garden house on island

We spend the first days of our honeymoon in Dialaras House. The place is really perfect. Good and hot showers, a Jacuzi, beautiful and lovely furniture style, clean, a perfect kitchen, a garden, audio speakers for music in the whole house etc. The things are simple but work great. After one day we felt at home. Cozy and comfy.

My Mom and I spent a week at Dilara’s island house, and this house played the most important part in giving us an amazing time in Istanbul. Being in this exciting city and being able to rest in total quietness and freshness, surrounded by nature, at the end of an eventful day is a rare advantage. An even more rare advantage on this island is having such a great public beach just around the corner – sandy, with warm water, no wind, safe and quiet. The house itself felt like home from the start, spacious and airy, clean, quiet, lived-in and colorful with lots of personal touches. To us it looked even better than in the photos. We appreciated nice hot water and pressure in the shower and tub, comfy beds and fresh sheets, kitchen equipped even with unimaginable utensils so fully ready for cooking anything you like, even baking I suppose)) My Mom got all her energy back with afternoon naps in the garden, and I loved the music system with speakers in every room, bathroom and even garden which had tangos from my ipod follow me wherever I went creating a lot of dancing around. We had all our long breakfasts in the garden and most of other meals in the village. We appreciated to find a city guide in our language on the bookshelf, which directed us to visit some places in the city we weren’t originally thinking of. Being an explorer of Istanbul for seven years already, I think this is a perfect place to stay in the city if you want to balance sightseeing and other city activities with some slow time amidst greenery, leisurely biking, swimming and picnicking, since the island is so well-connected with the city by fast and conventional ferries till late hours. In the city itself it’s difficult to find such a relaxing and romantic place to stay and it really does make a difference in Istanbul. Dilara, thank you again from both of us for being such a caring and trusting host, and we look forward to staying with you again and bringing more friends & family to show Istanbul to them from such a great base!

We had a great stay at Dilara's Island house and would recommend it as a peaceful getaway from Istanbul. Before arriving, we had spent a week near Taksim enjoying the bustling streets and busy restaurants but were looking forward to a more relaxing setting. The ferry ride was only half an hour from Kabatas on a fast IDO ferry. From the docks it was around a half hour walk to the house. We were pleased to find that there were several small shops along the walk (one right by the house) so you can pickup food and essentials without having to walk all the way into the town. Also, if you're not up for the walk, there are horse drawn carriages available near the docks that would take you there for around 20 lira. We arrived earlier than expected but Dilara was very sweet about it. She met us at the gate and even brought us cold melon to snack on while she finished cleaning. The house consists of the first 2 floors of a larger unit but was very private - when sitting on the back patio and balconies you couldn't see anyone. It was very spacious and bright with plenty of large windows and the floors were lovely old tile. While Dilara did a good job of cleaning, the one negative may be that much of the furniture shows its age. This isn't always a bad thing - the antique tables were lovely - but some people might be a little put-off by the worn down upholsterer furniture. The linens were all new looking and clean though, so it didn't bother us at all. Overall the house is an excellent value. The island was a lovely retreat and by far the most relaxing portion of our trip. We would highly recommend it.

Watch out for the address - we first ended up in an area which wasn't exactly inspiring confidence: There is "Alcak Dam S" (DON'T GO THERE) and "Alcak Dam Yokusu" (BINGO!). We didn't meet Dilara personally, the keys were handed over in her restaurant (which is very nice and has very tasty food). The flat is nice and it is located a good area. Is has a slight flooding problem in the bathroom though. Dilara was quick in answering phone, email and texts with our questions.

We stayed for 4 days in Dilara's own flat, while she was in New York. It was the perfect spot for us, a lovely area in Beyoglu, a friendly house and an amazingly cosy flat. Dilara is a chef and runs a charming little eatery close to the flat. She offered us to use all the food in the fridge and the huge variety of spices she has in store in her great kitchen. We had the best time staying in her flat. All thumbs up for this cosy retreat in a lovely and bustling quarter of Istanbul!

My wife and I have very much enjoied Dilaras apartment situated in a great area of the city. We like the fact that it is close to Taksim Square and close to Bosphorus waterfront all in walking distance.

This is a sweet, small apartment in a completely fantastic part of Istanbul. We loved exploring the neighbourhood and definitely felt at home. The flat is decent (not very flash), but we felt very comfortable there. Dilara was a very patient host, waiting until 2am to give us our keys!

we spent an amazing weekend in istanbul. dilara and her husband were extremely helpful with sightseeing tips. the appartement is located in a great part of the city and very cosy. plus the food in their restaurant was delicious.

We had an amazing time at Dilara's place! It's in a very convenient, pretty location and is sweet and cozy. I hope to meet Dilara next time and try her delicious food.

We instantly loved Dilara's apartment! It truly felt like home right away and it was always an amazing place to return to after a long day out. Make use of her spices, cooking was a joy in her kitchen. Also make sure you visit her restaurant, for breakfast and dinner, it was delicious and we honestly craved her cooking throughout the remainder of our trip. The moments preparing coffee and breakfast in the flat were no doubt some of our favorites while in this ridiculously charming neighborhood. We broke her teapot and she didn't even bat an eye! We will come back for sure.

We had an very nice week in the cosy appartement. Dilara and her husband were great hosts - they helped us with useful informations about istanbul and beyoglu. The appartement is fully furnished, in a small road not far away from taksim. Within ten minutes you can reach the trendy neighbourhood with a lot of cafes, restaurants, shops and interesting people. Just a few steps down the appartement you are at the bosporus and a tram station. So its easy to travel to the touristic sites of istanbul or take a trip with the ferry across the bosporus.

We had a great time staying here, it's close to a lot of good restaurants - including Dilara's! You can see the Bosphoros bridge from the front door and the tram/ferry station is close to get further around the city. The apartment is a great place to unwind and relax.

Tusind tak til Dilara for en deligt tur! Dilara, her exceptionally delicious restaurant, and cozy flat couldn't have a higher recommendation from us. Dilara was very busy but still made time to share her insights on Istanbul and her cooking is legendary! Highly recommend staying at her place in Cihangir! (Michael and Christina Feb 2012)

Dilara's place has a great location and a wonderful vibe. She is very reliable and helpful- she knows the city and country thoroughly. I guarantee you will have an amazing stay here. The apartment is cozy and you will feel at home as you can walk everywhere. Enjoy!

Dilara was very accommodating and helpful. I enjoyed getting to sit down with her for a quick chat about her life in Istanbul.

Awesome place and the kindest host! House is great, Buyukada is wonderful! It is certainly a cozy & lovely place to stay.

Dilara is one of Istanbul's most famous and innovative chefs. She's a living legend and celebrity who has pioneered a modern take on traditional Anatolian food at her superstylish restaurants. Hugely praised by the likes of Conde Nast Traveller, Newsweek, New York Times etc.