Is it easy to eat out with children in Sultanahmet?
It is. Restaurants in Turkey rarely set aside a separate area for children, but a child at the table is completely ordinary. Nobody raises an eyebrow, and a bit of noise is not treated as a problem.
The harder part is the quarter itself. The streets around Sultanahmet are narrow and sloped, and the pavements are cobbled in places. A pushchair can be tiring, and a carrier is often easier.
The hours between lunch and dinner are the quietest. Sitting down while the room is still empty is easier on the child and on you.
Are high chairs available?
Sultan Grill House has high chairs. A family with a baby does not have to wait at the door.
Across Sultanahmet generally, high chairs are not everywhere. Asking before you go beats finding out after you sit down.
Write it in the note field when you book and the chair is at the table before you arrive.
What will a child actually eat?
Even where there is no separate children’s menu, there are dishes children take to easily. In Turkish cooking these are already part of the table.
- Pide. The cheese one is the favourite. It arrives in slices and is eaten with the hands.
- Chicken skewers. Lightly seasoned, served with rice and potatoes.
- Köfte. Mild, and a familiar taste.
- Lentil soup. Soft and warm, the easiest thing for a small child.
- Cheesecake. Three kinds on the menu, far lighter than the syrup desserts.
Spicy dishes are marked separately on the menu. Only three of the 136 dishes are spicy, so something hot arriving by accident is unlikely.
Are the portions large, and does a child need their own plate?
Turkish portions are generally large. For a small child a separate dish is often unnecessary, and sharing one adult portion is enough.
Asking for an empty plate is normal and nobody finds it strange. Bir boş tabak alabilir miyiz, may we have an empty plate.
A shared table is the Turkish arrangement anyway. Several dishes go to the middle and everyone serves themselves. With a child it is the easiest way to eat.
Can you bring children late in the evening?
You can. Dinner in Turkey runs later than in most of Europe, and families with children are at the table late as well.
Sultan Grill House is open until two at night and the kitchen takes its last order half an hour before closing. Even so, with a child the early evening, before the room fills, is more comfortable.
The room has two parts. The front, on the street side, is glazed. The back has a wooden floor. If you want a quiet corner, say so in the booking note.
Can you warm a bottle, and what about water?
If you need a bottle warmed, say so and the kitchen will help. It is an ordinary request in Turkey and there is no charge for it.
Water does not arrive at the table unasked. What you order goes on the bill, and nothing you did not ask for is put in front of you.
Nobody will interfere with feeding a baby, and you can ask for the quieter part of the room.
