Best Restaurants in Üsküdar, Istanbul

Üsküdar is one of Istanbul's oldest settled districts — a historic ferry terminus, pilgrimage point and residential neighbourhood that has retained more of its traditional Ottoman character than almost anywhere else in the city. Its restaurant scene reflects this identity: traditional pudding shops (muhallebici), lokanta serving Anatolian home cooking, and fish restaurants along the Bosphorus shore that have been feeding locals since long before Instagram made them discoverable.

The village neighbourhoods to the north of Üsküdar's centre — Kuzguncuk, Çengelköy and Beykoz — contain some of Istanbul's most charming and authentic waterfront dining. Kuzguncuk is a particularly well-preserved Greek, Jewish and Armenian neighbourhood that today houses independent cafés and restaurants drawing a creative, professional crowd from across the Asian side. Çengelköy is known for its cucumbers and its fish restaurants; Beykoz for its garden restaurants serving whole-roasted lamb.

For visitors crossing from the European side, Üsküdar's ferry terminal is the entry point — and the restaurants within five minutes of the iskele (ferry dock) offer excellent value: fish sandwiches, kokoreç, simit and tea that allow visitors to experience Istanbul's street food culture before diving into the neighbourhood's more substantial restaurants.