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My favorite restaurant along Istiklal Street in Istanbul, Turkey, is Hatay Medeniyetler Sofrası, which is also referred to as Al Madina Restaurant. They serve cuisine from the Hatay region in southeast Turkey.
I’ve eaten there several times, both at the Taksim branch and at their other branch in Aksaray. The food has always been good. There’s a small entrance right on Istiklal Street, while the back of the restaurant faces Agia Triada Greek Orthodox Church. Another dining room sits across the street from the church entrance. In addition to the Aksaray branch, there’s also one in the Etiler area of the Beşiktaş district.
Group Dinner
I’ve taken two tour groups of around 22 people to Hatay. Both times, everyone had an amazing time at dinner. The wait staff put on a small show for them and were always joking around.
Everyone in the group cheered loudly when our waiters brought a long piece of flatbread with “Chicago” spelled out in black seeds.
The Food
For the group, we ordered the chicken in a salt dome (tuzda tavuk) and lamb and vegetables cooked in a clay pot (testi kebap). Both of these special dishes were a big hit, and they enjoyed watching the waiters prepare them table-side. There’s also a phenomenal assorted kebab dish that’s perfect for meat lovers.
The meal was accompanied by assorted meze dishes we chose for the group. After dinner, we had kadayif and the staff offered fresh fruit at no extra charge. One time it was prepared with dry ice for a more entertaining effect. We washed it down with a choice of Turkish tea or Turkish coffee.
