What Guests Ask Us

Ebusuud Caddesi No:12, Sirkeci — inside the Historical Peninsula, 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop.

Hagia Sophia and Sultanahmet are a five-minute walk away; Topkapı Palace and Gülhane Park sit along the same route.

The restaurant is on the terrace floor. The view runs from the Bosphorus across to Galata Tower and Hagia Sophia. For the map and directions, see our Contact page.

The tram is easiest: the Gülhane stop on the T1 line is 50 metres from the restaurant.

Sirkeci Station and the Eminönü ferry piers are within walking distance — you can take a ferry from Kadıköy or Üsküdar and walk the rest of the way.

If you are driving, we have valet parking; see the parking question for details.

There is a parking area in front of Yaşmak Sultan Hotel, and we offer valet service.

When it fills up, our team directs you to one of the car parks nearby.

If you are coming at a busy hour, telling us at the time of booking that you will be driving makes things easier for everyone.

Five minutes on foot. The road that climbs from Sirkeci towards Sultanahmet, along the edge of Gülhane Park, takes you straight to the square.

You do not need a separate plan to eat after visiting Hagia Sophia — it is simply the rest of the same walk.

The dome is also visible from the tables on the terrace.

Five minutes on foot to Sultanahmet Square. The restaurant is in Sirkeci, just north of it.

Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern are all the same distance away, linked by the roads running either side of Gülhane Park.

It works well if you spend the morning in the museums and come for lunch afterwards — the kitchen opens at 12:00.

Galata is on the other side of the Golden Horn. Take the T1 tram from Gülhane to Karaköy, then a short walk uphill.

If you do not need to go there, the tower is already part of the view from the terrace, standing on the far shore.

Once the evening lighting comes on, it is one of the clearest landmarks from the tables.

The restaurant is on the terrace floor, and the terrace opens to the view on every side. The Bosphorus, Galata Tower, the Golden Horn, Gülhane Park and Hagia Sophia — whichever table you take, you are looking at one of them.

The roof and the sides of the terrace can be opened. In good weather you dine in the open air; in winter, in a heated enclosed room. The view is the same either way.

If you would like a table facing a particular direction, mention it when you book.

The Bosphorus lies to the northeast: the stretch from Sarayburnu across to the opposite shore is visible from anywhere on the terrace.

The hour after sunset is the best time — the light catches the silhouette of the Historical Peninsula from behind, and the lights on the far shore begin to come on.

In summer these tables fill quickly; for an evening booking, a few days’ notice helps.

Hagia Sophia lies to the southwest, visible over the trees of Gülhane Park. You do not need a particular table — the terrace opens this way too.

The dome and minarets read clearly by day, and stand out further once the building is lit in the evening.

In the same direction you also see the walls of Topkapı Palace and the rooftops of Sultanahmet.

Galata Tower stands on the far side of the Golden Horn, to the northwest of the terrace.

By day it is a silhouette on the Beyoğlu slope; after dark, once its lighting comes on, it becomes the clearest point in the view.

Since the terrace is open on every side, you do not need a particular table to see it.

The view wraps around the terrace: Galata Tower and the Golden Horn to the northwest, the mouth of the Bosphorus to the northeast, Gülhane Park and Hagia Sophia to the southwest.

We sit high on the Historical Peninsula, so nothing blocks the line of sight. Whichever way your table faces, it is a table with a view.

With the roof and sides open the view is uninterrupted; when they are closed, the glass keeps the same outlook.

It is. The roof and the sides of the terrace open and close, and we have heaters — through the winter it works as an enclosed, heated room.

When the weather turns, the roof and sides open and the same space becomes an open-air terrace again.

So in November as much as in March, you are sitting at a table with a view.

In the evening, the tables facing the view are the ones people choose for dinner for two.

The hour after sunset is the best time — as the lights along the Bosphorus come on, the lighting on Galata Tower and Hagia Sophia follows.

If you are coming for a special occasion, say so when you book: we can arrange the table, flowers and a cake.

These tables fill quickly, so a few days’ notice helps.

Olive Anatolian is a terrace restaurant in Sirkeci — Ebusuud Caddesi No:12, 50 metres past the Gülhane tram stop.

The Bosphorus, Galata Tower and Hagia Sophia are all visible from the tables at once. Sunset is the hour most often chosen for dinner for two.

The kitchen works with Ottoman and Anatolian recipes: a 65-item à la carte menu, a separate vegan menu and a drinks list of 77 items.

The roof and sides of the terrace open, so it is used through the winter as well. Coming for a special occasion? Say so when you book and we will arrange the table.

From the terrace of Olive Anatolian in Sirkeci you can see the mouth of the Bosphorus, Sarayburnu and the opposite shore.

The restaurant sits inside the Historical Peninsula: 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop, a five-minute walk from Hagia Sophia.

The menu draws on Anatolian and Ottoman cooking — from mezes to grilled dishes, seafood to house-made desserts. We keep a separate menu for vegan guests.

Service starts at 12:00 and the kitchen takes its last order at 22:30. For the evening, we recommend booking ahead.

The terrace at Olive Anatolian faces Hagia Sophia — the dome and minarets rise over the trees of Gülhane Park.

The restaurant is in Sirkeci, at Ebusuud Caddesi No:12, a five-minute walk from the building itself.

Lunch service opens at 12:00 and the evening runs until midnight. It is a convenient distance if you want to move straight from the visit to a meal.

The kitchen works with Turkish and Anatolian recipes; vegan and gluten-free dishes are marked on the menu.

From the terrace of Olive Anatolian in Sirkeci, Galata Tower stands across the Golden Horn.

The mouth of the Bosphorus and Hagia Sophia are in view from the same terrace — the panorama wraps all the way around.

The tower is at its clearest once the evening lighting comes on, which is when most guests book dinner.

The restaurant is 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop, easily reached on the T1 line.

The menu is built on Anatolian and Ottoman cooking: ten sections, 65 dishes.

Among the cold starters are muhammara, hummus, mütebbel and şakşuka; the hot ones include courgette fritters, an Ottoman pastry plate and prawn casserole. Main courses centre on saç kavurma, Sultan Kebab, lamb shank and the two-person hanging skewers.

The pasta section holds traditional Turkish mantı and crisp feraye mantı; from the sea come grilled sea bass and baked salmon with kalamata olives.

Desserts include house-made baklava, baked rice pudding and künefe. The full list is on the À la Carte menu page.

The Ottoman pastry plate, Sultan Kebab and Mahmudiye with honey are the dishes drawn from Ottoman cooking. Mahmudiye is a palace recipe: chicken cooked with honey and dried fruit.

On the sweet side, house-made baklava and baked rice pudding continue the same tradition.

Our cooking workshop works with these recipes too — you can prepare them alongside the chefs and learn how they are made.

The kitchen opens at 12:00, and the whole à la carte menu is available at lunch.

It makes a convenient break if you are walking the Historical Peninsula — five minutes from Hagia Sophia and Topkapı, 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop.

Midday is the quietest time on the terrace, and in daylight the view runs clear out to the Bosphorus.

If you are coming as a group, we have buffet and set menu options.

Our menu is à la carte, so the bill follows what you order — a few mezes and a main course make for a light evening, while working through the wine list makes for a longer one.

Every price is printed on the menu. If you would like to see it before you sit down, write to us or call and we will send you the current one.

For group dining and events we quote buffet and set menus separately — tell us the date and how many you will be, and we will put a plan together.

In Sirkeci, on the Historical Peninsula, Olive Anatolian is a terrace restaurant given over to this cooking.

The menu gathers recipes from different regions of Anatolia: mezes, grilled dishes, several kinds of mantı, house-made desserts. Alongside the 65-item list we keep a separate vegan menu.

The restaurant is 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop and a five-minute walk from Hagia Sophia — easy to reach after a museum visit.

Service runs from 12:00 to 00:00; the kitchen takes its last order at 22:30.

Olive Anatolian is one of the places that brings the two together: a terrace in Sirkeci, with Anatolian and Ottoman recipes in the kitchen.

Galata Tower, the Bosphorus, Gülhane Park and Hagia Sophia are all visible from the terrace, and since the panorama wraps around it, the table you take makes little difference.

The menu runs to 65 à la carte dishes, with a separate vegan menu and a drinks list of 77 items.

Before deciding, you can look through our menus and the gallery — both are on the site.

We keep a separate vegan menu: six sections, 23 dishes. Not a handful of items pulled from the à la carte list, but a menu that stands on its own.

Among the mezes are muhammara, hummus, acılı ezme and aubergine in tomato sauce; the salads include quinoa, Mediterranean and grain salads. Main courses cover vegan köfte with rice stuffing, a vegan wrap and a tray of garden vegetables.

The olive-oil tradition of Anatolian cooking is the foundation here — these recipes are not adapted, they were always plant-based.

The full list is on the Vegan Menu page.

The à la carte menu holds 29 vegetarian dishes — close to half of the 65.

Most of the mezes fall into this group (muhammara, hummus, mütebbel, atom, şakşuka), along with the salads, courgette fritters and spinach feraye. There is also a section built around vegetarian köfte and a grilled vegetable tower.

The 23 dishes on our vegan menu are open to vegetarian guests as well.

Vegetarian dishes are marked (V) on the menu.

Eleven dishes on the à la carte menu are gluten-free: the charcuterie plate, Aegean salad, saç kavurma, Sultan Kebab, hanging skewers, grilled sea bass and grilled salmon; among the desserts, baked rice pudding, ice cream and the sugar-free gluten-free brownie.

We bake fresh gluten-free bread every day.

Gluten-free dishes are marked (G) on the menu.

If you have coeliac disease or a gluten sensitivity, write to us when you book — let our kitchen team speak with you so we can plan your order together.

Write it in the notes field of the reservation form, or send us a message on WhatsApp. It goes straight to the kitchen.

The earlier we know, the better — on busy evenings especially, planning ahead is safer than deciding mid-service.

We mark vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and nut-containing dishes on the menu, and you can read the list before you arrive.

If you only realise once you are at the table, tell the service team and we will speak with the kitchen.

Olive Anatolian in Sirkeci keeps a separate vegan menu of 23 dishes.

It rests on the olive-oil side of Anatolian cooking: muhammara, acılı ezme, aubergine in tomato sauce, quinoa salad, vegan köfte with rice stuffing, mixed mushroom casserole.

The restaurant is on the Historical Peninsula, 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop. It sits on the terrace floor, with the Bosphorus and Hagia Sophia in view from the tables.

Service begins at 12:00. The vegan menu has its own page — you can read it before you come.

The à la carte menu at Olive Anatolian holds 11 gluten-free dishes, and we bake fresh gluten-free bread daily.

Grilled sea bass, grilled salmon, saç kavurma and Sultan Kebab are among them — dishes from the grill and the sea; on the sweet side, baked rice pudding and the sugar-free gluten-free brownie.

The restaurant is in Sirkeci, 50 metres past the Gülhane tram stop, five minutes from Hagia Sophia.

Tell us about your gluten sensitivity when you book and our kitchen team will speak with you beforehand.

Our cooking workshop runs every day from 14:00 to 16:00, at 60 euros per person.

You prepare recipes from Turkish and Ottoman cooking alongside the chef: getting to know the ingredients, working through the technique, and finally eating what you have made at the table.

No experience is needed — someone who has never cooked and someone who has done it for years can work at the same bench.

The workshop ends at 16:00, which leaves you time before dinner. To request a date and number of places, use the Workshops page.

It runs every day from 14:00 to 16:00, at 60 euros per person.

The programme covers recipes from Turkish and Ottoman cooking, an introduction to the ingredients, the details that make the technique work, hands-on preparation with the chef and a tasting of what you have made. Photographs and an Olive apron are included.

We can set aside a separate day for groups — a birthday, a company event or a group of friends, it makes no difference.

To send a request, see the Workshops page.

An hour with the head bartender, at 25 euros per person. It runs every day, either 16:00 – 17:00 or 17:00 – 18:00; we agree which slot works when you book.

You make Olive’s signature cocktails yourself — Istanbul Nights, Galata Tower, Bosphorus Cocktail — working through measures, ice, mixing and presentation.

Since the cooking workshop finishes at 16:00, you can take both on the same day: two hours in the kitchen, an hour at the bar, then dinner.

You can send a request from the Workshops page.

We do not offer gift vouchers.

If you would like to give someone a workshop, book it in their name and write to us — we will arrange the date and the number of places together.

Olive Anatolian in Sirkeci runs a cooking workshop every day from 14:00 to 16:00, at 60 euros per person.

You prepare recipes from Turkish and Ottoman cooking with professional chefs; the introduction to ingredients, the hands-on work and the tasting all sit within the same session. Photographs and an Olive apron are included.

The restaurant is on the Historical Peninsula, 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop. The workshop takes place in the restaurant kitchen, after which you move to a table on the terrace floor.

There is also an hour-long cocktail workshop in the same place, starting at 16:00 at 25 euros per person. It begins as the cooking workshop ends, so you can take both on the same day.

We host group meals for up to 120 guests, working with buffet or set menu options at both lunch and dinner.

Company dinners, tour groups, family celebrations and private receptions all fall within this.

We agree the menu and the layout with you in advance — send us the number of guests, the date and what you have in mind, and we will put a plan together.

Details are on the Private Events page.

We can seat group meals for up to 120 guests.

The three meeting rooms at Yaşmak Sultan Hotel are run by the same team. The Topkapı and Basilica rooms hold 30 in a U-shape and 50 theatre-style; combined, they reach 44 in a U-shape and 80 theatre-style. The Yaşmak room holds 12 in a U-shape and 30 theatre-style.

The rooms have audio-visual equipment and wireless internet.

Send us your numbers and the date, and we will choose the right layout together.

We work with tour groups regularly.

The menu is agreed in advance — buffet or set menu, depending on what the group prefers — so service begins the moment everyone sits down. For groups on a tight schedule, that makes a difference.

There is parking for coaches; simply let us know your arrival time beforehand.

The restaurant is 50 metres from the Gülhane tram stop and five minutes from Hagia Sophia and Topkapı, so it fits easily into the middle of an itinerary.

We host weddings, engagement parties and similar receptions on the terrace.

The view, the bar and the sound system are all in the same space. Since the roof and sides open, it is used in summer and winter alike.

We can seat up to 120 guests. The menu, the music and the table layout are planned together with you.

Send us your date and we will check availability.

For engagements, birthdays, anniversaries, company dinners and similar occasions, we arrange the tables to suit you.

For smaller groups we can set aside a section of the terrace; for larger receptions we use the whole space.

We also take care of details such as the cake, flowers and table decoration — tell us what you would like and we will prepare it.

For events on the scale of a wedding, we have a separate entry.

We prepare the cake, the candles and the table setting. If you are planning a surprise, we will time it with you.

Just let us know when you book — write how many of you there will be, the hour, and what you have in mind.

If you would like a table with a view, tell us early; in the evening these fill quickly.

For larger celebrations, see the Private Events page.

We hold a gala dinner every year. The evening opens with a reception in the lobby of Yaşmak Sultan Hotel, then continues with dinner and entertainment in the restaurant.

The programme includes a belly dance performance, a DJ and live music. The running order changes from year to year.

The menu and the price are set closer to the date.

Write to us through the Contact page and we will let you know once the programme is announced.

After dinner the tables can be cleared and the space turned over to a music programme.

Music runs until midnight, and we build the plan around that.

We decide between a DJ and live music with you, depending on the kind of event.

For details, write to us through the Private Events page.

The sound system and equipment are already in place, and we provide the DJ.

We do not allow outside DJs, since the setup and the sound levels are ours to manage.

We do take your preferences on the style of music and how the evening should run.

Music finishes at midnight.

Live music is not on every night — it follows a programme. Write or call to find out which evenings it falls on.

For private events we can arrange live music separately, choosing the act and the style to suit the occasion.

Music finishes at midnight.

If you are after a quiet dinner, it is worth saying so when you book.

There is a separate bar area on the terrace, used before or after a meal.

The drinks list runs to 18 sections and 77 items: wines, rakı, whisky, gin, cocktails and non-alcoholic options.

We also run an hour-long cocktail workshop with the head bartender.

We have four signature cocktails: Istanbul Nights, Galata Tower, Bosphorus Cocktail and Power of Spice.

Alongside them are 14 classics — Old Fashioned, Negroni, Dry Martini, Manhattan — and a set of non-alcoholic options.

The wine list holds 44 labels: white, red, rosé and sparkling.

The full list is on the Drinks Menu page.

We have high chairs, and we give tables with children a little more room.

The children’s menu offers burgers, chips and sausages.

We are on the terrace floor, so evenings can turn cool — in winter the roof and sides are closed and the heaters are on.

Tell us how many children are coming when you book and we will set the table accordingly.

The children’s menu keeps to food children know: burgers, chips and sausages.

If you would prefer something plainer from the main menu, you can pass the request to the kitchen.

If there is an allergy, tell us when you book so the kitchen can prepare for it.

Two ways: fill in the reservation form on the site, or write to us on WhatsApp.

The form asks for the date, the time, the number of guests and any notes; our team then comes back to confirm. Sending the form does not complete the booking on its own — please wait for the confirmation message.

For busy evenings and tables with a view, writing a few days ahead helps.

For group dining and events, use the form on the Private Events page.

By phone, by e-mail or on WhatsApp — any one of the three is enough.

Changes to the date, the time or the number of guests can go through the same channels.

If your plans change, let us know as early as you can; on busy evenings especially, it lets us offer the table to other guests.

We are open every day from 12:00 to 00:00.

The kitchen takes its last order at 22:30; bar service continues until closing.

Breakfast is served only to guests of Yaşmak Sultan Hotel (07:00 – 11:00). Restaurant service begins at 12:00.

The kitchen takes its last order at 22:30.

After that no more food orders go through, but the restaurant stays open until midnight — bar service continues and there is no need to leave your table.

If you are coming late for dinner, we suggest being seated before 22:00.

Breakfast is served only to guests of Yaşmak Sultan Hotel, every day from 07:00 to 11:00.

If you are not staying at the hotel, you cannot come for breakfast. Restaurant service starts at 12:00 with lunch.

Lunch and dinner service runs until midnight; the kitchen takes its last order at 22:30.

Our team speaks Turkish, English and Russian, and the menu is in all three languages.

The restaurant is inside the Historical Peninsula — Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and Sultanahmet are within walking distance, and the Gülhane tram stop is 50 metres away.

The location works well for lunch after a museum visit, or dinner at sunset.

We accept cash, credit cards and foreign currency (dollars, euros, pounds).

Our team speaks Turkish, English and Russian.

Our menus are in the same three languages, as is every page on this site.

You can handle your booking correspondence in any of the three.

A lift goes directly up to the restaurant, so the terrace can be reached by wheelchair.

We arrange the table layout accordingly — mention it when you book and we will set one aside.

If you need anything, just tell the service team.

Yes, and it is free. Ask the service team for the connection details.

The meeting rooms also have wireless internet and audio-visual equipment.

We have no dress code. You are welcome at dinner in whatever you have been wearing all day.

One note: we are on the terrace floor, and the breeze can turn cool in the evening — even in summer, it is worth bringing something light with you.

We accept cash and credit cards. Foreign currency is also fine — dollars, euros, pounds and other widely used currencies.

Meal cards (Multinet, Sodexo, Ticket and similar) are not accepted.

For group dining and events, we agree the payment arrangement in advance.

Smoking is allowed in the section of the terrace set aside for it.

Because the roof and sides of the terrace open, that area stays in the open air, and its seating faces the view as well.

If you are seated in the non-smoking section and are troubled by it, tell the service team and we will move you.

We do not serve shisha.

For those who wish to smoke, there is a designated area on the terrace.

We are not able to host pets in the restaurant or on the terrace.

If you are coming with a guide dog, please write to us when you book.