On a recent visit to Turkey, I had lunch at the famed Pudding Shop Lale Restaurant in Istanbul. In some ways, it might have been my favorite site as part of a two-week visit.
The Pudding Shop is the site where possibly hundreds of thousands of trips across the Hippie Trail/Overland started, including Rick's: I could almost picture Rick circa 1978 at the next table. The eatery is festooned with hundreds of photos, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia. The food was excellent. Packed on the first and second floors with regulars and travelers, visitors don't stand out: They're part of the "regular crowd". The eatery is easy to find near the Blue Mosque. Next door is an ice cream shop to top off a meal.
The Pudding Shop is only one eatery of the perhaps thousands in Istanbul, a city with no shortage of good food, but few offer the same charm, atmosphere and heritage.