It’s beyond me what has happened to Turkish architecture over the last 100 years. Until the end of Ottoman empire Turkish-Ottoman architects build fabulous palaces, houses and mosques, but for the last century all but a few new constructions have only been build for their purpose and not for their beauty.

So even the most die hard visitor to Istanbul stands a chance of getting tired of all the ugly concrete and dirty, broken streets that happen to fill Istanbul.

When the fatigue hits me, I head out to Kanyon Mall, an architectural pearl a few metro stops from Taksim Square. Together with other Istanbullus craving for calm, coolness, soft curves and place to spend their buck, I window shop at the very pricey designer stores and then spend my lira at Wagamama or The Kitchenette restaurant, along side the westernised bankers and insurance brokers working in the vicinity.

Kanyon is the hyper modern Turkey that is just as much a part of the country as the sunny beaches and the sultan palace, but much less recognised.

Navigation among the calling touts of Istanbul’s Nevizade area is not an easy thing to do. The selection of restaurants and bars is vast, and you don’t even have to look for fish and mezze to eat, or beer and raki to drink – they will look for you, thanks to the multi linguistic waiters.

Nevizade is very crowded on weekends, even by Istanbul standards, but not all the city’s nightlife is equally amusing. I usually head to Peyote, located on a side alley to the main street of Nevizade, where amusingly enough it’s not a question of managing a tout, but more to convince the doorman to actually let one in.

Peyote doesn’t accept men only groups or male individuals on weekends. They believe women will be able to control otherwise uncontrollable men, and don’t give a damn whether you are a regular, a foreigner, sober or well dressed. Guys only groups cannot enter. Period!

If you are a man who doesn’t have female company, you can try to sneak in with a group who does, or try to convince any female coming in or out or passing by, to accompany you through the door. Once inside the GT’s on the roof top terrace are a pleasant, but strong reward. It’s the genuine and relaxed atmosphere on the roof that has earned Peyote its name among Turks in their 20’ies and 30’ies and expat residents.

Peyote, Kalyoncukulluk Caddesi. No. 42, Beyoglu, Istanbul

Go further: Read Mashup Culture's guide to the best roof top bars (including Peyote) in Istanbul here.

’Home made food’ or ’Ev yemekleri’ in Turkish, is sometimes a somewhat overlooked chapter of the Turkish kitchen by foreigners. The restaurants of this kind usually offer a broad variety of cold dishes involving a lot of vegetables, soups, olive oil, yoghurt, köfte meat balls and occasionally börek pastry.

A place with a well proven track record in excellent home made food is Helvetia in Istanbul’s Beyoglu neighbourhood. Amidst a couple of fancy, and a few not so fancy restaurants, the Helvetia stands out as one of the most popular.

From the counter inside costumers get an easy overview of the ever changing selection of dishes – just as any Turk would venture out in their parent’s kitchen to lift the lids off pots and pans and check what’s on offer.

In Helvetia the high turn over guarantees a fresh and abundant selection, and the seating outside is a perfect place for people watching in the always crowded Sofyali Sokak. With its food and pleasant service Helvetia is the perfect Turkish family you never knew you had.

Helvetia; General Yazgan Sokak 12, Beyoglu, Istanbul

The Ciya Empire keeps expanding in Kadiköy on Istanbul’s Asian side as it’s one of the district’s most popular restaurants among locals. The restaurant now fills three locations in the same small pedestrian street as well as a fair part of the street it self.

The area is located a short walk from the Kadiköy pier and bus station and by it self a trip well worth given the very lively atmosphere and high quality at a low price selection of fresh fish, honey, vegetables, herbs and anything else you would want for self catering.

Should you choose to let Ciya cater for you, you may choose from the daily variety of ready made soups, meats and vegetables cooked, mixed and presented in the tastiest fashion. The dishes represent as many as nine different kitchens including Armenian, Ottoman and Syrian.

There is no written menu and no written explanations at Ciya, but the guy behind the counter is happy to repeat him self endlessly when people ask what’s in each pot or pan. Three dishes are probably too much food for one person, so you may want to ask for half portions in order to get a broader taste of the offerings and have room to taste the very Anatolian fruit in gel-desserts.

Ciya; Caferaga Mah. Güneslibahce Sk. 43, 44 and 48/B Kadiköy - Istanbul

When you roam the narrow, winding streets of Cukurcuma and zigzag between its many antique stores in search of dusty Ottoman glass ware, a retro lamp or a piece of Chinese porcelain you may very well crave for a good cup of coffee or a spicy tea.

In that case the tiny Kiki Cay Evi – Kiki Tea House – is a most welcome oasis with a great arm chair inside and a few tables outside on the street. The walls are tastily decorated with an intriguing mix of coloured tea pots, a red Swedish horse, an Indian relief carved in wood and all sorts of artefacts originating from just about all around the world.

Somehow the female owners have managed to arrange it so the tea house doesn’t look like a souvenir shop in the global village, but rather a very cosy and unique café, not only by Istanbul standards.

The Cukurcuma-district is well located between the touristy Beyoglu-district and the Bohemian Cihangir-district, but still Kiki is likely to remain a hidden oasis as only few people venture down this way. 

Kiki Cay Evi; Faik Pasa Caddesi 30/A Cukurcuma