Where to Eat Breakfast and Dinner in Bakirkoy, Istanbul

The nearest and most varied area for breakfast and dinner in central Bakırköy is around Bakırköy Freedom Square (Özgürlük Meydanı) and Istanbul Caddesi, a 6-minute walk from our apart hotel. Cafés, restaurants and the bazaar are clustered here, so on most days you can sort out a meal on foot without getting on public transport.

Places and their hours change over time, so this guide works area by area and tells you where to look for whatever you need. And because every apartment has a kitchen, making breakfast or dinner at home is always an option within reach.

Quick map: where to look

Freedom Square is the centre of the district, and Istanbul Caddesi is the pedestrian shopping street that begins there. Walking down to the square on your first evening and getting your bearings makes it easier to know where to go on the days that follow.

Breakfast: match it to your morning

Breakfast at home: every apartment has a kitchen. Pick up bread, cheese and fruit from the bazaar the evening before and make breakfast at home in the morning; on days with an early meeting, that is the fastest route. We compare this and the other advantages of an apart hotel in our hotel or apart hotel guide.

Short on time before a meeting: have a quick breakfast around the square and carry on to the Marmaray station, which is 8 minutes from our apartments. Simit, poğaça or börek — things you can eat standing up — is a practical choice when time is tight.

A weekend or an empty morning: for a long, sit-down breakfast, wander the cafés on Istanbul Caddesi and in the side streets. Weekend mornings can be busy in places like these; going early or asking about a table in advance saves time.

Dinner: when the day is done

Freedom Square is the centre of the district, which also makes it the densest cluster of restaurants and cafés. When choosing, look at these points:

• Are the menu and prices visible? Seeing the menu and the prices before you sit down avoids surprises.
• One person or a team? If you are out with your team, going early or calling ahead works well for a restaurant that can seat a large table.
• What time is it? If your meeting has run over, check which places are still open and their closing times in a maps app. On a late return, the kitchen in your apartment is a good fallback.
• Any dietary preferences? If you follow a particular diet, ask what is in a dish before ordering, or cook your own meal in the apartment.

Business dinners and hosting guests

On a business trip, dinner is often a continuation of a meeting. If you are hosting a guest in central Bakırköy, the square area is both within walking distance for you and a convenient meeting point close to the station for anyone arriving by Marmaray. If you need a table for several people, calling the restaurant during the day to reserve keeps you from waiting in the evening rush. And if your guest is heading back by Marmaray afterwards, checking the time of the last service in advance makes hosting easier.

After dinner

For anyone who wants some air after dinner, the Bakırköy seafront is a 14-minute walk away, with a walking and cycling path along the coast. For a shorter loop, walk up Istanbul Caddesi and back to your apartment via the square. On a rainy evening, Capacity shopping mall is an indoor alternative 9 minutes away on foot.

Practical notes

• This guide covers the options around you; if you want to cook in the apartment, do your shopping the evening before in the bazaar or at Capacity shopping mall.
• If you are leaving early in the morning, plan the next day's breakfast the night before; making it in the apartment is the quickest route.
• Opening and closing hours can differ between weekdays and weekends; check the current hours of the place you are going to in a maps app or by calling ahead.
• If you are heading out as a large group, choosing Freedom Square as the meeting point so everyone arrives at the same time makes things easier.
• We have collected all the nearby distances on our location page.

For questions about your stay in Bakırköy, call 0532 655 43 32 or message us on WhatsApp in English; we will also describe the walk to the square.

Common questions