Galeyan Restaurant

Overview

Galeyan Restaurant stands on Ticarethane Sokak in Sultanahmet, right beside Hagia Sophia. Its kitchen cooks the food of Anatolia with a modern hand, and much of it over a wood fire. Because it sits in the middle of the old city, it fits easily between the great monuments.

The Kitchen at Galeyan

The cooks here bring back old recipes, some of them close to forgotten, and serve them in a new way. They buy from local producers at the peak of each season and cook slowly, over wood. So the old Anatolian dishes stay at the heart of the menu.

What to Eat at Galeyan

Mezes and warm starters

Start with mastebe, a dish of charred eggplant, and isli cacık, a smoky strained yogurt. Then try muhammara with walnuts and zahter salad with pomegranate molasses. Among the warm starters, semsek is a pide with Antep cheese and fresh onion, and kuru dolma fills dried vegetables with rice and spices. For the whole family of stuffed dishes, see our guide to Turkish dolma.

Ali Nazik and an apple baklava

For the main course, the Ali Nazik, here written alenazik, sets grilled lamb on a purée of eggplant, cooked over the open fire. Firik pilaf with lamb comes alongside it. To finish, the elmalı baklava is sweetened with apple purée and grape molasses instead of refined sugar.

Who Galeyan Suits

We suggest it for lunch on a day in Sultanahmet, or for dinner after the monuments close. It also suits travelers who want to taste regional Anatolian dishes in the old city.

Our suggestion

On our One Day in Istanbul tour, stop here for lunch between Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. For more tables in the city, read The 5 Best Restaurants in Istanbul: Our Bib Gourmand Picks.

We reserve your table at Galeyan Restaurant.

Updated: November 1, 2026.

Dining in Istanbul with Us

Send us your day in Istanbul, and we will reserve a table at Galeyan between the sights.