Nobody touts for business outside Cooking Alaturka, just a few minutes’ walk from Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district. But behind this inconspicuous entrance, we’re about to find the best meal of our foodie-themed break, prepared by none other than myself and my 14-year-old son Nathan.
Every other doorway is flanked by over-friendly locals brandishing laminated menus bursting with photos and as we walk by, eyes downcast, we are repeatedly entreated to sample Istanbul’s freshest, most delicious cuisine.
Instead, guided by the school’s owner, chef Rocco Strazzera and his trusted right-hand woman chef Nazli, we and our classmates cook up a gut-busting five-course feast of traditional lentil soup, courgette fritters, stuffed aubergine, vine leaves and figs in syrup.
The beauty is that it’s not just the students who sample the fruits of this labour, but also passing diners who, as the website states, go in search of a “tranquil oasis, tucked between touristic sights and carpet shops”.
Every mouthful was a delight and Nathan didn’t even mind engaging in conversation with our classmates: a significant achievement for a taciturn teen.
I had been concerned about monosyllabic exchanges when planning the city break with the youngest of my three sons. But I needn’t have worried as Nathan, a serious foodie and far more talented cook than me, was in his element.
He had only two expectations: to see some mosques and sample Turkish food. Both were satisfied in abundance. A short walk from the cooking school lies the beautiful Blue Mosque, currently wrapped in scaffolding, so sadly not at its best, and its famous neighbour, the Hagia Sophia.
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Hagia Sophia (Photo: Unsplash)
A daytime visit here inevitably involves lengthy queues, but one of our fellow cooks had shared a winning tip: visit at night.
A functioning mosque, the Hagia Sophia is open until late, so with bare feet and my head covered, we strolled straight into the ancient site to soak up the peaceful atmosphere.
Since 1935 it has doubled as a museum, inviting visitors to discover the history of this impressive building, constructed by the Emperor Justinian and which served as a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet.
Straddling a huge area across Europe and Asia, Istanbul is the very definition of melting pot. Cruise ships line the peninsula, as visitors from Europe, the Middle East and beyond seek to sample this unique culture of east meets west, where legions of stray cats and dogs line the streets outside high-end designer shops.
Our own base was in the upmarket shopping district of Nişantaşı, where The Stay Boulevard Nişantaşı markets itself as a hip hotel for those seeking stylish respite from the hustle and bustle.
Nestled between a glitzy shopping mall packed with designer brands, cosmetic dentists and plastic surgeons, the 82-room property was designed by acclaimed Turkish architect Mahmut Anlar.
The entrance doubles as a French patisserie serving up exquisite cakes and pastries, all made fresh onsite. A few steps further in, there’s a concession selling the chain’s eco-friendly fashion label of “urban cool” designs, before heading up to the hotel’s main reception tucked away on the first floor.
As you head up from the ground floor, a dizzying digital installation is one of many eclectic artworks dotted around The Stay, which has an equally strong focus on sustainability as [art of the country’s first independent carbon-neutral hotel group.
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Bedroom at The Stay Boulevard Nisantasi (Photo: Stay Hotels)
There is no compromise on luxury, however, as the bedrooms are as indulgent as you could hope for — we were delighted with the pillow menu, the grand marble bathroom and, perhaps most importantly, the in-room Netflix — while a spa featuring a zen garden and authentic Turkish hammam is due to open in the coming months, as is an Italian rooftop restaurant.
The other hotels in the portfolio include two waterside properties on the banks of the Bosphorus, and a cool converted warehouse close to the coast in Alacati, while a short walk from our own hotel there’s another smaller branch in the chain, located just upstairs from the city’s flagship Prada store and offering a similar chi- chi vibe.
The Stay’s generous breakfast is the perfect way to fuel a day exploring. We watch chefs performing their magic in the open-plan kitchen behind the buffet, which overflows with freshly baked bread and pastries, colourful salads, Turkish eggs, local cheeses, perfectly ripe fruit and much more.
You can also choose to dine al fresco on a balcony overlooking Istanbul’s equivalent of New Bond Street — providing you’re happy to take in the smoky atmosphere ever present in outdoor venues around Istanbul.
The city’s skyline is dotted with minarets and domes but you’ll find evidence of many other cultures between them, as we soon discovered on a fabulous walking tour with Eda Sokmen, founder of Istanbulite, a boutique travel agency running bespoke trips across Turkey.
Home to some 20 million people, Istanbul is not a city of a single centre, but many — and a walking tour here requires extra-comfy shoes, as we soon discovered.
Starting in the neighbourhoods of Fener and Balat, home to trendy cafes, arty gift shops and much evidence of Istanbul’s multi-culturalism, we explored the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, spiritual centre of the Greek Orthodox world which attracts coachloads of pilgrims year-round.
Less conspicuous is the red doorway to the Ahrida Synagogue. Visitors are welcome by appointment in the morning although sadly we arrived too late and had to content ourselves with a coffee outside, as Eda talked us through Istanbul’s fascinating Jewish history.
Overwhelmingly Sephardi, the city’s original small Romaniote community was bolstered in the 15th century by a decree from the Ottoman Empire’s then sultan welcoming Jews following their expulsion from Spain.
Neve Shalom synaogue Credit Lianne Kolirin
Neve Shalom synaogue (Photo: Lianne Kolirin)
It is a story beautifully told in the Jewish museum in Beyoğlu, our next stop. Here we explore not only the origins of the community, which today stands at 17,000, but also the inside of the adjacent Neve Shalom Synagogue, which regularly stages weddings, barmitzvahs and other simchas.
The museum paints a picture of a strong heritage, heavily influenced by broader Turkish society.
Nathan reads with interest about the community’s food culture, so different from the chopped liver and chicken soup of ours, and grabs takeaway recipe cards for traditional dishes such as aubergine borekas and baked walnut dumplings.
It’s a timely reminder as his stomach begins to rumble. Our vegetarian status baffles many here, but not Eda. She snakes through a warren of side streets and alleyways seeking out countless meat-free delicacies.
There are Georgian specialities and Anatolian recipes and dishes unique to the Black Sea region, there is soup and salads and bread and gratins and dips and dumplings and stews, all of which Nathan devours with gusto.
But the best he saves for last: knafeh, a dessert made from spun pastry, sweet cheese and syrup. Eda and I are full to bursting. We watch in awe as my stick-thin son gobbles the lot.
As we say goodbye to Eda, I suspect we may never eat again. But Nathan has other ideas. We take in Istanbul’s other star attractions — cruising the Bosphorus, exploring the subterranean Basilica Cistern built in 532, wandering past the Topkapi Palace — but the key to my son’s heart lies in his stomach.
To his delight (and my waistline’s horror), our entire trip is something of a feeding frenzy. And there’s plenty to choose from: just last month Michelin released its first guide to Istanbul, highlighting 53 of its many, many eateries.
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Spices in the Spice Bazaar (Photo: Pixabay)
But for Nathan, it’s Istanbul’s street food which is the star attraction. We meander through the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar, sampling endless varieties of Turkish delight and baklava, while also shopping for the red pepper paste and flakes that Chef Rocco says are integral to Turkish cuisine.
On every corner a vendor selling corn on the cob, hot roasted chestnuts or delicious simit, those circular breads usually encrusted with sesame seeds.
Crossing the Galata bridge, always lined with patient fishermen, we go in search of Galata Simitçisi, a family-run bakery specialising in these sesame-coated pretzels for the last 34 years. From here it’s only a short walk to Karaköy Çorba Evi, a bustling hole in the wall serving up 21 varieties of soup.
By the end of the trip, we’ve gorged on the sights and flavours of this multi-layered city — but our first taste of Turkey has only whetted our appetite for more.
Getting There
Pegasus Airlines flies daily from London Stansted and Manchester to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, priced from around £103 return.
Doubles at The Stay Boulevard Nisantasi cost from £200 B&B. Doubles at The Stay Bosphorus cost from around £175 B&B.
Istanbulite’s walking tours cost from around £250 for one to four people.
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