Istanbul's gastronomy gives a flavour of a vibrant city - Scotland on Sunday Travel

A taste of the fascinating city on the Bosphorous will leave you wanting more

The stunning Istanbul skyline across The Bosphorus. Pic: J Christie

After arriving in Istanbul at night, my first sight of the city was in the morning when I pulled back the curtains of my hotel room and saw the breathtaking view across the Bosphorus to the white domes of mosques and palaces rising above the buildings on the opposite bank, flocks of pigeons circling the minaret spires.

My first taste came back down at street level after stepping out of the grand entrance of the Galata Istanbul Hotel from the M Gallery Hotel Collection into the historic district of Beyoglu on the city’s European side. With my guide, Yavuz Sezen (if there’s anything he doesn’t know about Istanbul you don’t need to know it) we headed for a traditional Istanbul breakfast of steaming hot coffee and simit, fresh sesame rolls pulled straight from the brick oven and served at tables on the pavement at Galata Simitcisi cafe. As the crispy coating gave way to warm doughy interior, I savoured the first of a multitude of flavours I would encounter on my gastronomy tour as a guest of TGA Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency.

After the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in February the country is crying out for tourists to help the economy and rebuild and many have flocked back to the popular Mediterranean resorts and the endlessly fascinating and vibrant city of Istanbul.

The Hagia Sophia Mosque in Sultanhamet, Istanbul, was completed in 537 AD. Pic: Goturkiye.com

As the caffeine kicked in it was time for some window shopping at the boutiques of two Istanbul designers who are enthusiastic in celebrating Turkey’s traditional crafts while bringing them up to date with a contemporary twist. At his boutique overlooking the new Galataport quayside Ümit Ünal sells fastidiously crafted and beautiful clothing, combining Anatolian tailoring and knitting with his avant garde edge while the eponymous owner of Aydan Oner specialises in handmade homeware and gifts that celebrate traditional handicrafts and materials in new ways - such as dinner plate-sized evil eyes rendered in silk.

Next stop, passing street carts selling roasted chestnuts and corn cobs whose aromas rise upwards to mingle with the call to prayers, was the ‘historic peninsula’ and the must-see Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosques with their vast domes and throw your head back and gawp interiors. Places for contemplation, they prepare you for the madness of the nearby Spice Bazaar where locals and tourists - many of them medical with post-hair transplant bandages and nose splints and whom you’ll see later lying supine on loungers in the, literally, airport lounge, groaning over tummy tucks - browse stalls laden with spices, carpets and pyramids of jewel bright, fragrant Turkish delight.

Our day ends at the strikingly beautiful, modernist Ataturk Cultural Centre, opposite the statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the man widely revered for modernising his country, in Taksim Square. After dining in the stylish Divan Brasseri Fuaye we dip into an exhibition of Turkish instruments as a prelude to a classical concert by Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, whose musicianship was as impressive as the surroundings.

Next morning we explore Beyoğlu, wandering along Istiklal Street, the pedestrianised heart of old Istanbul with its shops, arcades and restaurants in a warren of passages (alleys), which is to be devastated by a suicide bomb the following day in an explosion that killed six and wounded dozens. Oblivious to what was to come, we joined the throngs, tasting as we went - baklava every which way and kazandibi (sweet milky pudding with mystery ingredient - chicken - at Taksim Sutis, moreish mussels stuffed with rice or fried in batter and Turkish delight from Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, family confectioners since 1777, before dropping into the Cité de Péra arcade, where visiting Bolsheviks sold roses to fund the Russian Revolution in 1917.

The Galata Tower in Beyoğlu is an Istanbul landmark. Pic: Goturkiye.com

On past the Catholic Saint Antoine Church we wandered to the Galata Mevlevihanesi Lodge and museum, where the dervishes whirl across its polished walnut floor before climbing up the landmark 14th century Galata Tower with a museum tracing Istanbul’s history back to prehistoric times and stunning panoramic views.

After an invigorating and reviving Turkish bath in Cesme Turkish Hammam, in Galata Istanbul Hotel’s garden, it was time for dinner at Muutto street food and meze bar beside the quayside at Galataport where we sampled multiple Anatolian small plates as the sun dipped into the sea.

The following day it was time to explore Kadıköy, an up and coming waterfront district across the bridges on Istanbul’s Asian side, where the market bursts with fresh fish and the arty Moda area is home to Snob Street Food, whose burgers pack a punch.

A stroll along the prom saw us joining throngs of excited football fans catching the ferry back over the Bosphorus to the Beşiktaş JK game, their chants and singing bouying our journey over the waves and on into the packed streets around the stadium. We left them happily taking selfies in eagle pose (the team’s nickname) outside busy bars and bakeries and headed to a fun cocktail workshop with Inspired Choice and mixologist Berk Abdullahoglu.

The 14th-century Galata Tower has spectacular views and a museum tracing the city's history from prehistoric times. Goturkiye.com

Emerging onto the street an hour later the change in atmosphere was stark and as the fans streamed away from the stadium and word of the explosion half a mile away spread. With traffic gridlocked and sirens wailing as the injured were taken to hospital, we escaped the streets and kept our reservation at the nearby Mürver restaurant. The hottest ticket in town since it won a Michelin star (one of five in the city) for its innovative combinations of regional dishes with smoking and grilling centre stage, tonight it was understandably almost empty. Despite the excellence of the signature grilled octopus with caramelised onion and a zingy vinaigrette, as we watched a cruise ship up anchor and leave, we were served a reminder of how precarious the tourist trade is when countries suffer turbulent times.

Despite the challenges and struggles Turkey faces, it’s a fascinating, vibrant place to explore and while I had gone to Istanbul with gastronomy on the menu, I left having experienced so much more.

Later, unwrapping the gift Ayda Oner had pressed on me as I left her boutique, I found a beautiful handmade glass ‘evil eye’ wall charm accompanied by a card bearing the message: ‘Every moment we live is worth protecting - a symbol of hope and luck to you and your loved ones’, and wished the citizens of Istanbul and Turkey the same.

For more information about Türkiye, visit www.goturkiye.com

Baklava and pastries at Sutis Taksim bakery and restaurant, Istanbul. Pic: J Christie

Turkish Airlines flies daily from Edinburgh to Istanbul. www.turkishairlines.com

A Classic Room at the Galata Istanbul Hotel – MGallery, Beyoglu, starts from around £170 per night. All.accor.com www.thegalataistanbul.com

The Red Cross Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal