Meşale Restaurant & Cafe
Turkish flavours, live music and the soul of Istanbul in the heart of Sultanahmet
Your table awaits
Reserve your spot for an unforgettable evening in Sultanahmet
Tonight at Meşale
Live music and a whirling dervish show await you every evening.
Live music
Music with qanun and def, every evening 18:00–23:00.
Sema ceremony
~20 minA sema (whirling dervish) ceremony every evening. Watch from the garden, beside your table.
An evening in Sultanahmet
Kanun and def, a whirling dervish, domes at sunset — short scenes filmed at Meşale and around Sultanahmet.
Filmed at Meşale and in Sultanahmet.
A few dishes from the table
Our menu has 263 items; the ones below are just a few examples.
Mixed Breakfast
Traditional Turkish breakfast spread for 2 people, with assorted cheeses, olives, honey-clotted cream, jams, sausage & eggs and fresh vegetables; includes 1 pc. double tea.
Mixed Gözleme
Turkish pancake with a mix of cheese, potato and spinach.
Mixed Appetizer
Chef's selection of assorted mezze.
Adana Kebab
180 g. With bulgur pilaf, tomato and green pepper.
Sultanahmet Meatballs
180 g. With pilaf, potato, tomato and green pepper.
Baklava
Traditional Turkish baklava with pistachio.
In the heart of history
Meşale's door opens onto Sultanahmet Square, where 1500 years of history unfold. Here are the masterpieces within walking distance.
SquareFreeSultanahmet Square
From the Byzantine hippodrome to today — the 2,000-year-old historic heart of Istanbul.
MosqueSultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)
A 17th-century masterpiece with six minarets, its interior lined with more than 21,000 Iznik tiles.
MosqueHagia Sophia
A 1,500-year-old World Heritage site — a masterpiece that has been basilica, mosque and museum.
MuseumTopkapı Palace
The magnificent palace and museum where the Ottoman sultans lived for 400 years.
Historic BuildingBasilica Cistern
An underground reservoir of 336 columns — the mysterious subterranean world of Byzantium.
ParkFreeGülhane Park
The green lungs of the historic peninsula — plane trees, rose gardens and Bosphorus views.
Everything just steps away
Meşale Restaurant & Cafe is within walking distance of all of Sultanahmet's historic landmarks.
Voices from around the world
3,035 Google reviews · 4.1 rating
3,035 Google reviews
Last checked: October 5, 2026
We would rather you read our guests' own words, just as they wrote them. Every review is published on Google.
You can also find us here
Snapshots from Meşale
A warm atmosphere, traditional flavors and the magic of Sultanahmet.
Our garden facing the Arasta
Breakfast in copper dishes
Charcoal-grilled kebab
Whirling dervishes every evening
The Arasta Bazaar from aboveThe historic peninsula from above
Our garden
Find us
In the Arasta Bazaar, right behind the Blue Mosque — a four-minute walk from Sultanahmet Square.
Address
Kabasakal Cd. / Arasta Çarşısı No:45, 34122 Sultanahmet, Fatih / İstanbul
Phone
+90 530 523 73 05Opening Hours
- Every day: 07:00 — 02:00