# Istanbul's Best Pasta Restaurants: Real Italian Pasta in Eminönü and Karaköy - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-23 - URL: https://www.hr-italy.com/en/blog/istanbuls-best-pasta-restaurants - © HR Italy - Categories: Our Kitchen - Tags: Italian restaurant Istanbul, Fresh pasta, Fettuccine, Semolina, Italian pasta > **In short:** If you are looking for the best pasta in Istanbul, our answer stands at the two ends of the Galata Bridge: HR Italy Eminönü (Rüstem Paşa, Yeni Camii Cd. No:37, Fatih) and HR Italy Karaköy (Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Kölemen Sk. No:12, Beyoğlu). In both restaurants the pasta is made on site every morning: the dough is kneaded not from white flour but from durum wheat semolina, and rolled on special pasta machines brought from Italy. Special Italian dishes such as carbonara, bolognese, pesto, arrabbiata, osso buco and ravioli are prepared with Chef Ramazan Karagüney's healthy, easy-to-digest recipes; the aim is pasta that tastes rich while you eat and leaves you light afterwards. Signature plates: the guests' favourite Creamy Mushroom Chicken, Carbonara Fettuccine, Osso Buco Fettuccine, Five Cheese Ravioli, Creamy Bolognese Fettuccine and the cream-free Penne Arrabbiata. Both restaurants are open every day from 09:00 to 21:00. **Ask us where to find the best pasta in Istanbul and the answer is short: at the two ends of the Galata Bridge.** On the Eminönü side stands [HR Italy Eminönü](/en/eminonu), on the Karaköy side [HR Italy Karaköy](/en/karakoy). The claim is ours and we are not hiding it; behind it, though, stands a counter that is set up fresh every morning. Dough kneaded from durum wheat semolina, machines we brought from Italy, and the recipes Chef Ramazan Karagüney has refined over the years. This post walks through all of it, and ends with the plates we would put in front of you first. ## A real pasta house makes its own pasta ![Fresh pasta strands coming out of a pasta machine die, with a hand cutting them](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/italyan-makarna-tarifleri/italyan-makarna-makinesi-taze-makarna.webp) In Turkish there is a lovely word for it: _makarnacı_, a place whose whole trade is pasta. Istanbul has many kitchens that cook Italian food; true pasta houses are rare. One question separates them: where does your pasta come from? In both of our restaurants the answer is the same, from inside the kitchen. The dough is kneaded on site every morning and reaches the plate the same day. The fettuccine you eat at noon was made that morning; it has never seen a box or a freezer. The flour is no ordinary flour either. White flour does not enter our kitchen; our pasta is made from durum wheat semolina. Semolina is a hard flour and will not hold together when rolled by hand, so our dough is rolled by special pasta machines from Italy. That is where it takes its shape as fettuccine, penne and spaghetti. ## Our pasta is genuinely Italian ![Fresh semolina fettuccine topped with black truffle slices and parmesan shavings](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/kilo-aldirmayan-makarna/hr-italy-semolina-taze-fettuccine.webp) In Italy, the law requires dried pasta to be made from durum wheat semolina; Italians call it _semola di grano duro_. We follow the same road: the same flour, the same method, the same machines from Italy. That is where our pasta gets its golden colour and the bite it keeps when cooked al dente. The dishes come from the same tradition. Carbonara, bolognese, pesto, arrabbiata, osso buco, ravioli, tortellini: each one a special dish Italian cooking knows and loves. Chef Ramazan Karagüney prepares these classics with his own recipes, measured to the gram, so that what lands on your table in the middle of Istanbul is a true Italian dish, not a tourist imitation with an Italian name. ## We are serious about pasta that won't weigh you down We do not like the "heavy food" label pasta carries. So we started with the flour: no white flour, only semolina. Semolina pasta cooked al dente is digested more slowly than products made from white flour and raises blood sugar more gently. Our chef's recipes work toward the same goal: pasta that does not sit on your stomach and lets you rise from the table light. Portions are measured, sauces balanced. And we will not tell you fairy tales: no single food makes you gain weight or protects you from it, your day's total does. We gave the long and honest answer in a separate post: [Is There a Pasta That Won't Make You Gain Weight?](/en/blog/pasta-that-wont-make-you-gain-weight) Our part is to make the pasta do its best. ## We vouch for our dishes twice ![Fresh fettuccine being tossed inside a parmesan wheel](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-italyan-restoranlari/hr-italy-taze-fettuccine-parmesan.webp) If a restaurant is going to vouch for its food, there are two moments that count. The first happens at the table: the fork goes in, the sauce clings to the pasta, the parmesan melts in the heat. For that moment we vouch for the flavour; the dough was rolled that morning, the sauce built that day. The second moment comes after you leave the table, and most places forget about it. That mid-afternoon heaviness, the bloated feeling that lasts till evening; that is exactly what we do not want. Chef Ramazan Karagüney's recipes were developed for this moment: semolina, al dente cooking and measured sauces, so that digestion stays easy. We vouch for the flavour while you eat, and for the lightness after. One more kitchen rule belongs here: nothing goes to waste at HR Italy. Daily production is planned around it; the counter empties in the evening and is set up fresh the next morning. ## The pasta house in Eminönü: HR Italy Eminönü ![The front of the HR Italy Eminönü restaurant](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-italyan-restoranlari/hr-italy-eminonu-italyan-restorani.webp) Our first restaurant is in Eminönü, on Yeni Cami Caddesi. Two steps from the Spice Bazaar, five minutes from the ferry piers. You walk in through the scent of spices, and at the door the scent changes: fresh dough, parmesan, pizza coming out of the oven. Few things cure bazaar fatigue like a hot plate of pasta. Address: Rüstem Paşa, Yeni Camii Cd. No:37, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul. Phone: +90 546 257 44 93. Every day 09:00–21:00. [Open it in Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/iAY12wezQvdb3gBt6) and you will spot us as you turn the corner. ## The pasta house in Karaköy: HR Italy Karaköy ![The front of the HR Italy Karaköy restaurant](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-italyan-restoranlari/hr-italy-karakoy-italyan-restorani.webp) Our second restaurant stands at the other end of the bridge, in Karaköy, on Kölemen Street. It is the neighbourhood where the slope coming down from the Galata Tower ends and the smell of coffee spills into the street. Visitors walking down from the tower, passengers off the ferry, gallery-goers; at noon they are the ones who keep our counter busy. Address: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Kölemen Sk. No:12, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul. Phone: +90 543 948 14 28. Every day 09:00–21:00. [Open in Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2TqRUBUEWsbQFDrv6). The menu and prices are the same in both restaurants; come to whichever is closer to your road. ## Highlights from the counter The full menu is on our [menu page](/en/menu); this is our own shortlist, with our guests' clear number one at the top. ### Creamy Mushroom Chicken ![HR Italy Creamy Mushroom Chicken: creamy fresh fettuccine with mushrooms, chicken and parmesan](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-uygun-fiyatli-restoranlar/hr-italy-krema-mantar-tavuk-fettuccine.webp) The undisputed number one in our order book. Fresh fettuccine, cream, parmesan, mushrooms and chicken; it reads simple on paper and tastes anything but at the table. Most first-time guests start here. ### Carbonara Fettuccine The dish on the cover. Fresh fettuccine, cream, parmesan, smoked beef and an egg yolk on top. Breaking the yolk with a fork and stirring it into the sauce has become a little ritual among our guests. ### Osso Buco Fettuccine ![HR Italy Osso Buco Fettuccine: creamy fresh fettuccine topped with beef shank oven-roasted for four hours and pulled apart](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-un-en-iyi-makarnacilari/hr-italy-osso-buco-fettuccine.webp) Beef shank roasted in the oven for four hours, pulled into strands and set on creamy fettuccine. Milan's grand classic as it looks on our counter; when it reaches the table, conversation tends to pause. ### Five Cheese Ravioli ![HR Italy Five Cheese Ravioli: fresh ravioli in a creamy sauce with pesto and grated cheese on top](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-un-en-iyi-makarnacilari/hr-italy-raviyoli-5-peynirli.webp) Five Italian cheeses meet inside fresh ravioli: ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola and pecorino romano. If you love cheese, this is the first line to look for on the menu. ### Creamy Bolognese Fettuccine ![HR Italy Creamy Bolognese Fettuccine: fresh fettuccine in bolognese sauce topped with parmesan](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-uygun-fiyatli-restoranlar/hr-italy-kremali-bolonez-fettuccine.webp) A long-simmered bolognese, softened with cream and parmesan. It is what we suggest to anyone who cannot decide; bolognese rarely lets anyone down. ### Penne Arrabbiata ![HR Italy Penne Arrabbiata: fresh penne in a spicy tomato arrabbiata sauce](https://www.hr-italy.com/storage/blog/media/istanbul-uygun-fiyatli-restoranlar/hr-italy-penne-arrabbiata.webp) The cream-free pasta on our menu. Fresh penne in an arrabbiata sauce built on tomato, garlic and chilli. The first stop for anyone after a lighter plate. If you would like to try these at home, we collected home versions of our dishes in [22 Italian pasta recipes](/en/blog/italian-pasta-recipes). ## The table is set, the road is short Now you know what stands behind our claim to Istanbul's best pasta: semolina, machines from Italy, a chef's recipes and a double guarantee. The rest is a matter of tasting, and that we cannot do in writing. To try it right away, come to our restaurants; both are open every day from 09:00 to 21:00. | Restaurant | Address and phone | Directions | | --- | --- | --- | | [HR Italy Eminönü](/en/eminonu) | Rüstem Paşa, Yeni Camii Cd. No:37, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul +90 546 257 44 93 | [Open in Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/iAY12wezQvdb3gBt6) | | [HR Italy Karaköy](/en/karakoy) | Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Kölemen Sk. No:12, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul +90 543 948 14 28 | [Open in Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/2TqRUBUEWsbQFDrv6) | The full menu with ingredients is on our [menu page](/en/menu), and details of both restaurants are on our [restaurants page](/en/branches). ## Frequently asked questions ### Which is the best pasta restaurant in Istanbul? In our view, the HR Italy restaurants at the two ends of the Galata Bridge: Eminönü and Karaköy. The claim is ours, and this is what stands behind it: the pasta is made on site every morning from durum wheat semolina, the dough is rolled on machines from Italy, and the dishes follow Chef Ramazan Karagüney's recipes. ### Is your pasta genuinely Italian? Yes. The dough is kneaded from durum wheat semolina (semola di grano duro), the legal standard for dried pasta in Italy, and rolled on special pasta machines from Italy. Our dishes, carbonara, bolognese, arrabbiata, osso buco and ravioli among them, are classics of Italian cooking. ### Is your pasta fresh? Yes, our pasta is made daily. The dough is kneaded on site in both restaurants every morning and reaches the plate the same day; we use no packaged or frozen pasta. ### Does your pasta contain white flour? No. No white flour is used in the HR Italy kitchen; our pasta dough is made from durum wheat semolina. ### Is there a pasta that won't make you gain weight? No single food makes you gain weight or protects you from it; your day's total does. What we do is make the pasta do its best: semolina instead of white flour, al dente cooking, measured portions and our chef's easy-to-digest recipes. The details are in our post 'Is There a Pasta That Won't Make You Gain Weight?'. ### What do you mean by vouching for your dishes? Two moments: while you eat and after you eat. While you eat, we vouch for the flavour, because the dough was rolled that morning and the sauce built that day. After you eat, we vouch for the lightness, because the recipes were developed to keep digestion easy; we want you to leave the table with pleasure, not heaviness. ### Which pasta dishes should I try? Our guests' clear favourite is the Creamy Mushroom Chicken. Our own picks: Carbonara Fettuccine, Osso Buco Fettuccine, Five Cheese Ravioli and Creamy Bolognese Fettuccine. For a lighter plate we suggest the cream-free Penne Arrabbiata. ### Where is your Eminönü restaurant? Rüstem Paşa, Yeni Camii Cd. No:37, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul; two steps from the Spice Bazaar, five minutes from the ferry piers. Phone: +90 546 257 44 93. Open every day from 09:00 to 21:00. ### Where is your Karaköy restaurant? Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Kölemen Sk. No:12, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul; at the foot of the slope coming down from the Galata Tower, close to the pier. Phone: +90 543 948 14 28. Open every day from 09:00 to 21:00. ### Are the menu and prices the same in both restaurants? Yes, the menu and the prices are the same in Eminönü and Karaköy. You can find the full menu with ingredients on the menu page of our website.