For an unforgettable meze dinner, head to this elegant yet comfortable fish restaurant. Specializing in the cuisine of Cretan Turks, Giritli offers a tasty prix fixe menu best enjoyed in its beautiful, tree-shaded garden. While the grilled octopus is near perfection, the real standouts are the creative mezes, like the seafood and orzo salad and olives stuffed with walnuts and feta.

Join the "feeding frenzy" at this microscopic kebab shack just outside the Grand Bazaar. At Aynen Dürüm, hungry locals chow down at a double-sided counter with a central trough overflowing with grilled peppers and pickles. The no-nonsense usta, İsmail, grills up exceptional wraps (dürüm). The Adana kebab has a wonderful balance of meat, fat, and spice, while the lamb (kuzu) shish is full of tender morsels.

Escape the tourist throngs and find one of the Old City’s most rewarding breakfasts at this 90-year-old institution in Kumkapı. The main event at Boris’in Yeri is the legendary bal-kaymak – a transcendent, cloud-like clotted buffalo milk cream drizzled with honey. Pair it with a plate of sunny-side-up eggs dotted with spicy sucuk sausage for a perfect start to your day of touristing.

Where Sultanahmet meets the Grand Bazaar distrcit, Sefa serves up authentic, home-style Turkish food with no concessions to tourist tastes. This bustling tradesman's restaurant (esnaf lokantası) is the real deal. Belly up to the glass display in the back and don't be shy about ordering a mixed (karışık) plate to sample various dishes. Whatever you choose, it will be delicious – even a simple dish of stewed celeriac can be a revelation.

Tucked away in a peaceful corner of the Grand Bazaar favored by gold vendors, Gülebru Kantin is a döner powerhouse. For over 30 years, the masters here have been serving in-house produced döner, cooked over a charcoal fire – a rarity that makes all the difference. The meat is weighed to the gram, "like with gold," and loaded into pita toasted between the coals and the sizzling spit. It’s a refreshingly hassle-free and delicious transaction in the heart of the Bazaar.

A true classic, this shoe-box-sized spot has been grilling up perfect köfte (meatballs) for over a hundred years. With a two-item menu, the focus is squarely on the juicy little buttons of meat that come off the coal-fired grill with just the right amount of char. The grill master, Ziver Usta, has been at his post for decades. Pair your meatballs with a side of fresh piyaz (white bean salad) for a timeless Istanbul meal.

This surprising spot on the tourist-fantasy street of Hocapaşa serves a rare and delicious kebab style from eastern Anatolia. Cağ kebab features lamb marinated and cooked slowly on a horizontal spit over a wood fire. The meat is sliced onto a thin skewer, resulting in a precious collection of tender yet crispy bites served on warm lavaş. Don't miss the hearty lentil soup to start and the decadent kadayıf dolma for dessert.

While certainly no secret, this Sultanahmet mainstay is the real deal for classic köfte. The walls are covered in testimonials from movie stars and politicians for a reason. The restaurant’s İnegöl-style köfte (log-shaped, not a patty) is pleasantly springy, aromatic, and juicy. Dressed with a spicy red pepper sauce and stuffed into a fresh hunk of bread, it’s a simple pleasure.