Abiyer Karaköy

The story

The menu ranges from içli köfte and a shrimp plate with pan-fried potatoes to schnitzel, dumplings and a chicken pesto pasta that brings people back for a second round. The grilled sole fillet is cooked with care and full of flavour, good with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and plates arrive with real attention to presentation. The space is small, hung with paintings, and keeps a calm café mood by day, helped by a well-chosen playlist. It works for breakfast, a coffee and something sweet, a second date or a relaxed dinner after a walk around Galata and Karaköy. Non-alcoholic cocktails sit alongside wine and Negronis, and on some evenings live music turns the room into a party.