Kadıköy, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus south of Üsküdar, has a vibrant restaurant scene in its colorful market area only a short stroll from the Kadıköy ferrydocks.
It's a great place to go for lunch after a browse in the market, or drinks and dinner in the evening. Drinks—specifically alcoholic beverages—are more in evidence here because Kadıköy is more secular and less religious than some other parts of the city.
The market is a particularly appealing one, with bright fruits and vegetables, lots of fish, and a variety of good restaurants with sidewalk tables in fair weather.
Among the most famous restaurants here is Çiya Sofrası, Güneşlibahçe Sokak No. 43, serving unusual Turkish regional vegetarian cuisine (nearby Çiya Kebap serves lots of grilled meats for the non-vegetarian crowd.)
Not far away, Yanyalı Fehmi Lokantası, Yağlıkçı İsmail Sokak No. 1 (ask anyone), is Kadıköy's oldest restaurant (1919), with a garden-like terrace at the back.
—by Tom Brosnahan
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