Amara Restaurant ve Hotel

I’m glad I stopped at Amara during a walk in Istanbul. The restaurant staff along the way were all trying to draw me in, and I can’t really say why I chose it. Maybe it was Vahap’s warm smile, or the mention of cocktails. Either way, it turned into one of those travel moments that’s more about feeling present in a place than just eating, and I wished I had another night to come back. I started with a piña colada, then had a fresh-tasting halloumi salad, three dips, and a huge puffed Turkish bread that could have been a meal by itself. The chicken shish kebab came after that, generously portioned and cooked just right, with gentle Turkish flavours that seemed to come from good ingredients rather than heavy seasoning. When I thought I couldn’t eat any more, they brought complimentary baklava and Turkish tea. I was only about 400 metres from my hotel, sitting there with tea and baklava as the sounds of Istanbul drifted over the cobblestones, with locals walking by and conversations around me. Some of the best travel meals are the ones you never planned.