Buffet restaurants are not only attractive because of their rich menus, they are also quite affordable compared to luxury restaurants and therefore highly preferred.
In this article, I’ve compiled some of the best buffet restaurants in Istanbul as well as top buffet breakfast gardens where you can commune with nature.
9 Local Buffet Restaurants In Istanbul
Beyoğlu Borsa, Istiklal Street
The name of Beyoğlu Borsa comes at the top when you are looking for a local buffet restaurant. It is a self-service restaurant and you just take your tray and choose whatever you want among many options. From soup to olive oil dishes, from main courses to desserts there are a lot of options.
In addition to specialties like Iskender kebab, there are olive oil dishes, pot dishes, and grills in the menu of the Borsa Istanbul’s self-service restaurant in Beyoğlu. The restaurant has 3 floors and a capacity of 150 people.
Address: Istiklal Caddesi 14, Beyoglu, Istanbul
Phone: (0216) 407 14 12
Opening hours: Open daily from 07.00 to 00.00.
Price range: $ 15 for two people (on average)
Çiya Sofrası, Kadikoy
Çiya is one of the most successful buffet restaurants of local dishes. Located within the fish market in Kadıköy Çarşısı, the restaurant has two more branches in the same street. Eastern Mediterranean and Southeastern cuisine are predominant, but you can find dishes from nearly all regions.
In Çiya Sofrası, the flavors of Southeastern Anatolia and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine are prepared in accordance with their original form. The menu is composed of Eastern Mediterranean and Southeastern Anatolia-based foods from various regions of Anatolia. There are interesting dishes such as şıhılmahşi, mualle, dövme, unut beni, maş çorbası, malhıtalı çorba, lebeni çorba, firik pilavı, kömeç aşı, sitti simidi, and yeşil erik tavası. You can enjoy fig dessert and turpentine coffee after your meal.
You can follow the daily menu from the internet sites, order local specialties from the menu or fill the plate with the delicious olive oil dishes you choose from the salad bar. Pickled greens are very successful with both images and flavors. Musa Bey and his wife’s sweet conversation behind this success is another reason why you should visit Çiya. Çiya has multiple restaurants on the same street.
Address: Caferağa Mahallesi Güneşlibahçe Sokak 43, Kadıköy, Istanbul
Phone: (0216) 330 31 90
Opening hours: Open daily from 12.00-22.00.
Price range: $ 28 for two people (on average)
Great Dongfang Chinese Restaurant, Sisli
Eating as much Chinese food as you can sound very pleasant both to ear and the stomach. Located on the top floor of Cevahir, Great Dong Fang has an open buffet with countless options. There are 30 kinds of menus including dessert and salad. Sweet sour chicken, noodles, rice with vegetables, Chinese ravioli, spicy sour soup, green peppers and onions, and sweet chicken with sesame are some of the tastes you can try.
At Great Dongfong, you get an open China buffet at a reasonable price. You first fill up your plate, even then you can fill several more times. The buffet is quite rich, including shrimp chips and noodles. In a la carte menu, on the other hand, Chinese soup, dumpling, egg rolls, meat with oyster sauce, and sesame chicken are among options. Don’t expect miracles from flavors, but you will certainly be satisfied.
Address: Cevahir Shopping Center, Sisli, Istanbul
Phone: (0212) 380 11 77
Opening hours: Open daily from 10.00 to 22.00.
Price range: $ 30 for two people (on average)
Şiva Cafe & Restaurant
Şiva Cafe & Restaurant is a traditional local restaurant located in the Sultanahmet District. The area of Sultanahmet is one of the most densely populated and lively parts of Istanbul. Historically, Sultanahmet has a huge number of ancient places and amazing museums, so millions of tourists from all over the world are coming to this place.
Turkish cuisine will amaze you with its variety and quantitiy of dishes. There are meat, all kinds of cereals and even vegetables. The cuisine of Turkey is characterized by the widest quantitiy of tasty meals, and it promotes a balanced and healthy diet. Unlike Italian and French cuisine, there are no dominant dishes. At first glance, the dishes seem to be simple, but they are made using secret and ancient recipes.
Kebab is a common name for dishes made of meat, which are prepared on a special grill. For example, iskender kebab is lamb meat dressed with yogurt sauce and tomato paste. Served in traditional Turkish pita bread.
If you have a desire to try something simple, then I recommend paying attention to lentil soup. And once you try the Turkish spicy sausage, you can never return to the normal sausage.
Either you look for new gastronomic discoveries or just want a delicious meal, visit this restaurant-cafe serving Turkish cuisine with its memorable name “Şiva”. This is a beautiful restaurant where you don’t only have a breakfast of aromatic, tasty, healthy food and dine in a cosy atmosphere, but also get acquainted with the secrets of the Turkish Cuisine.
Address: Cankurtaran Mh., Akbıyık Cd. No:22, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
Phone: 0546 446 96 90
Opening Hours: Open Daily From 08:00 to 02:00.
Price range: $ 25 for two people (on average)
Sofya Kebab House
Sofya Kebab House is located in the historical peninsula of Istanbul, the city of civilizations in the Sultanahmet Little Ayasofya district. The company has a rich menu consisting of delicacies selected from world cuisines, especially Ottoman, which appeal to every taste. Especially the sultans delight, diced lamb fried on iron plate and stew are among the most preferred flavors.
Those who do not consume meat are also considered. For vegetarians, there is a rich menu consisting of many vegetable dishes. Although the place is small, it offers a full family atmosphere with its friendly team and sympathetic decoration. Sofya Kebab House, the stop of the delicacies that will amaze you must be discovered.
Average à la carte price for two people (average à la carte price based on a two-course meal excluding drinks): $ 23
Address: Küçük Ayasofya Mh., Kadırga Limanı Cd. 96/a, 34400 Fatih/İstanbul
Phone: 0541 658 77 44
Opening hours: Between 11.30 and 00.00.
Price range: $ 17 for two people (on average)
Hacı Abdullah, Istiklal Street
Haci Abdullah Restaurant is a city classic that has been reigning since 1888. Clear of the crowd of Istiklal Street, the restaurant in the alley for years has not left empty. You can see a variety of pickles that have been stored since 1972 when you first entered the restaurant. If you go a little further, you will find that eye-catching food buffet too.
The pickle jars, which whet the appetite of people, is one of the most important places of Istanbul with its traditional decoration. Prominent dishes among all are pickles, sultan soup, vegetable soup, artichokes, kebab, and elbasan tava, as well as quince and poppy desserts.
Address: Ağa Mosque Atıf Yılmaz Street 9A, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, 34435
Phone: (0312) 215 06 06
Price range: $ 15 for two people (on average)
Hünkar, Nişantaşı
If you are looking for a traditional, healthy and light home meal in Nisantasi, you can visit Hünkar. The restaurant is always full, especially at noon hours. Hünkar, which has been offering the delicacies of Anatolian cuisine for many years, is one of the addresses well known to those who are fond of this taste.
It is one of the classic restaurants of Istanbul, serving first in Fatih, then Etiler and Nisantasi. In the menu, outstanding examples of Anatolian and Ottoman cuisine are presented as a la carte. Grilled meat and fish, olive oil varieties, hot Anatolian dishes, and ravioli are some of them. In the evenings, there are tavern-style treats. “Hünkar Beğendi” which the restaurant has taken its name from, and “Topik” must be tried. However, there are so many choices to try.
Address: Mim Kemal Öke Caddesi 9, Nisantasi, Istanbul
Phone: (0212) 225 46 65
Price range: $ 46 for two people (on average)
Helvetia, Asmalımescit
This is one of the most demanding places of Asmalımescit. Don’t expect such a big place, there is even no signboard. But the food is extremely delightful. You choose your meals from the open buffet and sit at your table. If you can find a place. The dishes in the showcase are not placed in large boilers, they are in smaller pyrex containers.
This place has been replaced by an old pub. There is no sign on the door, but there is a “Helvetia” graffiti on the wall. In the open buffet, there is delicious home-made food. Beyond that, the eccentric atmosphere and reasonable prices make this restaurant attractive. Olive oil dishes are epic. There is no alcohol though.
Address: Asmalımescit Sokak 24, İstanbul
Phone: (0212) 245 87 80
Opening hours: Open every day from 12.00 to 00.00 except Sunday.
Price range: $ 10 for two people (on average)
Pizza East Istanbul, Akaretler
What is the largest round invention after the wheel? If your answer is not lahmacun, you should try Pizza East in Akaretler. Moreover, they serve with the same quality with open buffet brunch every Sunday. Akaretler is one of the most fortunate points of the city, which extends to Nişantaşı as well as to Beşiktaş. The European streets, which are capable of being both central, airy, spacious and calm, are not located in a utopia in Istanbul, they are a few steps away from Beşiktaş Bazaar. It’s always cool compared to the narrow streets we’re used to.
In the center of this environment, where the entrance of the W Hotel is located, now became a place using the advantage of its position, and Pizza East, the second restaurant of the Soho House group in Istanbul, settled here.
Although its name resembles a standard pizza chain, it has nothing to do with it. We can define it as a boutique chain with restaurants in England and America. The menu does not just consist of pizza, it offers many more options such as antipasti, bakery, and vegetable dishes. They take care to include local ingredients in the form of Pizza East, so that they can create fusions like ricotta and fried zucchini flower with honey ($ 4.50), pizza with lamb sausage, goat cheese, pepper pickle, and mint ($ 6.50), or halva and raspberry vanilla sundae ($ 4) which you only can find in Pizza East Istanbul.
Main dishes are cooked in a wood oven. The lasagna and mac & cheese at the beginning of the list are the favorites. Lemonade, ginger beer, and iced teas are homemade; In the iced tea ($ 2.25), which has a slightly bitter taste, there are red berries, earl gray tea, elderflower syrup, lemon juice, and honey.
The doughs of the pizzas are thin, the edges are fluffy but crispy. There are plenty of materials which are quite satisfying even though they do not look very big. For example, the pizza with burrata, tomatoes, olives, and thyme ($ 4.50) is like a dense dish from a plate made of dough. All the dry meats used in pizzas come from Italy. The secret of the dough is hidden in the flour and fermentation process. Pizza East doughs are fermented for 72 hours (pizza doughs are usually fermented between 24 and 36 hours). So the pizza can be both light and crunchy.
The decoration is completed with old and antique pieces, the ceiling is covered with metal construction, the lamps hanging from the ceiling makes you feel like you are in a submarine, wood floors and walls resemble a ship’s handrail, giant washbasins similar to the trough in the toilets reminds the environments of cowboy films locales. Although the interior of the place is colorful and has a character, the place in demand is, of course, the open-air section. Fortunately, the restaurant is wide. The area starting from the front of the door extends to the Şair Nedim Street. In addition to the bar inside, there is another small bar serving coffee and cocktails.
If you’ve loved the cheese and charcuterie products on the pizzas, you should also visit them in the charcuterie section. You can take any ingredients such as Bresaola, Milan sausage, and parmesan cheese with you. All these charcuterie products, as well as seafood, eggs, and pizzas, are on the buffet on Sundays between 11:00 to 17:00 for a brunch.
Address: Süleyman Seba Street, No: 22, Beşiktaş, Istanbul
Phone: (0212) 259 22 59
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 11.30 to 00.00, on Friday and Saturday from 11.30 to 01.00, the market is open from 11.00 to 00.00.
Price range: $ 17 for two people (on average)
8 Buffet Breakfast Places to Determine Your Weekend Destination in Istanbul
People love all kinds of breakfast. From the mixed breakfast to the village breakfast, from a French breakfast with a single croissant and coffee to the American breakfast with a pancake and a bagel, all breakfast types deserve respect.
Therefore, I want to inform you about the best breakfast buffets in the city. Here are the best breakfast buffets in Istanbul.
All the Fatigue of the Week Goes Away: Forno Balat
It is the only address of breakfast, lahmacun, pita, and croissant in Balat. Everyone talked a lot about Forno’s crunchy pita and lahmacuns. Now there is a buffet breakfast serving every Saturday and Sunday. This buffet breakfast is standard. So you can find nearly anything to eat.
So, what’s in this breakfast that everyone praise to the sky? Among the options, there are hot pita, homemade bread, bagel, buffalo cream, honey, organic jams, full fat ezine cheese, Thracian cheese, braided cheese, butter, green olives and black olives, acuka, olive paste, fruit salad, cucumber, fragrant tomato, olive oil, omelette and tea.
My favorite is the buttery croissant and baked eggs that you can’t get enough. Here is a big reason to drop by Balat! If you want to take the pain of the whole week in these beautiful two days, you must visit Forno soon.
Address: Balat Mahallesi, Fener Kireçhanesi Sokak, No 13. Fatih, İstanbul
Phone: (0212) 521 29 00
Price range: $ 22 for two people (on average)
Organic Breakfast and a Unique Sight: Lacivert
Lacivert, the venue for romantic dinners, marriage offers, celebrations, has the coolest buffet brunch menu in the city. The venue which is flooded by who wants to spend a peaceful day every Sunday offers a terrific open buffet overlooking to the unique Bosphorus view. The most important feature of this buffet is that every food being organic, from eggs to sausage, from cheese to honey. Mıhlama, menemen, tulum cheese, and crispy pastries are my favorites.
Lacivert, who always greeted traditional tastes, also offers the sherbet of centuries ago. Lemonade, nevruz, tamarind, cactus, and rosehip are among the refreshing drinks you can choose.
Address: Anadolu Hisarı Mahallesi, Körfez Street, No 57 / A, Beykoz, Istanbul
Phone: (0216) 413 37 53
Price range: $ 90 for two people (on average)
A Breakfast Experience to Remember: Cecconi’s
Known for northern Italian dishes, Cecconi’s, with branches in London, Miami, West Hollywood, is one of the city’s new brunch addresses. It is not that reasonably priced, but I bet it will charm you with the buffet brunch which is only open on Sundays. You’re going to be amazed, especially in front of the bakery department. Even the oyster that we can’t find easily in Istanbul is served in this brunch.
And there are more! There are alternatives from Italian cheese to smoked meats, from dried fruits to sourdough bread, and different kinds of omelets prepared on the spot as well as delicious pastries. My only suggestion to you is to make sure to go hungry because a big feast under the olive trees will be waiting for you.
Address: Soho House Istanbul, Evliya Çelebi District, Meşrutiyet Street, No 56, Beyoğlu, İstanbul
Phone: (0212) 377 71 80
Price range: $ 55 for two people (on average)
Toward the Bosphorus: Vogue
Vogue, which is the favorite of the business world and couples, now has one of the best views of Istanbul as most of us know. If you want to experience a delicious brunch with a magnificent view of the Bosphorus, Vogue will wait for you because there is everything you can imagine in its buffet brunch which is a classic now serving every Sunday! Quiche, croissants, bread with olives, macaron, cheesecake, freshly squeezed juices, cheese and charcuterie products, sausages, baked potatoes, water pastry and much more.
Although it is not related to our subject, let’s not forget saying; The sushi menu of the place, where you can find outstanding flavors of the world and Mediterranean cuisine, is also quite solid. There are more than 70 kinds of sushi!
Address: Vişnezade Quarter, Akaretler Sports Street, BJK Plaza, A Block, No 92, Floor 13, Besiktas, Istanbul
Phone: (0212) 227 44 04
Price range: $ 83 for two people (on average)
Breakfast by the Fireplace: Brunelle
With its garden and the brunch buffet, I have not forgotten Brunelle, one of the most trendy places of the past summer. Ezine cheese, Kars gruyere, garden greens, orange zucchini jam, cocoa hazelnut paste, forest berry sauced granola, organic olives, croissants, dill donuts, fruity Danish, carrot cake and crispy bread are the main actors of this flavor feast.
There is also live music in this long-lasting brunch that you will have breakfast by the fireplace.
Address: Saint-Joseph’s Association, Caferağa Neighborhood, Hülya Street, No 5, Kadıköy, İstanbul
Phone: (0216) 338 25 61
Price range: $ 32 for two people (on average)
Here You Can Eat All Day: The Brasserie
The Grand Tarabya is one of the few routes in Istanbul where you will reward yourself and fill up your soul with the ambience. It is as far away from Istanbul’s noise and crowds as possible. As this spirit-satisfying atmosphere is not enough, there is also an extremely delightful brunch buffet.
Waffles, pancakes, omelets, pies, freshly squeezed juices, cheese, and cold cuts are some of the delicious tastes served in this buffet. The view of the Bosphorus and Tarabya Marina is also worth visiting!
Address: The Grand Tarabya Merkez, Tarabya Merkez Mahallesi, Haydar Aliyev Street, No 154, Sariyer, Istanbul
Phone: (0212) 363 33 00
Price range: $ 75 for two people (on average)
One of the Weekend Essentials: Kuleli Yakamoz Restaurant
The ideal place to have a delicious Sunday breakfast at the end of the weekend is the Kuleli Yakamoz Restaurant. It is one of the places that should be visited just for its exquisite Bosphorus view, but once you see that variety in the buffet, you will not be able to help yourself admiring it once again.
The quality of the ingredients they use is also very good. I am sure that you will not want to get away from the exquisite view all day, even if you go to this place just to have breakfast.
Address: Çengelköy Mahallesi, Kuleli Caddesi, No 69, Uskudar, Istanbul
Phone: (0216) 318 95 05
Price range: $ 33 for two people (on average)
You Won’t Be Able to Stop Eating: Zeferan Restaurant
One of the places that you will admire its breakfast buffet which serves until 11.00 on the weekdays and 12.00 on the weekends is Zeferan Restaurant. From rich local and regional cheese varieties to different kinds of eggs, sausage, pastrami, and bacon, this breakfast table provides nearly everything.
I know that you can not make such breakfasts every day, but if you want to spoil yourself or your loved ones for a day, I give you the address you need to go.
Address: jwa Hotel Sultanahmet, Emin Sinan Neighborhood, Piyer Loti Street, No 30, Fatih, Istanbul
Phone: (0212) 638 22 12
Price range: $ 28 for two people (on average)
7 Breakfast Buffets Where You Can Commune with Nature
When you come to Istanbul at the weekend, you can have a delicious breakfast in a place under trees with a beautiful view, and sip your warm tea to experience one of the most enjoyable ways to start a nice weekend. Let’s take a look at these places and their current breakfast prices.
Yoros Kale Cafe, Anadolu Kavağı
The first of our list of breakfast places in Istanbul is located next to Anadolu Kavağı, near the Castle of Yoros, overlooking the unique Bosphorus view of Istanbul, positioned in steppes on the slope leading up to the castle, with its red gingham bedspreads, wooden tables, and chairs.
Yoros Café is just charming. It is a breakfast place in nature. It is a good idea to visit the Yoros Castle after breakfast because they have difficulty in dealing with weekend density from time to time. Mixed breakfast costs $ 7.5 per person as of 2018.
Address: Anadolu Kavağı mah. Feneryolu cad. 3 / A Beykoz
Phone: 0 (216) 3202056
Stella, Polonezköy
The second of the list of places to have breakfast in Istanbul at the weekend, Polonezköy is one of the rare places where the forest is protected suitable for the families who love to be intertwined with nature. After passing through the Kavacık exit on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge road and passing Acarkent, Polonezköy can be reached by following the signs.
My favorite place in Polonezköy is Stella. I think it is one step ahead of the similar ones in the region with its landscape overlooking the forest, its lush ambiance and direct connection to the forest road. Mixed village breakfast costs $ 9.5 per person as of 2018.
Address: Polonezköy mah. 75. Yıl cad. Polonezköy / Beykoz
Phone: 0 (216) 4323232
Sarı Köşk, Emirgan Grove
Emirgan Grove, one of the most beautiful groves of Istanbul, is hosting a complete visual feast, especially in the tulip season. Sarı Köşk comes to the fore because of its view of the Bosphorus in the grove where there are two other mansions named as Pembe Köşk and Beyaz Köşk.
Breakfast is served as an open buffet on weekends, and as a mixed breakfast on weekdays at the Sarı Köşk as in many places. As with all other mansions attached to Beltur, the mixed breakfast for weekdays is offered for $ 6 per person as of 2018. On the other hand, breakfast served as an open buffet on weekends costs $ 8 per person.
Address: Emirgan mah. Hakim Tahsin sok. Sarıyer / Istanbul
Phone: 0 (212) 2295037
Polina, Polonezköy
The fourth of our list of Restaurants serves in Nature in Istanbul is Polina, another venue located at the Polonezköy with its homemade cakes, jams, ring cut fried potatoes, crunchy village peppers and the parrot named Cabbar.
The mixed village breakfast which is served only on weekends costs $ 11 per person. Prices are above average. After breakfast, I recommend you to try chestnuts, blackberry ROLADA, MADONNA or chocolate POLINA cake.
Address: 75. Yıl cad. No: 26 Beykoz / Istanbul Hotels
Phone: 0 (216) 4323153
Saklıgöl Karamandere Facilities, Şile
The fifth of our list of places to have breakfast in Istanbul is Saklıgöl Karamandere Facilities, a peaceful and calm place on the shore of the lake, where you can feel so far away from Istanbul. When you reach Şile from İstanbul Şile highway, instead of entering the city center, follow the Saklıgöl signs when you turn to the opposite direction from the main road and you will reach this hidden lake waiting for you just ahead of the village of Karamandere.
On the wooden tables on the lake shore, you can have breakfast in nature, with many options such as honey, cream, jam, cheese and varieties, walnut, grape, herbed cheese, and scrambled eggs as well as unlimited tea offer. The cost of breakfast per person is $ 8.5 as of 2018. Omelets, menemen, mıhlama etc. are extra charged. After breakfast, you can do trekking on the 21-kilometer course around Saklıgöl as well.
Address: Karamandere Köyü / ŞİLE
Phone: 0 (216) 7312169
Kulindağ, Mahmut Şevket Paşa Village
Kulindağ, reached from the turnout of Mahmut Şevket Pasha Village when you leave from Kavacık exit on the second bridge road and head towards Riva, is a chalet on the hillside of a forested valley. The most important feature of the sixth of our list of natural places to have breakfast in Istanbul is the hot pita, pizza, pastry and other bread varieties baked in their ovens.
A lush forest, plenty of oxygen and bird sounds. The current price of Kulindağ Breakfast, which is served as a weekend buffet and weekday mixed breakfast, is $ 11 per person for both.
Address: Mahmut Sevket Pasa Village, Kibrit Cikmazi No: 6 Beykoz / Istanbul
Phone: 0 (850) 3020299
Kır Kahvesi, Yıldız Grove (Yıldız Park)
Even though it is located in the heart of Istanbul, the yıldız park is a hidden forest that takes you away from the city’s crowds at once and brings you together with nature. Kır Kahvesi is also the most modest place among the other Beltur places like Malta Köşkü and Çadır Köşk. The service is very good, the view of the grove is soothing.
A mixed breakfast including honey, fresh cream, tomato, cucumber, feta cheese, old cheddar, string cheese, tulum cheese, pistachio salami, black and green olives, jam, tahini and molasses, seasonal greens, boiled eggs, carrot cake, apricot danish, spring rolls and unlimited tea costs $ 6, where pancake varieties costs between $ 2 – 2.50, and roasted eggs cost $ 2.25.
Address: Yıldız Park, Yıldız mah. Star Cad. No: 62 Beşiktaş / İstanbul
Phone: 0 (212) 3274501
