Restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey
Ottoman dining, Michelin-noted, easy to book.
Deraliye is a Michelin Plate-recognised Ottoman Turkish restaurant in Sultanahmet with a 4.8 Google rating across 4,000-plus reviews. At ₺₺₺ pricing, it delivers a historically-grounded dining experience that earns its keep for special occasions and group dinners. Book it over the city's higher-priced modern Turkish options if Ottoman culinary tradition is the point.
Yes, and the answer is particularly clear if your occasion calls for a private room or a group dinner rooted in Ottoman culinary tradition. Deraliye holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, a signal that it meets a consistent standard of kitchen execution, and its Google rating of 4.8 across more than 4,200 reviews is the kind of sustained approval that tends to reflect genuine repeat satisfaction rather than a single viral moment. At ₺₺₺ pricing, it sits a tier below Istanbul's top-flight Modern Turkish restaurants, which makes it a strong call for travelers who want a credentialed, historically-grounded dining experience without paying the full premium of the city's ₺₺₺₺ fine dining circuit.
Deraliye specialises in Ottoman cuisine, drawing on the culinary traditions of the imperial palace kitchen. This is not a vague branding claim: Ottoman palace cooking is a documented historical repertoire, and restaurants that focus on it tend to offer dishes that are genuinely different from the kebab-and-meze format most visitors encounter. Expect preparations that lean on spicing combinations, slow-cooked proteins, and sweet-savoury balances that have more in common with medieval Anatolian cooking than with contemporary Turkish restaurant food. For a food-focused traveler who wants context and depth rather than a familiar menu, that distinction matters.
The address places the restaurant in Alemdar, in the Sultanahmet area, which is the historical core of Istanbul. The proximity to major Ottoman landmarks is not incidental: it reinforces why this venue draws visitors who are already engaging with the city's imperial history. That said, Sultanahmet dining can skew heavily toward tourist-facing operations with uneven kitchen standards. Deraliye's Michelin recognition and its review volume suggest it is clearing a higher bar than the surrounding competition in that neighborhood.
If you are planning a group dinner or a celebration in Istanbul, Deraliye is worth serious consideration specifically for what a private or semi-private setting adds to the experience. Ottoman palace dining was, by its nature, an elaborately staged affair, and venues that lean into this tradition tend to carry that sensibility into their event setups: attentive table service, structured menus, and a room that feels appropriate to the occasion. For a group of six or more, the combination of a historically-themed setting, a credentialed kitchen, and ₺₺₺ pricing gives you more visible value than booking a ₺₺₺₺ contemporary restaurant where the private room is an afterthought.
For parties of two, the calculus is slightly different. The main room experience is well-reviewed, but the real advantage of venues like this compounds with group size. A solo traveler or a couple would get a solid dinner, but the full theatrical weight of an Ottoman-themed private setting is most felt when you have a table of people to share it with. Solo diners and couples should still book, but should think of the main dining room as the target rather than pushing for a private space.
Booking difficulty is rated as easy, which is consistent with ₺₺₺ positioning in a neighborhood that serves a high volume of visitors. You are unlikely to need to book weeks in advance the way you would at [Turk Fatih Tutak](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/turk-fatih-tutak) or [Neolokal](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/neolokal). That said, if you are visiting during peak Istanbul tourism season (late spring through early autumn), booking a few days ahead is sensible for dinner, and more important if you need a private room for a group. The Sultanahmet location means foot traffic is high year-round, which supports walk-in possibilities at lunch — but confirm directly with the restaurant if that matters to your plans.
Current season context: Istanbul in late spring and early summer means long evenings, which makes the Sultanahmet setting feel particularly worthwhile at dinner. The historical district is at its most active and best-lit during this window, and an evening meal here, followed by a walk through the old city, is a coherent travel itinerary rather than an isolated restaurant visit.
See the comparison section below for how Deraliye sits against Istanbul's ₺₺₺₺ modern Turkish restaurants.
For more on where to eat, drink, and stay across Turkey, see our guides to Istanbul restaurants, Istanbul hotels, Istanbul bars, Istanbul wineries, and Istanbul experiences. If you are traveling beyond Istanbul, the Pearl database also covers Maçakızı in Bodrum, Narımor in Izmir, Nahita Cappadocia in Nevsehir, Aravan Evi in Ürgüp, Kokorecci Asim Usta in Bornova, and Poyraz Sahil Balık Restaurant in Beykoz. For Turkish food outside Turkey, see dede in Baltimore and Sarma in Boston.
Other Istanbul restaurants worth considering depending on your priorities: 29, Aheste, Alaf, Adana Ocakbaşı, and Ali Ocakbaşı.
If Ottoman palace cuisine is the format you want, the tasting menu at Deraliye is the right way to experience it — the kitchen's focus is specifically on imperial-era dishes, not a generic Turkish spread. At ₺₺₺ pricing, it sits below Istanbul's higher-end modern Turkish restaurants like Turk Fatih Tutak, making it a more accessible entry point into structured Ottoman dining. It holds a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, which confirms consistent kitchen quality without reaching Michelin-starred territory. If you want contemporary riffs on Turkish cuisine rather than historical recipes, Neolokal or Mikla would be a better fit.
Deraliye's format and ₺₺₺ price point make it workable for solo diners, particularly those visiting Sultanahmet who want a sit-down meal with clear culinary identity rather than a tourist-facing grill. The private dining angle the restaurant is known for is less relevant solo, so you will get more value from the experience as part of a pair or small group. Solo is fine logistically; it just isn't the format where Deraliye's strengths are most apparent.
At ₺₺₺, Deraliye is priced below Istanbul's top-tier modern Turkish restaurants and delivers a Michelin Plate-recognised Ottoman cuisine experience in a neighbourhood that otherwise skews heavily toward tourist traps. For what it charges, the value is solid — especially for a group or special occasion where the Ottoman setting and private dining options carry extra weight. If you want a more contemporary dining statement and are willing to pay ₺₺₺₺, Turk Fatih Tutak or Neolokal offer a different proposition.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, so last-minute reservations are generally possible, particularly compared to harder-to-book Istanbul restaurants like Turk Fatih Tutak. That said, if you have a specific date for a celebration or need a private room, booking a week or two out removes the risk. The Sultanahmet location sees steady visitor traffic, so weekends and peak summer months warrant earlier action.
Bar seating is not documented in the available venue data for Deraliye, and the restaurant's profile — Ottoman cuisine, private dining focus, ₺₺₺ positioning — suggests a table-service format rather than a bar-centric layout. Book a table to be safe; walk-in bar dining is not a reliable option to plan around here.
For modern Turkish cuisine at a higher price point, Neolokal (Beyoğlu) and Mikla (Pera) are the most direct comparators, both with stronger contemporary credentials. Turk Fatih Tutak holds a Michelin star and is the clearest step up if budget allows. Nicole and Arkestra sit in the ₺₺₺₺ modern Istanbul dining tier and lean more international in influence. Deraliye is the stronger call if Ottoman culinary tradition specifically is what you are after, rather than a showcase of modern Turkish technique.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
