Tasting Notes
Karaköy Güllüoğlu is run by Nadir Güllü and his family, whose baklava tradition goes back to Gaziantep. The shop on Kemankeş Street has been in Karaköy since 1949 and stresses that it has no other branches, which is useful to know when you see the Güllüoğlu name on other shops around the city. It is a bright, modern room with tables for eating in.
Pistachio baklava in many shapes
Most of the menu is pistachio baklava: classic layered slices, dry (kuru) baklava, square, midye (shell-shaped), şöbiyet with a cream filling, sarı burma, dürüm and the house Nadir Dolama, a roll packed with pistachios. The Fıstıklı Burger Baklava is a newer creation sold as a single 150-gram piece. Soğuk baklava, soaked in milk and served cold, is a lighter version. Walnut versions of the classics are cheaper.
Special diets and savoury pastries
There are vegan baklava, Diabak with no added sugar and Çölbak, a gluten-free baklava, in pistachio and walnut versions. For something savoury first, su böreği — layers of boiled pastry sheets filled with cheese, minced meat or spinach — is sold by weight, and there are poğaça and açma rolls in the morning.
“Walk over from the Galataport waterfront, start with a slice of cheese su böreği, then order pistachio baklava or şöbiyet with a glass of tea.”
LR Kitchen — field note