In Istanbul, A Brunch Spread Fit for a Sultan

As the weekend approaches, Istanbul Eats has a valuable tip on one of Istanbul's best-kept secrets: the massive (and well-priced) brunch buffets served up in several of the Ottoman-era pavilions found inside some of the city's parks. From IE's report:

On a hot summer day, the thought of sitting in a cramped kahvalti salonu does not whet the appetite nor does prospect of paying a hefty hesap to eat breakfast at one of the swanky hotels that line Bosphorus. It sometimes seems that you have to travel to Bursa to eat a reasonably priced breakfast in peaceful surroundings. Thankfully, that is not the case.

In a move that would appall the Padishah (but one we thoroughly approve of), the Istanbul Municipality welcomes the hungry masses into some of the most stunning historic Ottoman-era properties around town for an all-you-can-eat breakfast at rock bottom prices. For 30 TL you can stand in line to gawk at the dusty furniture in Dolmabahce Palace Museum, or for 27.50TL you can lounge around and eat like a king at one of eight park-side imperial residences scattered throughout the city.

Lately, we’ve visited the Hidiv Kasri in Beykoz, the Malta Kosku in Yildiz Park and we intend to check the other six palaces of breakfast off the list in due course. With no less than sixty options of cheese, eggs, jams, honeys, pastries, olives, seasonal fruits and vegetables no one is walking out of here hungry but, truth be told, the quality is about what you’d expect at a mid-range hotel breakfast. No one item on the buffet blew us away but everything was of a good standard, fresh and, of course, plentiful. The service, however, is excellent and the setting is what you are paying for, however little.

The full article can be found here.