Address: (The Spice Bazaar) Mısır Çarşısı, Rüstem Paşa, Erzak Ambarı Sok. No:92, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul; (The Grand Bazaar) Kapali Çarsi, Beyazıt, Kalpakçılar Cd. No:22, 34126 Fatih/İstanbul
Istanbul Fish MarketGetty Images
6. Eat the best seafood
Oddly, Turkish cuisine remains steadfastly associated with the kebab, when it does seafood so exceptionally well. The plumpest curls of octopus tentacle, chargrilled to sweetness; buttery fillets of just-caught sea bass to send you into raptures; fat prawns sliced fine and eaten raw… Fishing remains a way of life here, with four bounteous seas providing rich pickings, as well as the Bosphorus strait. See what the boats bring in at Beyoğlu Fish Market (balık pazarı), where low-key restaurants sit alongside fish stalls or wander next door to the restaurants in Art Nouveau arcade Cicek Pasaji. For a slicker seaside setting head to Galata Port and book a table at Sait, which serves up some of the best seafood in the city, alongside zingy fresh salads.
Address: Karakoy Fish House, Azapkapı, Fermeneciler Cd. No:35, 34421 Beyoğlu/İstanbul; Sait, Kılıçali Paşa Mahallesi, Meclis-i Mebusan Sok. O1 Blok No:8 D:102 Galataport, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Website: sait.com.tr
7. Swim and cycle on Trotsky’s island home
The offshore Princes’ Islands have long been a retreat for wealthy Istanbulites who came to swim, fish, and escape from the city’s heat in their splendid summer houses. Trotsky did the same when, exiled by Stalin in the 1920s, he lived in Büyükada; the largest of the islands. It remains car-free, so rent a bike (if you can’t, there are horse-drawn taxis, but spare a thought for the overworked horses) to explore its forested interior and seek out its half-dozen beaches, some chilled, some with beach clubs for summer parties. Stay at Splendid Palace Hotel, eye-catching in white and red.
Address: Splendid Palace Hotel, Büyükada-nizam, Yirmiüç Nisan Cd. No: 39, 34970 Adalar/İstanbul
8. Dance like a Dervish
The Whirling Dervish shows like that at Galata Tower are aimed at tourists – but if you want to go dancing with locals then head for Lucca, in the well-heeled waterfront neighbourhood of Bebek. By day, it’s a bistro and cocktail bar; after dark, the city’s most glam party destination for smart Istanbulites, with DJs on the decks every night and packed with gorgeous young things at weekends.
