Worth a Journey

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The World’s 100 Best Pastry Shops

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

Istanbul, Turkey

  1. THE WORLD’S BEST PASTRY SHOPS WORTH A JOURNEY · 2026 ✦ ✦ N° 13 2026

No. 1 in the Middle East

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

A large baklava shop in Karaköy, near Galataport, with a takeaway shop next door and self-service seating indoors and in a courtyard. Specialities include the cold milk baklava, the pistachio varieties, börek, and gluten-free and vegan baklava.

Highlights

  • Soğuk (cold milk) baklava
  • Pistachio baklava and börek
  • Outdoor courtyard seating

Good to know

  • Self-service: carry trays to the till
  • Crowded at most hours, with confusing queues
  • Tea ordered and collected separately with receipt

Also in the Middle East

  1. El Helmeya Pastry N° 18 El Helmeya Pastry Cairo, Egypt Pastry shop
  2. Hafız Mustafa N° 42 Hafız Mustafa Istanbul Pastry shop
  3. Mandarine Koueider N° 50 Mandarine Koueider Cairo, Egypt Pastry shop
  4. Habibah Sweets N° 91 Habibah Sweets Amman, Jordan Pastry shop