{"id":51630,"date":"2012-03-02T00:54:26","date_gmt":"2012-03-01T22:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/?p=51630"},"modified":"2023-04-15T18:01:57","modified_gmt":"2023-04-15T15:01:57","slug":"five-istanbul-hot-spots-with-a-view-forbes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/2012\/03\/02\/five-istanbul-hot-spots-with-a-view-forbes\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Istanbul Hot Spots With A View – Forbes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five Istanbul Hot Spots With A View<\/p>\n

Caroline Patek Caroline Patek, Contributor<\/p>\n

Five Top Spots With Views of Istanbul\u2019s Bosphorussee photosMecit Gulaydin<\/p>\n

With its Ottoman Empire history and vibrant modern culture, there\u2019s no denying Istanbul\u2019s charm. At the center of it all, the city\u2019s lifeblood is the body of water that divides Europe and Asia\u2014the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The waterway\u2019s strategic importance enticed Constantine the Great to found the city as the capital of the Eastern Roman empire, but today, it\u2019s the focus of some of Istanbul\u2019s most sought-after views. At the end of a day in Turkey\u2019s busiest city, settle in and ponder this famous strait from these five spots with can\u2019t-miss views.<\/p>\n

1. Mikla restaurant<\/p>\n

Sitting atop the Marmera Pera hotel in the historic Pera district of Istanbul, this innovative restaurant combines Scandinavian and Turkish cuisines. Chef Mehmet G\u00fcrs takes serious care\u2014he\u2019s enlisted the help of an anthropologist to find unique foods around Turkey\u2014to use local ingredients in his dishes, such as the lamb shoulder with prune pestil (dried fruit leather) and pomegranate molasses. Chrome furniture from the 50s and 70s gives the dining room a retro, sleek feeling, but the real showstopper is the view from the outdoor patio and terrace bar. The terrace gives you a panorama of the skyline\u2019s best sights\u2014the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Bosphorus.<\/p>\n

2. A\u2019jia hotel<\/p>\n

With a striking white columned fa\u00e7ade, this 16-room boutique hotel is a restored 1800s-era Ottoman mansion, but inside, the amenities\u2014such as the Acqua Di Parma bath products and Philippe Starck bathtubs\u2014give the space a modern, minimalist vibe. Situated on the banks of the Asian shoreline on the outskirts of the city (about 40 minutes from downtown in the suburb of Kanlica, accessible by shuttle boat) this yali (a word for the wooden residences along the Bosphorus) houses an elegant restaurant with an outdoor terrace serving up Mediterranean and Italian cuisine\u2014such as lamb shank confit\u2014with the sparkling strait as a backdrop.<\/p>\n

3. Vogue restaurant<\/p>\n

Located on top of the Be\u015fikta\u015f Plaza office building, Vogue has been a fixture in Istanbul the past 15 years. Its international menu draws inspiration from the Mediterranean while the sushi bar is a nod to the Asian shores across the strait. Choose from dishes such as miso-braised black cod, roasted duck and vanilla panna cotta. The restaurant\u2019s floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto views of the Bosphorus and the LED-lit Bosphorus Bridge outside. Reserve a table outside on the terrace\u2014which seats 80\u2014during the summer months for a slight breeze off the water.<\/p>\n

4. Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus<\/p>\n

Occupying a restored 19th-century palace in the trendy Be\u015fikta\u015f area, the hotel blends Ottoman style with contemporary amenities. Rooms located on the first and second floors of the palace building give you a straight-on view of the water, the Asian coastline on the other side of the strait, the Maiden\u2019s Tower and the domes and minarets of Old Town. And the view only gets better as you walk outside. The hotel\u2019s patio boasts a pool and whirlpool (not to mention direct boat access if you like to arrive in style). At Aqua\u2014the hotel\u2019s signature restaurant with name-appropriate design touches such as blue glassware and light fixtures\u2014inside tables have views of the Bosphorus and the outdoor terrace lets you dine at the water\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n

5. Anjelique<\/p>\n

Part restaurant, part nightclub, Anjelique sits on the Bosphorus waterfront in a three-story mansion. Located in Istanbul\u2019s Ortak\u00f6y area\u2014known for its nightlife\u2014the glossy restaurant serves Asian cuisine on the first floor and Mediterranean fare on the upper two levels. Aside from entr\u00e9es such as porcini mushroom and truffle risotto, you can nosh on bar food like crispy duck wraps and vegetable quesadillas. The airy space on the sea level opens up onto an outdoor deck and dance floor with a long fire pit, and inside, massive windows give you ample opportunities to check out the lights of the city\u2019s skyline and the water below. An ever-changing rotation of DJs spin tunes\u2014a different style on each floor\u2014into the early hours of the morning.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

via Five Istanbul Hot Spots With A View – Forbes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five Istanbul Hot Spots With A View Caroline Patek Caroline Patek, Contributor Five Top Spots With Views of Istanbul\u2019s Bosphorussee photosMecit Gulaydin With its Ottoman Empire history and vibrant modern culture, there\u2019s no denying Istanbul\u2019s charm. At the center of it all, the city\u2019s lifeblood is the body of water that divides Europe and Asia\u2014the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2939],"tags":[5633,5457],"class_list":["post-51630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cultureart","tag-restaurants-in-istanbul","tag-turkish-food"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51630\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}