"Turkish cuisine is, one of the most exciting and accomplished in the world" Eating in Istanbul
Balatkapi Restaurant
I am not a big yogurt fan so this was not one of my favorites. But the staff was very nice and accommodating and think this would be a nice place to have a quick breakfast.
It was a little hot for my liking but it was really good! The gluten free items are clearly marked on the menu! I ordered my dish mainly for the rice and was disappointed that wasn't gluten free.
In all the celiac Facebook support groups, this was a place that was highly recommended. It was really good too! The staff was really great and caring towards making sure everything I had was gluten free. I had lamb chops which were modified with spinach, Turkish tea, and chocolate cake with gelato! I went back a second time and had beef, roasted potatoes and mushroom sauch which was also fantastic!
This is a fancy restaurant, so if you're going here, you will want to be a little bit more dressed up!
I had gluten free French toast here which I really enjoyed. Be prepared rain or shine, it seems they only have tables outside. The staff wasn't the most friendly, but the French toast was really good!
Wama's
The Find Me Gluten Free app implied they had a GF menu and there was only one dish. I had a hard time eating it because it had a little bit of a kick to it which is difficult for my stomach to handle. I felt bad not finishing my dish but the staff was incredibly kind here!
This was also a suggestion of the Find Me Gluten Free app that didn't live up to the options it advertised. There were only 3 gluten free options and they were okay. Would love to hear if someone else had a different experience!
Rolla is a 100% gluten free restaurant in Istanbul. I had their special, lasagna bolognese, and it was really good! They also serve burgers, hot dogs, pizza as well as a bunch of baked goods. At the restaurant, I had their sebastian cheesecake and took the donut, bagels, berliner and bread to go. Everything was absolutely delicious and recommend you check it out on your stay.
The staff spoke very little english, and I'm not sure if they were cautious of cross contamination. But I enjoyed my burger and fries very much and had no reaction!
Olive Garden
I did not eat at this restaurant, but I attempted to. I found this place on the Find Me Gluten Free app and it got decent reviews. I arrived and the waiter/host kept discussing the food like being vegan/vegetarian was interchangeable. He kept coming back from the kitchen to the table asking if each ingredient was gluten free and it made me feel very uncomfortable. So for the first time ever, I got up and left after I put in an order. I feel very badly for the chef, but I didn't want to jeopardize my day over all the uncertainty.
They have a gluten free menu here and it was really delicious. I had a shrimp/cheese dish and stuffed mushrooms - which were both excellent! They also provided me their gluten free dessert and Turkish tea - at no charge! It was a lovely experience.
This was recommended by the Celiac Travel Facebook group members and it lived up to expectations! I had a dip that had 3 cheeses and dill pickle that i put on my gluten free bread! Then I had lamb chops, rice and some veggies on the side which were delicious. Again, somehow got lucky enough to get a complimentary Turkish tea and mini gluten free chocolate muffins!
This is also a fancy restaurant, so please be aware you will want to dress a bit nicer for this dinner.
This was a cute little place to get a good breakfast in the morning and the staff was really nice. I also learned that pancakes don't have the same meaning in the world that they do in the US. The pancakes came out like little cakes. It was all really good and filling. I took a gluten free cheesecake home!
I had my Christmas Eve at Aheste, which came highly recommended. The menu was a little outside of my comfort zone with beef tongue and lamb's heart. But I tried the lambs heart. The texture was a little weird, but tasted like beef? It wasn't that bad! The staff was incredibly kind and attentive and gave my a tomato salad and dessert for free. Definitely recommend you checking this place out if you would like to go someplace fancy and wanting something a little different!
Comments