Beyoğlu Through Özlem Tuna’s Eyes: Design, Coffee & Culinary Stops

Beyoğlu Through Özlem Tuna’s Eyes: Design, Coffee & Culinary Stops
We are in Tomtom, Beyoğlu, on Boğazkesen Avenue. This is one of Istanbul’s most vibrant routes, connecting İstiklal Avenue with Galataport and bringing together locals and visitors throughout the day. My design store is right here on the avenue, next to the simit bakery.
Over the years, while working in my shop, I have heard the same question from international visitors exploring Istanbul:
“Where should we eat? Where do you designers like to go?”
I have been asked this question so many times that I finally decided to bring together some of my favorite addresses.
These places are not on this list simply because they serve good food. They are here because their design language, atmosphere, people and stories have drawn me back to them again and again over the years.
I believe design exists far beyond objects. It can be found around a table, in a coffee cup, in the light of a restaurant, or on a chef’s plate.
One small note: I have not eaten red meat since childhood. In recent years, I have been following a pescatarian diet. So, naturally, seafood, vegetable-focused cuisine and places serving really good coffee tend to feature a little more prominently in my recommendations.
Restaurants
Fıccın
Chef and founder Leyla Kılıç is one of my very dear friends. Fıccın has been one of Beyoğlu’s enduring classics for around 25 years. They serve Circassian cuisine with a contemporary interpretation.
I particularly love their potato mantı. With its Circassian flavors, generous selection of meze and warm, wonderfully familiar atmosphere that has remained unchanged over the years, Fıccın is still one of my favorite places in Beyoğlu.
@ficcin
Kallavi
Another restaurant carrying Chef Leyla Kılıç’s signature, Kallavi offers an elegant interpretation of Turkish cuisine, with a focus on seasonal ingredients. I especially recommend their olive-oil dishes and seafood.
Fıccın and Kallavi are on the same street, one of the most enjoyable places in Istanbul for lingering over a long meal outdoors.
What I love most is the live music that begins in the evening. Musicians move from table to table, and suddenly the street turns into a little celebration. You may find yourself chatting with the people at the next table or even dancing together.
In recent years, I have also started celebrating my birthdays here. The hospitality of Leyla and her sister Süheyla makes this street even more special to me.
Fıccın Cihangir
The newly opened Cihangir branch of Fıccın has more of a neighborhood-lokanta feel.
They do not serve alcohol. If you are looking for a clean, wholesome lunch with the warmth of home cooking, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.
@ficcin
Journey – Cihangir
I have lived in Istanbul for 37 years, 12 of them in Cihangir. Journey has been part of my life for many years. My daughter Kapris and I still go there quite often. The quality of the food has never changed.
They do a very good job of interpreting classic Turkish dishes. I particularly love their healthy pizzas. And then there are their ginger shots… Sometimes I even stop by just for one.
I believe a well-designed neighborhood café gains character as the years go by. Journey is one of the best examples of this.
@journeycihangir
Cuma
One of my favorite restaurants in Çukurcuma. They bake their own bread, and both the interior and the garden are wonderful places to spend a long afternoon or evening talking with friends.
With its natural materials, simple design language and thoughtful presentation, Cuma is one of those rare places that has managed to preserve the spirit of the neighborhood.
@cumacukurcuma
Un Cihangir
Our neighborhood’s new pizza place. In addition to pizza, they make their own pasta and are particularly good with dough-based dishes.
A lovely stop if you enjoy good pizza and Italian cuisine.
@uncihangir
The Populist
In general, Galataport is not somewhere I go specifically to eat. But when I feel like having a beer, I go to The Populist.
I enjoy trying their different house-brewed beers. On quiet days, especially when there are no cruise ships around, it is a lovely place to spend time with friends overlooking the Bosphorus.
@thepopulisttr
Neolokal
Chef Maksut Aşkar has been a friend of mine for many years. I designed the porcelain serving plates used at Neolokal, and the coffee and tea served at the end of the meal are presented in cups from my Özlem Tuna Sage Collection.
As a designer, seeing objects I have designed become a natural part of a memorable dining experience means a great deal to me.
Neolokal, a Michelin-starred restaurant, is one of the most successful places in Istanbul for contemporary interpretations of Anatolian cuisine. Be sure to make a reservation before you go.
@neolokal
Sur Balık – Cihangir
Sur Balık has several locations, but Cihangir is the one I prefer most. I often take my guests there as well.
With seasonal fish, an extensive selection of meze and a quality that has remained consistent over the years, it is a reliable choice for a classic rakı-and-fish evening.
@surbalik
Cuppa – Cihangir
A neighborhood café I often visit for breakfast and lunch. They prepare clean, healthy, seasonal food and bake their own bread.
For me, it is one of the best places for a classic Turkish-style fried egg breakfast.
@cuppacihangir
Coffee & Sweet Stops
Miu Cafe
Miu opened last year, and I genuinely admire its founder, Tuğçe Mehdioğlu.
Since the day we first met, I have been impressed by her curiosity and her constant desire to learn, research and improve. She created every detail of the café with great care.
One of my favorite things about Miu is the strong sense of unity between its design language and the products it serves.
Tuğçe continues to deepen her knowledge of Japanese tea culture and matcha, which is something I particularly appreciate.
And there is another detail that makes me very happy: all the coffee cups used at the café are from the Özlem Tuna collection.
I especially recommend the Miu Matcha served in our Dance bowls.
@heymiyucafe
Probador Colectiva
The closest specialty coffee roaster to our shop.
Its founder, Çağatay Gulabioğlu, is one of the most knowledgeable names in Turkey’s coffee scene. As a coffee roaster and educator, he has contributed to the industry for many years and was one of the founders of Kronotrop, one of the pioneers of Turkey’s third-wave coffee culture.
His approach to coffee, his precision and his attention to detail are genuinely inspiring.
For me, Probador is one of those places that sees coffee not simply as a beverage, but as a carefully designed experience.
@probadorcolectiva
Mandabatmaz
One of Istanbul’s true classics. Perhaps the city’s most famous Turkish coffee.
I used to love sitting on little stools in their tiny old shop, drinking coffee. They have since moved into a larger space, but the flavor of the coffee remains just as good.
I have also been buying the Turkish coffee I serve in my shop from Mandabatmaz for many years.
@mandabatmazkahvesi
Üç Yıldız Şekerleme
For me, one of the most special stops in Beyoğlu.
Founded in 1926 by Ahmet Fikri Dörtler, Üç Yıldız Şekerleme is now run by the third generation. Fedurun Dörtler and his son Altuğ Dörtler continue the family tradition with the same care and dedication.
The moment you step inside, you can feel the elegance of old Istanbul.
They still produce their lokum and marzipan themselves, with a remarkably balanced level of sweetness. In recent years, I have especially loved their rose and anise lokum.
For years, I have served their lokum alongside coffee to guests at my shop. And whenever I travel abroad, their lokum is also one of my favorite gifts to take with me.
@ucyildizsekerleme
A Final Thought
For me, a good city is remembered through well-designed places, good people and thoughtfully made food.
Beyoğlu is exactly that kind of place.
In this neighborhood that has inspired me for so many years, I believe design exists not only in galleries or objects, but also around tables, in coffee cups, in shop windows and in the hospitality of the people who live and work here.
I hope this little guide brings you new places to discover, beautiful conversations and unforgettable memories as you explore Istanbul.
Afiyet olsun — and happy exploring!
*Photo: @heymiyucafe