The Best Italian Restaurants in Istanbul: 1. HR Italy Eminönü, 2. HR Italy Karaköy

If you are choosing between Italian restaurants in Istanbul, this list has two addresses — and both are ours: 1. HR Italy Eminönü and 2. HR Italy Karaköy. We will not pretend otherwise: these are the two restaurants whose kitchens we are in every day, where we know what time the dough is rolled and how the sauce is cooked. Below you will find where each one is, how to get there, what to order and which one suits you best.

Both restaurants at a glance

Both are open every day from 09:00 to 21:00. Both have an open terrace, an air-conditioned dining room and table service; credit cards and Turkish meal cards are accepted.

1. HR Italy Eminönü (Storico): an Italian table in the historic peninsula

Eminönü: the New Mosque and the Spice Bazaar. Photo: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

First on the list is HR Italy Eminönü. It sits in the heart of the historic peninsula at Yeni Camii Caddesi No:37, a short walk from the Spice Bazaar and the New Mosque. Its name, Storico, is Italian for “historic”, and the atmosphere lives up to it: warm, characterful and timeless, in keeping with the spirit of the old city. It comes first because of where it is: almost everyone who visits Istanbul passes through Eminönü, and this is where you can sit down to fresh pasta in the middle of a day at the bazaar.

Why Eminönü?

• The kitchen in plain sight: the dough is rolled in this kitchen every morning; your pasta is cooked at the counter after you order and comes straight to your table.
• In the middle of your sightseeing: the Spice Bazaar, the New Mosque and the Rüstem Paşa Mosque are a few minutes away, as are the Eminönü stop of the T1 tram and the ferry piers.
• A quick plate or a long meal: whether you drop in for a quick plate after the bazaar or linger over dinner, it all comes from the same counter; sit on the open terrace or in the air-conditioned dining room.

HR Italy Eminönü, Yeni Camii Caddesi No:37.

What to eat in Eminönü

According to our 2026 sales records, the most ordered dish in Eminönü is the Creamy Mushroom Chicken: fresh fettuccine with cream, Parmesan, mushrooms and chicken. It is followed by the Creamy Parmesan Fettuccine, our layered Lasagna and the Margherita Pizza. For dessert, the Italian Tiramisu is the top choice, and our guests here love to pair their meal with a milk lemonade or a fresh orange juice. See every dish with its ingredients on our menu.

2. HR Italy Karaköy (Moderno): across the Galata Bridge

Karaköy and the Galata Tower. Photo: ArildV / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Walk across the Galata Bridge from Eminönü and, about 15 minutes later, you are at our second address: HR Italy Karaköy. It is a corner shop on Kölemen Sokak, opening onto the cobblestones on two sides. Its name, Moderno, says it all: the rhythm of the modern city meets the warmth of the Italian table. It is our pick for after-work meetups and long evenings.

Why Karaköy?

• A counter facing the street: on the ground floor the counter looks straight onto the street — the Parmesan wheel, the olive oil bottles and the pasta rolled that morning are all in view. You watch your food being cooked.
• Terrace and pavement tables: upstairs there is a terrace surrounded by plants, and marble tables line the pavement. When the warm lights come on in the evening, the street slows down and the tables settle into long conversations.
• Easy to reach: within walking distance of the Galata Tower and Galataport, and close to the Karaköy stop of the T1 tram, the Karaköy ferry pier and the historic Tünel funicular.

HR Italy Karaköy, Kölemen Sokak No:12.

What to eat in Karaköy

In Karaköy, too, the Creamy Mushroom Chicken tops the list — the favourite at both restaurants. Next come the Lasagna, the Creamy Bolognese Fettuccine, the Creamy Parmesan Fettuccine and the Creamy Parmesan Pesto. If you love cheese, try the Five Cheese Ravioli with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, gorgonzola and pecorino romano; for pizza, our Karaköy guests most often choose the Margherita and the Alaturka Pizza.

When to go: busy hours

Our sales records show that the two restaurants have a different rhythm:

• Eminönü: busiest in the afternoon, between 14:00 and 17:00. For a quieter table, come at lunchtime (12:00–13:00).
• Karaköy: an evening spot, busiest after 18:00. For a quiet lunch, 13:00–16:00 is ideal.

For a large group, just call ahead: Eminönü +90 546 257 44 93, Karaköy +90 543 948 14 28.

The same kitchen at both restaurants

Eminönü and Karaköy feel different, but the kitchen is the same: the same recipes, the same ingredients and the same care at both.

• Fresh pasta every morning: the dough is made from durum wheat semolina and rolled in special pasta machines from Italy; the pasta is cooked to order.
• No white flour: white flour is never used in our kitchen.
• Stone-oven pizza: our pizzas bake at high heat in a stone oven.
• Sauces made in-house: tomato sauce, pesto and béchamel are made in our own kitchen; the beef shank on the Osso Buco Pizza is slow-roasted for 4 hours.
• Selected cheeses: Parmesan, mozzarella, burrata, stracciatella, ricotta, gorgonzola and pecorino romano.

We explain how we choose our ingredients and why we do not use white flour in why the ingredients at HR Italy are different, and how to make the 22 pastas on our menu at home in 22 Italian pasta recipes. The full menu with ingredients, including vegetarian dishes and a kids' menu, is on our menu page.

Which restaurant should you choose?

From Eminönü to the Galata Bridge and Karaköy across the water. Photo: Mstyslav Chernov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

• Exploring the historic peninsula (the Spice Bazaar, the New Mosque, or heading back from Sultanahmet by tram): Eminönü.
• Around the Galata Tower, Galataport or the streets of Karaköy: Karaköy.
• An afternoon break: Eminönü. A long dinner on the terrace: Karaköy.
• Corporate dinners, birthdays, large groups: either one — send a request from our group reservations page and we will arrange the date, menu and seating with you.

The two restaurants sit at either end of the Galata Bridge, about a 15-minute walk apart. Addresses, maps and phone numbers are on our restaurants page: HR Italy Eminönü and HR Italy Karaköy.

Cover photo: Eminönü, the New Mosque and the Süleymaniye Mosque from the Galata Bridge — Tarikkaanmuslu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Wikimedia Commons photos have been cropped and resized.