![hafiz mustafa istanbul hafiz mustafa istanbul](https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hafiz-mustafa-shop-istanbul-traditional-600w-1860837106.jpg)
This was indeed just as historical as all the places I was bypassing it to see. I believe there were about 4 other Hafiz Mustafa shops dotted around the city. The real star though was his son, Hafiz Mustafa, who transformed the original concept into a confectionery shop of note. It was the year of Hafiz Mustafa’s establishment by an Ismail Hakkı Zade as a candy shop. It turned out that the 1864 in the name was significant. Other items on the menu included were a huge variety of baklava, Turkish delight and other traditional Turkish sweets and pastries.Īs we waited for our orders, I quickly read, as part of the menu, a one page historical account of when, how and who started Hafiz Mustafa 1864. Apparently during the ottoman era fırın sütlaç, was flavoured with rose waters in the kitchens of the Sultans.
![hafiz mustafa istanbul hafiz mustafa istanbul](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/hafiz-mustafa-most-famous-baklava-desserts-istanbul-sirkeci-opened-133296657.jpg)
She went for a chocolate cake whilst I went for the baked rice pudding or fırın sütlaç, the crème de la crème of Turkish deserts. I began to realise I had made a mistake by leaving that camera in the hotel, but that mistake was soon put right when my girlfriend kindly offered to run back to the hotel to get it whilst I held our seats.Ībout 15 minutes later we were looking attentively at the menu deciding what to order. Views! They just have a way of lifting spirits. Instead I was ushered upstairs where there were other diners seated with smiles on their faces.Īdmittedly my mood began to brighten up as we were led to the only two empty seats by the terrace. As my girlfriend quickly seized a menu my pleas to get a take away were ignored. I reluctantly walked in after my girlfriend and totally, in my dark mood, ignored the smiling waiter handing out samples of what I later learned was either baklava or Turkish delight as a welcome gift.
![hafiz mustafa istanbul hafiz mustafa istanbul](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8dgZemG-Q44/maxresdefault.jpg)
Instead I was ordered unceremoniously to try out Hafiz Mustafa 1864. None of these ideas materialised for one reason or the other. The evening before I had had an incredibly authentic Turkish kebab at one of the few rooftop restaurants in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul. I expected a quick bite perhaps from a street food vendor or a quick jaunt to one of Sultanahmet’s restaurants. This was my dilemma as I was bullied out of my hotel by my girlfriend who was certainly not in no man’s land and needed to eat! We left in a hush and for once I actually neglected to bring along my camera. You don’t feel particularly hungry but also simultaneously feel you need to gobble something before sleep beckoned. The problem with having dinner a couple of hours earlier than usual or lunch a couple of hours later than usual is that you tend to get caught up in no man’s land come dinner time. I had the Iskender which was lavished with a good doze of melted sheep butter and yogurt and headed back to my hotel to rest. A good meaty doner kebab with plenty of cab-tastic rice was what I craved to replenish my depleted energy levels and a restaurant a few steps away from Hafiz Mustafa 1864 obliged. My mood, naturally, after a 6 hour non-stop trek as good as the trek was, was not the best. However, on one fateful evening Hafiz Mustafa 1864 was brought to my attention kicking and screaming and I had no choice but to take notice.Ī few hours before that evening I had walked right past it to visit the Galata tower, spent some time strolling around Taksim square and had finally managed to locate my number one must see in Istanbul – The Rainbow steps. I literally went past the confectionery a couple of times a day but I was far too busy either straining my eyes in the hope of discovering hidden gems or giddy with the excitement of going over towards the Galata bridge and beyond.
![hafiz mustafa istanbul hafiz mustafa istanbul](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/hafiz-mustafa-istanbul-turkey-istanbul-turkey-october-hafiz-mustafa-famous-pastry-shop-istanbul-turkish-sweets-lokums-127563492.jpg)
The building in which Hafiz Mustafa 1864 inhabits dominates its location in Eminönü, Istanbul, so much so that paradoxically I failed to see it.