Pandeli

İznik-tiled dining rooms above the bazaar

The dining rooms are lined with turquoise and blue İznik-style tiles, with a main hall and two smaller private rooms. Windows look down on the busy bazaar lanes. Take the tram to Eminönü or walk from Sirkeci, then climb the stairs by the bazaar's fish-market gate.

Dolma, courgette fritters and other classics

The menu sticks to classic Istanbul dishes cooked with care. Rice-stuffed dolma with currants, pine nuts and a touch of vinegar is a standard opener. Deep-fried courgette flowers come filled with feta and spicy yoghurt, and hünkar beğendi is braised meat on smoky aubergine purée. Prices are moderate for the quality. Pandeli does not seat guests for dessert, tea or coffee only.

Arriving before the lunch rush

A table around noon beats the lunch rush, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque, with its own tiled interior, is a few minutes away.

Whether Pandeli is open, and its history

Pandeli is open. Its own website takes reservations and describes the restaurant as reopening its doors, and in 2026 it announced only holiday closures together with the Spice Bazaar. Pandeli Çobanoğlu founded it in 1901, and the house says it has cooked for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Queen Elizabeth II, Audrey Hepburn and the writers Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar and Yahya Kemal. Bookings can also be arranged by WhatsApp on +90 533 258 86 10. The full menu is published as a PDF on the website, worth a look before you go since dishes change with the season.

Sources: Pandeli official site. Facts checked November 2026.