Fine fare for festival filmgoers in BeyoÄŸlu

Here are just a few dining options:

NInja Japanese Restaurant

Fans of sushi and Japanese food in the early 2000s will remember Ninja at its old location in Talimhane, near Lamartine Street. The restaurant recently moved to a more vibrant location, closer to Ä°stiklal Street. A crossÂ

between Sushi Co. and the Swiss Hotel’s Miyako, Ninja is a dependable eatery with traditional dŽcor and sensibly priced dishes. The new location is relaxed and comfortable, serving big plates of Japanese food made with top-quality ingredients. The menu at the new location has been improved and

expanded, but the sushi and sashimi are still the highlights. Dragon rolls, spicy California rolls and hand rolls with eel and avocado are fresh, tender and smooth. Ask for the Japanese chef’s daily suggestions.

Katip Mustafa Çelebi Mahallesi

MeÅŸelik Sk. No. 22Taksim Tel: 0212 237 23 28

Otantik Restaurant

While Otantik may look like a tourist trap, with two women dressed in the Anatolian style sitting cross-legged in the window, rolling out dough for various home-cooked Turkish dishes, it is actually one of the most "authentic" restaurants on Ä°stiklal Street, hosting many more locals than foreigners.

Diners can choose from daily specials at the food counter or order from the regular menu. Signature cuisines include hingal (a dish similar to the ravioli-style Turkish dish mantı, but stuffed with potatoes instead of lamb), otantik yuvarlama çorba (a lentil vegetable soup that’s a bit spicy) and keskek (a familiar-tasting dish of cream of wheat with pieces of chicken).

The most popular items are the lamb kebab; gözleme (Turkish crepe) stuffed with cheese, spinach or meat; and Otantik’s homemade mantı. The prices are affordable and the staff extremely friendly. The restaurant has four floors; on the first, there is a strange water display, and the other floors each have a rather tacky traditional decorÉ Cheesy, but worth a visit!

Ä°stiklal Cd. No. 170 Tel: 0212 293 8451

MoreIsh ınsıde NuPera

Chef/owner partners Esra Muslu and Coşkun Uysal opened their experimental/fusion kitchen inside NuPera last year. Seating just 26 people, this chic and modern restaurant has already gained domestic and international acclaim. Food and Wine Magazine even compared Uysal to England's celebrity chef Jamie Oliver in his "charisma and approach to food." Uysal has trained abroad at Oliver's Fifteen and other London restaurants, while Muslu studied culinary arts and worked in Melbourne, Australia. The menu changes frequently Ğ every two weeks Ğ with the creative chefs combining seafood with lamb, foie gras with quail and, most amazingly, olive paste with ice-cream. Moreish has the potential to be Turkey’s first Michelin-star restaurant.

NuPera MeÅŸrutiyet Cd. No. 145-147

Tepebaşı, Istanbul Tel: 0212 245 6089

Zencefil Restaurant

This legendary veggie oasis has been attracting vegetarians, as well as meat eaters who appreciate scrumptious food, for the past 15 years. With its exposed brick walls, the restaurant’s dŽcor is both rustic and modern. Zencefil’s daily fare and seasonal specials keep both Turks and foreigners coming back for more. The food is dependably fresh and the specials always intriguing. Favorite dishes include the Aegean stew with beans, fennel, artichoke and onion; the lentil soup with noodles; and the leeks with chickpeas. On the standard menu, the classic Zencefil salads are huge and satisfying. There are also fresh-squeezed juices, and don’t forget to save room for the home-baked cakes, such as the light and velvety pumpkin cake. The lovely garden is open during warm weather, so it should be ready to host diners soon.

Kurabiye Sk. No. 3 BeyoÄŸlu

Tel: 0212 243 8234