For a traditional Turkish meal at a reasonable price, the Saltanat Restaurant is an excellent choice. Located on the sloping streets behind the Blue Mosque, the restaurant specializes in traditional Turkish food. Chuck and I had decided to stroll up and down the streets until we found a place that suited our fancy; as we walked up the slight slope, there was a gentleman behind a podium which had an open menu. He motioned to us to come on in, and the decor looked lovely, and a glance at the menu was all the convincing we needed. So we sat outside, and got a lot of attention from everyone. Istanbul is hurting as the number of tourists has dropped dramatically when we were there. . At the restaurant you can enjoy wonderfully fresh meze, grilled chili peppers and all styles of kebaps and other meat dishes.
Here, again, you need to buy your own bottle of water. Each dish is made to order, using only the freshest ingredients. The atmosphere was quite romantic, as we dined under the stars. Our presence at the restaurant attracted other customers. The wait staff was intrigued with the digi camera and took off inside the restaurant to test their skill with it. You can see the results in the photos. The food was exquisite as usual; it is made to order over an impressive wood-burning grill. That night, we heard more foreign language being spoken as people were passing us up the hill tthan locals. German was predominant. A real lovely place.