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taksim/taksim ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/2011/05/taksimtaksim.html

The area surrounding Taksim square, and especially the side and back streets of İstiklal Caddesi, the pedestrian street with the red tram. Are filled with great places for food, really far too many of them to even count. Not so many taverns (those are to be found closer to Galatasaray - see post here. And Tünel ( see post here. View Taksim food places. In a larger map. Is almost 2 kilometers long, with very narrow blocks, so there are lots of side streets. Cookie Street in Turkish) is a particularly plea...

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istanbul overview ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/p/istanbul-overview.html

In a larger map. Istanbul is huge, overcrowded, traffic jammed, hectic. And as such I am sure that it must be quite confusing for a first time visitor. And then comes the fact that the place falls way short of expectations in a rather crucial aspect: Please be prepared that this is not a romantic, exotic, 1001 nights type of a city at all! A rather typical Istanbul skyline - ouch! The main thing to be aware of when trying to "get" Istanbul is that the city does not have one city center, but a lot of them.

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the cost of grub... ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/p/cost-of-grub.html

The cost of grub. Much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, nonetheless here it is folks: Istanbul is not cheap! It may be somewhat cheaper than some other European cities, but it is certainly not a place where you can have your fill on just a couple of Euros - the famous Kumpir ( related post is here. Contrary to popular belief the income level of Istanbul is high,. Considerably higher than the national average, which according to wikipedia is just above 14000 USD (. Eating at a fast food place.

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getting lunch around the conference center ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/p/getting-lunch-around-conference-center.html

Getting lunch around the conference center. View lunch places in 4. Levent. In a larger map. Is one of the business districts of Istanbul. Originally a neighborhood of small villas, Levent re-invented itself as a neighborhood where highrises share space with these small villas, most of which nowadays house small, but highly prestigious businesses. The Sabancı Towers, which are the actual conference venue, are the headquarters of Sabancı Holding. The mall is a new one, which is a Godsend since it is not a...

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kadiköy market ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/2011/06/kadikoy-market.html

Kadiköy is on the Asian side. Of the Marmara sea,. And is certainly worth the crossing for its food market. There are lots and lots of fast food joints and cafes and taverns in Kadiköy market, sitting amidst all the fish and produce stands and delis. So, it is a really nice area for food. Marzipan (top) and Turkish Delight (bottom). And this TD is the real McCoy folks! There are more cafes, restaurants, fast food places and taverns in Kadiköy than one could possibly name and most of them are quite deligh...

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taksim/tünel ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/2011/07/taksimtunel.html

At the opposite end from Taksim, 2 kilometer long İstiklal Caddesi terminates in a small square called Tünel square. From where you can catch a steep short metro ride down to the harbor at Karaköy. Directly opposite the entrance to the metro is the Tünel geçidi. For a meal with soft drinks, alcohlolic drinks should be added to this cost. Is also located in Asmalı Mescit. There are lots of places to eat and drink here, however the well known old taverns in Asmalı Mescit are Refik. View Tünel food places.

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taksim/galatasaray ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/2011/06/ara-cafe.html

At the last count this tiny area held no less than 290 cafes, bars, taverns and restaurants. The main condensations are to be found on Cezayir Sokağı. Where you mostly have cafes and licensed gourmet restaurants and Nevizade. A warren of small streets behind the fish market which hold hundreds of "meyhane", Turkish taverns serving raki and meze (Turkish tapas). And then Çiçek Pasajı,. Flower Arcade in Turkish), which you can enter from İstiklal Caddesi, on Galatasaray square is an arcade full of taverns.

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istanbul public transportation ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/p/istanbul-public-transportation.html

Where better to start than wikipedia ;-):. Http:/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public transport in Istanbul. Istanbul has over 15 million inhabitants (day time population is estimated at around 20 million), stretches itself out over two continents, joined by 2 bridges - both of which are unbelievably jammed, even during the most unexpected hours. Which brings me to the traffic situation in general:. This said, here are some things which will help you get around:. View Routes between centers on this blog. Both A...

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local wines ~ food istanbul ;-)

http://foodistanbul.blogspot.com/2011/05/local-wines.html

Before all else I have to own up to the fact that I am not much of a wine drinker - or any kind of a drinker, for that matter. If/when I do have a drink it is usually raki, and that only once in a great while. So, in order to make this post I took some expert counsel. From my sister Fatma and my brother-in-law Can, who are the wine connoisseurs in my family ;-). The wine shelf at my grocery store shows a selection of some of the more popular local wines. Still remains as one of the largest. Is a range of...