Exploring Kuzguncuk - A Charming Local Neighbourhood in Üsküdar, Istanbul, TURKEY

Kuzguncuk is a colourful and charming neighbourhood in the Üsküdar district which sits on the Asian side of Istanbul. It's a short ferry ride from Beşiktaş over the Bosphorus to Üsküdar and it's a great place to walk around and enjoy the views and local boutique cafes.
Our first lunch spot was a cozy little cafe that is situated right next to and overlooks the Kuzguncuk Bostanı. Fresh food with a peaceful view.
Kuzguncuk Bostan Cafe
Address: Kuzguncuk, İcadiye Cd. 69/1, 34674 Üsküdar/İstanbul
/ kuzguncukbostancafe
Our second food spot was Bay Mantı & Cafe. Another great cafe in Kuzguncuk where we tried mantı for the first time. Lovely, friendly staff and delicious food.
Bay Mantı & Cafe
Address: Kuzguncuk, No:, İcadiye Cd. No:68, 34674 Üsküdar/İstanbul
/ baymanticafe
#istanbul #İstanbul #turkey #türkiye
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VLOG DATE: 21 May 2022
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[@xiaopingsong1240]

wow, beautiful sunset n colorful wooden houses, great experiences. Good job n I love to watch, thanks😍😍🥰

[@PeterandYen]

😊 lovely neighborhood right! One of our favorite local areas in istanbul. The area is beautiful.

[@pailaxo]

Loving all the vlogs guys! What a beautiful country eh! 😁

[@PeterandYen]

Turkeys been awesome, we've done a fair bit of travel since istanbul and some of the things we've seen are just breathtaking.

[@darylmckay]

Loved the community gardens and wooden houses. So many facets to stunning Istanbul. Before your vlogs I'd never realised how beautiful it was. I loved you guys going full hobbit on a 2nd lunch 😋

[@PeterandYen]

Hahahaha it was just one of those days where one lunch just wasn't enough 😂 the neighborhood was awesome could imagine how cool it would be to live there

[@darylmckay]

@@PeterandYen I was thinking about how awesome it would be to live there for a year, kind of like a base of operations. 😃

[@PeterandYen]

😂 Daryl that sounds awesome. Please get a place with a guest bedroom 😂😂

[@darylmckay]

@@PeterandYen and vice versa 🤞👍🤣🤣

[@davidbeazley1958]

Peter, gotta pop a manu in the Bosporus my dude, just for bragging rights... Don't worry about the jellyfish. 😉

[@PeterandYen]

Pahahaha it's not the jellyfish I'm worried about its the other stuff that's in the water 😅

[@davidbeazley1958]

@@PeterandYen eww... All good bro. 😂😂😂

[@lh6135]

Brunch and lunch, we are feasting our eyes with authentic Turkish food, they look tasty, it’s Peter’s turn, his looks really good today 🥘😋. Love the communal arrangement of planting your own vegetables in a city, gets people out! Thank you both for another great vlog

[@PeterandYen]

Me too! There are some communities around America now where people hire their gardens to a local farmer. The farmer grows incredible produce and is able to live on the plots of land in the community and the owners benefit by getting some of the excess produce too. It's a fantastic sustainable way to live 😊

[@chasingadeline]

Watching your guys video, I’m really wanting to go!!! I really like your guys travel Vlog. You Give a lot of good information!!!

[@PeterandYen]

We always try to make these fun but informative. Hope you do make your trip to turkey too 😁 try a Salgam for yourself 😂

[@itchyfeet8695]

First time I saw menemen being cooked I thought they had added a dozen chillies 🥵Very relieved when I realised they were sweet peppers 🤭. Definitely noticing that prices have gone up in 3 years but so has the exchange rate from 4TL to 10TL to the NZD.

[@PeterandYen]

The currency has devalued a lot vs other countries over the last few years ago plus unfortunately inflation is quite bad.

[@thumbsuptravel1031]

Another great vid. You explain the food and drinks so well. What an amazing place and culture.

[@PeterandYen]

Thanks Gregorio 😁🤙 you're totally right the food, people, landscape and history make turkey an amazing country. It's been an incredible adventure so far.

[@nikkilogan7726]

Love the scenery of your beautiful Turkey vlog 🇹🇷😎💖✨

[@PeterandYen]

Thanks Nikki 😁🤙 take care n have a great week ahead

[@yildizkernchen1737]

It is amazing you guys come from New Zealand and visiting a place like Kuzguncuk. Normally tourists go to those typical places. I am so glad that you guys exploring these unknown places. I must say i am loving the kiwi accent!

[@PeterandYen]

Thank you 😊 we really enjoyed wandering around Kuzguncuk.. beautiful area 😃

[@donbrashsux]

What a truely amazing trip to Turkey you guys are presenting.. love the mix of sights n sounds along with the great food n beverage takes.. Awesum .. thanks P & Y

[@PeterandYen]

Thanks for this comment diesel. There are so many great ways to explore turkey 🇹🇷 so we really wanted more time in each place to see more than the normal tourist spots. Can say it's been a really good decision so far.

[@avecnayo]

Loving these videos! That second lunch looked great!

[@PeterandYen]

😁🤙 thank you, the manti in turkey are delicious

[@monthathipponman4968]

Amazing and beautiful.

[@PeterandYen]

Olly 😊👋👋 hope you've been well. sah wah dee khrap 😁

[@r.raheel489]

My favourite neighbourhood…..so much to see

[@PeterandYen]

It's one of our favorites too 😊

[@donbrashsux]

Brilliant to come along and checkout these awesum sights n sounds of Turkey along with that perfect weather .. Great job guys .. keep it coming

[@PeterandYen]

😁👍 it was cool staying a bit longer in istanbul cause it gave us a chance to go to a few interesting local stops during our trip. Plenty more vlogs on the way hahaha

[@SeoulMan2020]

What did I just drink?? 😂😂😂 I’m with you though… would totally order it😁… Double meal vlog with some flavor release at every bite😋😋 Mini dumplings with tomato sauce and yogurt looked tasty (as well as everything else!). Pretty funny Peter…I’m with you on having to check property prices when I walk by😁. Looked like a mellow day with great weather, great food, great vibe and a bummer story of a dad who couldn’t escape fate 🐍🐍🐍… Favorite part was the jellyfish (and food😁). Great vid guys! Happy travels!

[@SeoulMan2020]

…by the way, did you see the Weili fight 😵 (and how are you managing you daily whittakas intake? Do they have it there?)

[@PeterandYen]

Saw the fight, think we're gonna see a Weili vs Rose 3 now 😅 hahaha this is another thing you and I have in common, I love adding in the random animals that we see during our journeys too. We've seen some cool ones this trip but unfortunately still haven't seen a scorpion. Thought the Salgam might grow on me so ended up drinking it 3 times so far... it hasn't grown yet 😂😂

[@SeoulMan2020]

@@PeterandYen I totally get it...if I don't like something, I usually try it at least 2x to make sure it's a no go... are scorpions on your radar? Just did some reading...apparently Turkey is more biodiverse than all of Europe combined. Pretty cool! Have you seen any centipedes?

[@PeterandYen]

Totally I've always wanted to see scorpions in the wild but no luck so far. Haven't seen a centipede either 😕 thought Cappadocia would be the lucky spot but nope. Saw an amazing dragonfly though that looked like a butterfly 🦋

[@SeoulMan2020]

@@PeterandYen haha I totally get it…when I used to road trip across the desert in the US, I used to think about pulling over and looking under rocks for scorpions 🦂… such cool creatures… hope you get to see one…or two 🦂🦂

[@besirdemir6384]

Çok güzel harika bir çalışma olmuş

[@PeterandYen]

Nazik sözleriniz için teşekkür ederiz 😊

[@SundaiLove]

Oh yesss and we get more 😍

[@PeterandYen]

😁 sundai in turkey vlog anytime soon?

[@SundaiLove]

@@PeterandYen 🤣 don’t think so. Too many places on my list. But luckily y’all gave me a glimpse

[@PeterandYen]

😁 yeah... I know that feeling so many cool places to see hard to shortlist sometimes.

[@cl-zo4ek]

Love the Turkey vlogs! You guys should consider setting up a Patreon as a way for us to support you

[@PeterandYen]

Thank you appreciate the support. We don't think we'd have any time to create any more content than we currently do, to make it worth while for the patraeons 😅

[@LifetimeTravelmates]

What a beautiful cafe with a garden view! We see lots of cats 😻 in this episode! That does prove Turkey is the heaven for cat friends! 😜

[@PeterandYen]

Hahaha most definitely... there are so many cute cats around and they all have really different personalities. Very cute 😍

[@Becca.Loveless]

The food looks sooo interesting! Wish I could try it!

[@PeterandYen]

😁 food in turkey is delicious plus its fun trying the specialties from different regions 🤤

[@rlim9947]

Good video guys. Peter is very adventurous with his food. 😀

[@PeterandYen]

😂 being adventurous is the best way to experience new things

[@arifyollardaaa]

Welcome Türkiye 🇹🇷🇹🇷 Thank you for visiting and introducing my country.

[@PeterandYen]

Thank you we loved our time in Türkiye 🙂❤️ hope to return one day

[@luannvitor7845]

Hello from Finland 🇫🇮come one day to my country please..

[@PeterandYen]

One day 😁🤙

[@TheMamuchos]

Lieles hates Salgam so much, that is what we had when we made the video of the sirdan. lol Ayran is awesome! Good job Yen! So happy you love it!! Yum Sarma! We love Sarma and all its variation in the Balkan countries, in Serbia is a hot dish, so perfect for winter, yet sarma can be eaten at any time in Turkey 😍😍

[@PeterandYen]

Hahahaha Yen was drinking ayran everyday for a while especially when we have a fridge it'll be stocked with the stuff... hmmm salgam most definitely an acquired taste 😂😂😂

[@intrepidadventurer1932]

Massive apologies I am way behind on watching these! I just love your footage and must take you hours to decide what to include in these videos! Yeah very cool to do that ferry and yeah 10 minutes is a short ride! Heck those conversions of the House prices there a real bargain compared to New Zealand! Now that's a cool idea, rented land to grow vegetables! Great walk up the steps of that hill, great view! Wow two lunches in one day, why aren't I surprised? LOL! Really great job on this! Looks a great part by the coast!

[@PeterandYen]

😁👍 no worries at all no need to apologize n thank you for watching the videos.

[@murattahan2391]

👍👍👍

[@daywithshiko1614]

Love youuu soo much guys ♥️

[@PeterandYen]

Thanks for watching 😁✌️

[@ChandySaoStreeteats]

That neighbourhood looked stunning. Definitely one for the gram. Hats off to Peter for trying a new drink even though it didn't taste good. I would of done the same.

[@PeterandYen]

😁 istanbul is certainly one of the most interesting cities to explore. So much to see and do. Hahaha have you tried salgam before?

[@ghofranedarragi5601]

nice lovely video

[@feruzaamantaeva6449]

SUPER.

[@feruzaamantaeva6449]

Istanbul very butiful city.

[@markburns2545]

Welcome to uskadar....so glad I've watched this vlog.....you did a quality review...respect....I'm English, but my wife is Turkish....this is her home town...glad you all had a lovely time...thanks for doing the Eastern side....(its the best).....❤❤😊😊

[@PeterandYen]

Thank you 😊 it's such a lovely area! On our return journey we ended up staying in the Eastern side and very much enjoyed it ❤️

[@mohamedrashidibraimo6954]

Thank you so much.

[@raywayski]

Again, a great vlog! I’m curious how much of the drink did Peter have! I’m guessing that he took another sip and left the rest! 🤣🤣🤣

[@PeterandYen]

Hahahaha I gave it a good go... Then Yen came to the rescue 😂 Did end up ordering it on two other occasions though just to see if it could grow on me 😂

[@rob1971]

Other than the turnup juice the food looks delicious 😋 It looks like you'd a really good day out... Those hills give Wellington a run for its money too!

[@PeterandYen]

😁 absolutely manti and Menemen are incredible in turkey. Manti also satisfies the Asian food cravings since they are so similar to dumplings. It was a lovely day this neighborhood is an absolute gem. Any steep hill has wellington/ Dunedin vibes 😂

[@adarsh2358]

Super

[@TinanaDIY]

omg that story was quite sad right?! I love how you always share such cool stories about the areas you visit. Awww the little ginger cat! too cute. Looks like once converted, everything is very affordable? Making me hungry again with your eating Pete!

[@PeterandYen]

Compared to New Zealand the prices are definitely more affordable in turkey. Leah, the food throughout our whole trip was super top notch 🤤 just got back the other day missing turkey already hahaha

[@Filanca]

😍😍😍

[@pho14]

If you guys are still in Turkey, please do try the Kaymak (similar to clotted cream, but lighter) if you haven't already done so!! Generally served during breakfast with Turkish honey + their wonderful bread.

[@PeterandYen]

Gonna have to search for this haven't seen it yet. Thank you for the recommendation 😊

[@pho14]

@@PeterandYen - its definetly worth a try as its made from buffalo milk which has a much higher cream/fat content. The number of farmers producing this is on the decline, so it may not be offered in all breaky places. When we go to istanbul, its always on my list...😊. We might be visiting in December if our Japan trip doesn't go ahead. Big kiss to Ching... (Adrian Ko) 😘.

[@PeterandYen]

Oooo hey cuz! Didn't realize you watch our videos hahaha. I'll send your regards to ching 😁👍 Japan and turkey are both great places to travel either pick is awesome

[@Filanca]

You can find at supermarket 😊you should eat with honey and bread

[@josephlownang6992]

good video mate

[@PeterandYen]

Thanks Joseph 😁

[@chriskeentechnician]

Watching this series from Istanbul has got me wondering which foods are traditional or unique to New Zealand…..being a kiwi, I’m struggling to figure that out lol. There are a handful of Hangi based takeaway shops I’m keen to try. I wonder what else there is. Anything seafood related I guess. Is fish n chips a kiwi thing? I need to educate myself 😉

[@PeterandYen]

😁 a lot of our food is British inspired for example fish n chips and pies. However the hangi and boil up are unique to Maori culture so you can say that has kiwi origins. Also some modern foods were invented here like the Pavlova and flat white. (Though Australia lays claims to these too)

[@anamaria94088]

Wonderful charming place

[@PeterandYen]

It's definitely a nice place to visit in Istanbul for a change of pace and scenery 🙂👍 Hope you enjoy it when you get the chance to visit next time 😊

[@istanbulSokakLezzetleri]

Welcome ❤❤👏❤❤

[@PeterandYen]

Thank you 😊

[@TwoHungryDiners]

Beautiful video guys! Especially the sunset at the end, so stunning! Absolutely love Turkish manti, the combination of yogurt, tomato sauce and dumplings are amazing 😍

[@PeterandYen]

😁 thank you both, it was a really fun day out. Istanbul is fun to explore and the food is incredible 🤤

[@nord7153]

looks calm, not so crowded

[@TheMamuchos]

That is why we need to protect the turtles so they can eat and control the jellyfishes. 😍😍You guys should visit our center if you have time now in the south. What a wonderful legend, right? I walk away with the thought of whatever is meant to be, will come to you. Sadly, for the princess, the story didn't go the best way for her. Manti!!! Looooooove manti!

[@PeterandYen]

O Maria, what's the address for your turtle center? I tried to find it the other day but didn't have luck even tried your friends go fund me page and KZbin video. We're going to Kas tomorrow to hopefully it's nearby. Omg Maria I have to tell you early... we saw a caretta caretta today... literally a life long dream come true it was incredible.

[@TheMamuchos]

@@PeterandYen that's fantastic!! Ay our caretta caretta! It's in Manavgat. Right at the beach. The name of our center is Dekafok. It's on the opposite direction from kaş, it's towards Alanya. Hope you guys get to go. I'll let Seher that you might stop by

[@PeterandYen]

We will Def have to save that for another trip we make our way to fethiye and then return the car because we continue up towards denzili izmir etc. Was planning on exploring multiple parts of the eastern side sometime in the future.

[@TheMamuchos]

@@PeterandYen awesome! We also have that region pending! So much more to explore in Turkey 🥰🥰

[@ouradventerousdays]

The joy of trying unique food and drink in foreign country 😋. I love trying different food especially the fusion or homemade. I had tried so many different flavours of soft serve in Japan. So sugar overload but worth it hehehe. P.S it seems like the currency is good for NZ $ dollars. The food look reasonable price.

[@PeterandYen]

Most of the activities and food places around local areas are quite good value for money. Tourist areas are significantly more expensive. Soft serve tour of Japan sounds awesome hahahaha 😂👍

[@ouradventerousdays]

@@PeterandYen that's good. Yep, once Japan opens up we will be onboard hehehe

[@victoryever]

Dear Yen I am glad that you like ayran very much. Many foreigners miss that taste. Ayran is a very delightful drink that Turks invented, just like yogurt.

[@PeterandYen]

I love Ayran and have missed drinking it since leaving Türkiye! I think it's because I like salty flavours which is why it appeals to me so much hahaha. I drank Ayran almost every day 😁👍

[@Hedriks]

wow... the story of the maiden's tower.

[@PeterandYen]

😅 so sad right..

[@rob1971]

Turnip juice?! Peter what were you thinking?! 🤣

[@PeterandYen]

Hahahaha I will try anything once... in the case of Salgam 3 times was my limit 😂

[@Turana-ni4sr]

I would like live in Istanbul😢

[@mdisamadi]

nicely

[@PeterandYen]

Thank you 😊 👍

[@xcoldsweat]

sweet vlog, kuzguncuk is 🖤. If you are still in Istanbul and want to try mindblowing food of the region, do not miss Antakya Mutfağı , its a restaurant on the european side of istanbul near taksim square and has food from Antakya, a city near the syrian border, the food is syrian-turkish. This place is a secret hidden treasure of istanbul.

[@PeterandYen]

Thank you for the recommendation I've saved it for when we go back to Istanbul in a few weeks 😊👍

[@xcoldsweat]

@@PeterandYen 🖤.

[@Lovsnow]

Antakya mutfagi

[@irmak7990]

I died laughing when he said pickles in menemen 😂😂😂

[@michelletaylor1594]

Hi! May I know the exact spot for the Kuzguncuk Stairs? I can't seem to find it anywhere. Thanks!

[@AidaRidza]

Is the colorful house area nearby Kuzguncuk bostani?

[@PeterandYen]

The one in the thumbnail is a little bit down the street but we did visit the houses near the bostani too 😊

[@weibinglee5297]

What month did you guys visit Istanbul?

[@PeterandYen]

Hello we leave all those details in the description section of the videos

[@AKT020]

Mantı is an old original traditional Turk food...

[@Filanca]

You should eat so much with lemon juice the dolma

[@UU-vl2kn]

Kuzgunucuk or balat to visit with family ?

[@MarkDarnell-cq2wy]

Kuzguncuk, with family...definitely! It's much more calm than Balat - where I lived for few months. There is a wonderful park in Kuzguncuk, that is like preserve - perfect for a Sunday stroll!

[@horriblestories6018]

Try recording by 60fps 👍

[@Filanca]

Mantıııı 😋😋😋 generally mothers can make it 😊

[@PortaliRealiteti]

today simit 7.5 lira 😅

[@PeterandYen]

Whaaaat oh man.. simitflation 😅