Restaurant Hamdi, Istanbul, Turkey

The cluttered neighborhood and small elevator up to Hamdi Restaurant are not promising at first, but once you walk into the fifth-floor terrace, the hustle and bustle of Istanbul suddenly calms down, replaced with a wonderful panoramic view of the the northern side of European Istanbul, as well as the Golden Horn, the river separating the northern and southern sides of European Istanbul, and finally a glimpse beyond, toward the Bosphorus bridge linking to Asian Istanbul.

Hamdi Restaurant is a popular kebab house, specializing in southeastern Turkish kebabs known for their strong spices. I tried a variety of kebabs, including kebabs with poppy, with garlic, and with pistachios. Most were made of ground lamb mixed with spices grilled on skewers - all were delicious, with each bite an artful mixture of spices and succulent meat. Dessert was a plate of walnut and pistachio baklava, a popular pastry throught the region made with sheets of phyllo dough between which layers of butter, finely chopped nuts and honey are baked. Baklava is a very rich, very sweet dessert, perhaps too much so for some tastes - but not for me.

Service at Hamdi Restaurant was well-run and friendly, the restaurant's interior was bright and inviting, with white linens and dark woods, and of course the panoramic, 180-degree view spanning European and Asian Istanbul contributes to an open, airy feeling inside, especially on spring and summer days when the Mediterranean sum streams in through the windows.

Hamdi Restaurant
Tahmis Caddesi
Kalcin Sokak 17
Eminönü
Istanbul, Turkey
90-212-528-0390
www.hamdirestorant.com.tr