Tarihi Çınaraltı, Çengelköy

The tables sit so close to the water that you hear the wake of passing ferries slap against the stones. Tarihi Çınaraltı ("under the old plane tree") is a family tea garden in Çengelköy, a village-like neighbourhood on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus in Üsküdar. It spreads out beside the pier, shaded by a single enormous plane tree, with the European shore and the 15 July Martyrs Bridge in view.

This is a neighbourhood tea garden rather than a restaurant. On weekend mornings it fills with people from across the city; on weekdays it belongs mostly to locals.

What to order

Start with tea in a tulip-shaped glass, brought round on trays all morning. Breakfast here is a simple tea-garden spread: white cheese, olives, tomato, cucumber, eggs, and simit (a sesame-crusted bread ring) or fresh bread. If you want something hot, ask for menemen, eggs scrambled with tomato and pepper, or a toasted sandwich. Don't expect an elaborate table. The view and the shade are the point. The menu changes now and then, so ask what is available that day.

Visiting tips

Çengelköy is reached from Üsküdar by the buses that follow the coast road, or by taxi. On weekends the waterfront tables go first, so come early. Sharing a table on busy days is normal. It is open in winter too, but spring and autumn mornings are the best. Check the tea garden's Instagram for current hours. Afterwards, take a walk around the pier square and the quiet back streets of Çengelköy.