I can’t think of the Istanbul culinary scene without simit (Turkish bagel) on the ferry.A hidden local restaurant that still nobody knows&nbsp;is Gaziantepli Mustafalar in Bakırköy.It’s so cliche but still, I love Baylan’s Kup Griye&nbsp;(ice cream).A weekday hangout&nbsp;is with Ece Aksoy who created the bar culture in Turkey with the name of her bar: Ece.I'm a regular at Journey, Cihangir.Editor’s note:&nbsp;Let's take the ferry and order a Kup Griye (ice cream).&nbsp;Just like the good old days.&nbsp;<a data-remove-tab-index="true" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://goo.gl/maps/vK9QeNARpoBxbjQQA" fr-original-style="" href="https://goo.gl/maps/vK9QeNARpoBxbjQQA" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" tabindex="-1" target="_blank">Here</a>&nbsp;is the Google Maps link. Send us photos from your experience and we will share them as the catch of the week!&nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="list-style-type: circle; padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="list-style-type: circle; padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">To know more about Civan, subscribe to <a fr-original-style="" href="https://link.apos.to/c/vlaNCZ44hL15?c=whjMYjF1MiSzElTIfxoIb&sub=62d665c1540b980008d88272&s=web" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Aposto London</a> and wait until Tuesday for the interview.</li></ul>

Aposto Istanbul

A guide for Istanbulite foodies.

Oldies but goldies of the Istanbul culinary scene

Well, Tophane is not famous for its culinary scene but it’s almost in the middle of Beyoğlu. So, luckily it hosts some local gems. If you intend to visit the biennial venues today, on the last day of the 17th Istanbul Biennial, you should check the list prepared by Soli, Aposto’s culture and travel publication. You can also stop by all of them after the biennial.<a fr-original-style="" href="https://link.aposto.com/click?uri=aHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLmFwb3N0by5jb20vY2xpY2s/aXNzdWU9NjMxNWJkNzBlMTVmNDYwMDA2MmQzY2ZjJnN1YnNjcmliZXI9NWVjM2FlZWVhN2RkOWMyZTk5NDFkYzEwJm5ld3NsZXR0ZXI9NjJhY2FiNjM2MDYyOTIwMDA2ZTYyZDBkJnB1Ymxpc2hlcj02MGEyOWQ1ODQ2ODFlMTAwMDY2YTVlMWMmc291cmNlPWVtYWlsJnVybD1odHRwcyUyNTNBJTI1MkYlMjUyRnByb2JhZG9yY29sZWN0aXZhLmNvbSUyNTJGZW4lMjUyRg==" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Probador Colectiva</a>: Not only a third-wave coffee shop but also a coffee roasting house. We can also call it a coffee laboratory. It welcomes those who want to be educated on coffee, El Salvador &amp; El Divisadero Anaerobic cold brew, and Vitruvius hops kombucha which comes in bottles as enticing as their contents. (By the way, its doors are open until the weather gets cold for an indoor-outdoor experience.)<a fr-original-style="" href="https://link.aposto.com/click?uri=aHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLmFwb3N0by5jb20vY2xpY2s/aXNzdWU9NjMxNWJkNzBlMTVmNDYwMDA2MmQzY2ZjJnN1YnNjcmliZXI9NWVjM2FlZWVhN2RkOWMyZTk5NDFkYzEwJm5ld3NsZXR0ZXI9NjJhY2FiNjM2MDYyOTIwMDA2ZTYyZDBkJnB1Ymxpc2hlcj02MGEyOWQ1ODQ2ODFlMTAwMDY2YTVlMWMmc291cmNlPWVtYWlsJnVybD1odHRwcyUyNTNBJTI1MkYlMjUyRnd3dy5pbnN0YWdyYW0uY29tJTI1MkZ5ZW5pLmxva2FudGElMjUyRg==" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Yeni Lokanta:</a> Chef Civan Er's restaurant can be reached by climbing (yes, climbing) up Kumbaracı Slope from Tophane. Reservations are a must to try modernised Turkish cuisine and end the day on a sweet note. The dumplings are highly recommended.<a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.instagram.com/frankestaynkitabevi/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Frankeştayn Bookstore &amp; Café</a>:&nbsp;The small business we are the happiest to welcome to the neighbourhood in a long time. Frankeştayn represents excluded and marginalized groups in society with rare books, a selection on gender studies and feminism, and its name. It also has a small backyard where you can drink coffee or fresh juice, and eat sugar-free desserts.Tarihî Boğaziçi Simit Fırını:&nbsp;The famous simit&nbsp;bakery of Boğazkesen, which distributes its simits&nbsp;to almost every corner of Beyoğlu. The shop sells simit exclusively (yes, not even bread) and is frequented by the people of Cihangir and Tophane to buy them in the early hours or to help the owner with his crossword puzzle in the afternoon.Bonus:<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">For some gluten-free banana bread, stop by Urban Bread.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It’s a bit touristy but if you are craving Lebanese food you should try Arada Café’s za'atar labneh pita.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">If you don’t have time to sit in a café, you should stop by Project Café to grab a cup of coffee.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Last but not least: Büyükdere35 as a biennial venue hosts <a fr-original-style="" href="https://bienal.iksv.org/en/17b-artists/cooking-sections" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">the special project of Cooking Sections</a>. Stop by and try some buffalo yoghurt or sütlaç&nbsp;while you’re listening to local folk songs.&nbsp;</li></ul>Check this out! <a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/n/soli-0de" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Soli</a>&nbsp;(aka another sis) prepared special neighbourhood guides including essentials of the hood for the 17th of Istanbul Biennial visitors. Soli has recently saluted you from Tophane. <a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/i/soli-is-at-17th-istanbul-biennial-tophane" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Read the full guide here</a>.

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