I pass the cafe of the Blue Mosque and enter into a quick chat with two customers sitting enjoying what looked like good food. You wouldn’t expect a touristic restaurant to be excellent but it caught my eye.

The food in Istanbul is often excellent and you have various choices for lunch so consult locals on where they go. A friend recommended Aslan on Mollafenari Mah. Vezirhan Cad. No: 70, Fatih, Istanbul and it is clean and service superb.

The Turks are very friendly, they work hard to get customer s attention and the streets remind me of my childhood bustling with eager attention seekers.

The winding stairs, it is narrow and you arrive at the second floor. Passing the kitchen to the maitre d’hotel, the manager greets us and sits us in a prime table. The restaurant is filled with locals and you eat, drink and scram.

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