Casual in Istanbul

Bosphorus-view ocakbasi: organic Kars breakfast mornings, charcoal-grilled evenings

Efkan Kara's Aegean taverna in a Şaşkınbakkal cul-de-sac, meze-first and unbothered by fashion.

Café by day, a loose Arnavutköy bar with DJ nights by dark, the most informal room on the strip.

Cult burger joint with the Jetlag Buster triple-cheddar

Barrel-room entrance, 100+ craft beers, garden in back, serious since 2012

Divan Group's gastropub in a historic Akaretler row-house

Artisanal Bronx-inspired burgers with daily-ground beef

All-day craft beer, street food and cocktails in industrial Kadıköy

Creative sushi and ramen on the Asian side

4th-generation Neapolitan pizza with 24-hour leavened dough

Pool-deck pub at Watergarden's show-fountain edge, noon-to-2am

Black Truffle Burger and Parmesan Frites

Ten-tap Somx microbrewery with a vinyl wall and DJ booth on Jurnal Sokak

1960s Gaziantep lahmacun and kebab institution with vintage charm

Cobblestone Mumhane gastropub, outdoor tables, neighborhood crowd

Pioneer of Turkish gastropub culture with 70+ craft beers

Istanbul's finest craft beer selection with gastropub fare

Newer Moda ocakbasi with generous smoky portions

Pioneer of Kadıköy's third-wave coffee movement

The anchor restaurant inside Kadıköy's historic fish market

Iconic Moda brunch spot with legendary pancakes

Expert Anatolian grill on Fener Kalamış Caddesi