There's lots of stationary stores [so many in fact that i can't understand why Yelp doesn't have a…read morecategory "stationers"] but in ikitelli this is the stationers to go to. they are as friendly, as helpful. as considerate as it gets. honest. always books on sale for kids. if you can get it in turkey, they'll get it for you. - i really wanted will james' 'smokey' and he really searched. no luck finding it but he searched. the big chains don't really care all that much. and of course in the old fashioned "stambouli" tradition, a cup of tea while you wait as they look. they treat everybody with the same deference, little kids, old folks, moms or dads. they don't measure you by your tailor. there are chain bookstores i go to that don't see past my worn jeans. this is one store in one local neighborhood so you aren;t going to drive over from kadıköy of course, but if you're near Atatürk Mahallesi or Arena Park, you'll do better off here than some multı-story commercial stationers. for example, there's a place down the road a bit, where i bought a very expensive fountain pan - the manager let me fumble around looking for files and covers. everybody was too busy to help. i saw the pen, a couple of hundred TL. cartridge. i use ink, but they only carried cartridges. to make a long story short, the manager annoyed, says to me to the effect "don't you know how to load a cartridge!" as he took the pen out of my hands and forced it in backwards. i got a fountain pen pump for that pen at a shop in Eminönü the next time i was there where i've bought pens for about 30 years, but that's a schlep from ikitelli. - we had a good laugh. - i gave up dressing up lifetimes ago. at Batı they literally treat you like their veli. ıt's not just a sign behind the counter.

Such a cool little bookstore with vintage books and maps. Yes, it is a little expensive for…read moreIstanbul, but totally reasonably priced compared with other similar book shops in other countries. I loved the old maps spread out on the center table. Some appear to be hand-drawn and quite old. A must see shop for map lovers and those who enjoy vintage books.

Istiklal Caddesi is one of the better strolls in Istanbul (says I, having spent like a week there…read morein total) and this shop is a highlight. A wide selection of vintage maps and postcards, as well as a quirky selection of old books -- I didn't get to peruse them thoroughly but I saw some old Baedeker travel guides in there. I did pick up two books from the more current part of the store, a history of urban planning in Istanbul and a cookbook-slash-history of Ottoman cuisine. There is also a bookstore cat if for some reason you are not satisfied with Istanbul's famous array of street cats.

Great little bookstore on a side street perpendicular to Istaklal Street. All the great shops are…read moreoff of Istaklal Street, which is way too busy with its big boxy stores that have that same cookie cutter feeling you'd get in most malls. The side streets, on the other hand are the real deal. A truly unique 'cookie' experience. This bookstore is awesome. It even has some English books and comics! BOO-YA! Books flow in a literary waterfall of words from the high ceiling all the way to the ground floor. A wooden shelf tree of beautiful and terrible ideas.

One of the most soulful book stores in İstanbul, and a place that has a long and tumultous history…read more (Did I spell it right?) On the top floor of art gallery SALT, with rows and rows of books both foreign and Turkish language, and a piano that sometimes is played by a random visitor. If you're lucky you may find some special edition screen printed Read More t-shirts made in İstanbul, but mostly they are out of stock.

Rising star in Karakoy neighborhood. Friendly atmosphere, great coffee and deserts…read more Decoration and colors are absolutely match perfectly. If you tired walking around Karakoy then this a perfect spot for a "great" coffee.

Very cute atmosphere. Very yummy food. Actual book selection was pretty arty felt like not for…read moreactual reading. Lots of cute knick knacks and cards though. There was an endless parade of fashionable patrons and hipster workers to serve them.

We uad a great time picking out new towels at Jennifer's. The storefront didn't have what we wanted…read moreso they took us to the showroom and we got to see and feel so many other options. The manager was very helpful and did not pressure us to buy anything. We went with two thin beach towels and two bath towels. You can really feel and see the quality. We are very happy with our purchases and will recommend this place to anyone visiting Istanbul in the future!

Turkish towels, luxury, quality, hand made, huge selection to choose from and custom made robes…read moreare what you find in this amazing shop. I first heard about Jennifer's Collection prior to traveling to Istanbul during an online search for Turkish towels. After a private city tour, our guide also recommended this shop and said it's worth the visit. As soon as you step inside the showroom, it is obvious that this place is top quality. The weight of the towels, softness and vibe here is exactly what we were looking for in Turkey. We ended up buying several towels and most importantly custom made robes for us. We picked out the towels to be used and then went to the exclusive showroom for a tailored fitting. It took just a few days for the robes to be made and worth the wait. Haci, our salesman, was friendly, answered all of our questions, and made us feel welcome throughout the process. Sipping apple tea was a good way to relax and think through our choices. The shop's owner is from Canada, so this is more of a fixed price shop, but you can receive a little discount the more you buy. The shop is conveniently located in the Arasta Bazaar, about a 10 minute walk from historic sites like the Blue Mosque. We actually preferred this Bazaar over the larger Grand Bazaar as it has more local crafts. Come over and check out Jennifer's shops and take home a piece of Turkish crafted pride.

This café and bookstore was down the street from the hotel and it looked like such a charming spot…read morethat we decided to have breakfast here one of the days. Unfortunately, this is one of those places that look better than it actually is. Food was subpar yet prices were higher than most other places we ate at while in Istanbul.

Very cute coffee house and bookshop. This place seems to attract artists. While there, one person…read morewas taking artistic photographs, another was painting. The coffee is good and service excellent.