Melodi / Istanbul | What We Are Wearing

You didn’t think I was done with Istanbul, did you ?

Naaaaa… I couldn’t help but ask the lovely Melody, who is a buyer for V2K, to tell me about some of her favorite places in Istanbul. Just in case you had the idea to go spend a week-end there !

Oh and about this picture… Aren’t all those super virile men with their little tea glass totally super awesomely charming ? I had to bring back at least one image of those “tea moments” in Istanbul. Check the special and super typical tray. You can see men going all around the city with these trays full of hot tea. I loved it.

All right ! Now here is Melodi’s Istanbul :

Hi Melodi ! Tell me a few of the best multibrand stores in Istanbul…

V2K Designers is the best (duh??) :)))) and I also like Midnight Express.

Is there a cool fashion item you can buy only in Istanbul (I bought a pretty cool vintage necklace… I have to show it to you)

You can buy unique scarves and vintage ottoman jewelry. And handmade rugs are very special for all across Turkey.

The super non-fashion place where you like to go is…

I play tennis. So super non fashion-ly, I put my work out clothes on, go to the club and hit the ball aggressively. But I think, if its in you, you do everything in a fashionable way.. I mean even grocery shopping can be very chic when you want…

Are the girls as crazy about their nails as they are in New York City ? Where do they go ? Oh, and do you do such thing as hammam ? Or spa ? Where is the best place to go ?

Getting nails done is a must for an Istanbul girl. They might even be crazier than NewYorkers.

Its very common so you can find a place to get manicures and pedicures on almost every corner.

I personally love both Hamam and Spa.

For Hamam, I like to try historical places. Such as Cemberlitas. Its so mystical that it makes you feel like you  time traveled back to Ottoman times. The lighting, the athmosphere, and everything about it just captivates me..

And for Spa, I try to go to the newest. They recently got so popular in Istanbul so every month a new place opens and its fun to try something new 🙂

Where is the best place to have a coffee and watch people go by?

I love Cihangir area. You can sit in a café with a magazine, and spend the all day watching different kinds of people go up and down.

I know this might sound weird but if you feel dark and stuck, and need to feel the real Istanbul in you, Haydarpasa Terminal gets very inspirational.

Where is the best place to have a drink?

Asmali Mescit area. Otto and Off Pera are my personal favorites.

What are the things that you HAVE to eat in Istanbul? Where do you find them?

Of course you have to eat Kebap. You can go very traditional OR trendy, its always delicious 🙂 My personal favorite is Hamdi which is located in Eminonu. Amazing Halic and Galata view with goooood kebaps.

And “Raki&Fish” is a classical Istanbul meal. On the bosphorus, with the greatest view ever, you can find many amazing fish restaurants. And I have to mention that you can have the BEST Turbot in Sariyer, a little place called Kahraman.

What is the very touristy place that you still love to go to sometimes?

Aaaaah Sultanahmet and Ortakoy..they’re both magical.

What is the best old and chic restaurant and what is the new super cool restaurant ?

The best old chic must be Ulus29, and new super cool right now, I’d say Bird.

Where is the best pastry?

Nothing can beat the Simitci stands that you can find every corner 🙂

Do you do brunch in Istanbul? Where do you like to have it?

Yes, a Sunday classic for Istanbul. I’ve been going to Arnavutkoy Bahar for years, and it never fails…

Tell me about your ideal day in Istanbul.

An ideal day.. A big brunch, get on the boat and enjoy the Bosphorus, maybe the Princes’ islands..

How do you go around the city ?

I hate the traffic but oh well, I drive everyhere.

What’s the best thing to bring back from Istanbul ?

Turkish coffee, a coffee set, a beautiful rug, nice fabrics, and an evil eye 🙂

A week-end out of Istanbul… Where would you go ?

Its almost winter and its going to snow soon. So all I can think about is snowboarding. The crazy feeling of white snow sliding beneath you and the wind on your face…It makes you feel alive! So my answer is, I’d get in the car and drive to Kartalkaya mountain! Well, as soon as it snows enough..

via Melodi / Istanbul | What We Are Wearing.