In this issue

Even if we don’t necessarily like end-of-the-year questions and surveys, in November and December they always find a way to get to us. Suddenly, in the middle of scrolling down our social media feeds, we begin to reflect on how we did in 2019. We analyze our relationships, careers, family, health, and maybe some questionable fashion choices, placing the largest community we interact with—the city of Istanbul—somewhere towards the end of the list, if on it at all.
If we had to mention something we did with the city’s interest in mind this year, rescheduling summer holidays to vote in the mayoral election would probably top the chart. Some of us might have exchanged plastic bottles for transport credit, others might have managed without plastic bags altogether. We might have switched to public transport over private cars, and if the year went well, we might have even gotten ourselves an electric or hybrid vehicle. It’s possible we moved closer to the office, or chosen not to participate in traffic and started working remotely. On hot summer days, we put the water outside for stray cats and dogs. We might have supported historic manufacturers and local vendors, or segregated our trash and made sure others did too.
As the list continues, it all seems a lot, yet looking around we can’t seem to understand the real difference these actions make. In an overwhelming surrounding like Istanbul, it’s easy to bring yourself down by thinking that a single individual makes little impact. But when 15 million people follow the same lead, real change happens quickly. Just like any other trend spreading around the city, we also can make a good example go viral. All you need to do in 2020 is to become even more mindful of your actions, and you will eventually see a great difference.

Open Sesame! Helva Hits The Sweet Spot

COMMONLY ENJOYED AS A SNACK OR MEAL NOT ONLY IN TURKEY, BUT ALSO IN THE MIDDLE EAST, CENTRAL ASIA, AND INDIA, HELVA IS THE NAME GIVEN TO A VARIED RANGE OF SWEET DESSERTS AND CONFECTIONS

3 mins

Eat Up! Restaurant Week Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary

FOCUSING ON SOCIAL ASPECTS OF GASTRONOMY, RESTAURANT WEEK IS BACK FROM NOVEMBER 15-30 WITH THIS YEAR’S THEME “TURKISH CUISINE.” METRO TURKEY TAKES PLACES AS THE GASTRONOMY PARTNER IN THIS CULINARY PROJECT ORGANIZED BY GASTRONOMY & MARKETING CONSULTANCY FIRM DUDE TABLE

2 mins

Cooks Grove- Exploring The Geography Of Food

ŞEMSA DENIZSEL HAD THE COURAGE TO DO THE ONE THING THAT MILLIONS OF ISTANBULITES PERVERSELY DREAM OF ON A REGULAR BASIS: SHE QUIT THE CITY COLD TURKEY. TODAY, MANAGING TIME AT HER OWN PACE, SHE DEDICATES IT TO ENSURING THAT ON THE GLOBAL GASTRONOMY MAP, NORTHERN AEGEAN CUISINE GETS THE RECOGNITION IT DESERVES

8 mins

Ultramarathon Destinations In Turkey

WITH ITS DIVERSIFIED GEOGRAPHY, AND MILD WEATHER BETWEEN OCTOBER AND MAY, TURKEY IS AN ULTRAMARATHONER’S PARADISE

2 mins

Read all stories from The Guide Istanbul

The Guide Istanbul Magazine Description:

The Guide Istanbul, founded in November 1991 and published bimonthly by Apa Uniprint, is an essential guide to the city, offering candid recommendations and expert advice on restaurants and cafés, nightlife, the arts and entertainment scene, as well as design, fashion, touristic sites, and undiscovered places. We are a publication based on the principles of unwavering honesty and an insistence upon quality. Our goal is to simplify choices and make life easier for travelers as well as locals by providing information on select venues and events. All of our writers are locally based and offer insider advice on what to see and do in the city.

The official website of The Guide Istanbul magazine, theguideistanbul.com is a sharp, sophisticated, and trustworthy filter for the city’s happenings, and offers comprehensive listings of restaurants, bars, hotels, and more. The locally sourced information is written and edited by experienced writers who are in the know and dedicated to offering their wisdom impartially. We value quality over quantity and we are selective when it comes to our recommendations: we scour all the corners of Istanbul with a critical eye and recommend only what we rate positively amongst ourselves. The first of its kind, theguideistanbul.com aims to enrich your Istanbul experience and share its wealth of information to bring you the true essence of Istanbul and those gems that might otherwise get overlooked.