Forno Balat Istanbul – Friendly cafe in the Golden Horn

I was hearing a lot about Forno recently: the quality of the breakfast menu, how the stone oven products were freshly made and delicious and especially how the owner was obsessed with making Forno a place that you feel like you're at your friend's home.

So we gave their breakfast a try. I can confirm what I heard was all correct. It's a cosy place with high-quality open buffet breakfast, the best scrambled eggs and homemade jams, and the best croissants I have ever tasted in Turkey, really amazing. Forno has their own stone oven which helps serve fresh and hot bakery products. Forno also serves pizza, pide and lahmacun that I will taste the next time I am there.

The location is very convenient: it's just in the middle of Balat, which is becoming a more popular historical location for sightseeing and guided tours. It is a good idea to start the day in Forno and join your historical tour from there.