Nice chain of cafes in Istanbul
Mado is a popular chain of cafes in Istanbul and make for a great place to grab a quick snack or a cup of tasty Turkish red tea. We were spending a day in Istanbul as part of a layover and as the flight had arrived quite early, we still had a bit of time to kill before the Hagia Sophia opened. We saw a Mado just across the street and thought what better way to celebrate our arrival than with a few glasses of tea.
The restaurant has a to-go counter on the ground floor and more elegant dining rooms on the upper two floors which also boast great views of the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. We ordered a few cups of red tea and a breakfast pastry that basically consisted in puff pastries stuffed with mellow feta-like cheese. Mado is more well-known for its unique ice cream, though we didn't have a chance to try it as it was 8 o'clock in the morning in November!
