Çengelköy, 3.5 km (2 miles) northeast of Üsküdar, north beyond the first Bosphorus bridge and Beylerbeyi Palace (), is among the more picturesque of the "villages" that line the Asian shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
Famous for its fish restaurants and seaside cafes and tea gardens (çay bahçeleri), Çengelköy (CHEN-gehl-keuy) is also home to one of Istanbul's best boutique hotels, the renowned Sumahan on the Water.
Ferryboats run regularly from Eminönü and Besiktaş to Üsküdar, from which you can easily catch a bus north to Çengelköy, passing beneath the Bosphorus Bridgeand by Beylerbeyi Palace.
A few ferryboats go right to Çengelköy, making the ferry voyage a mini-Bosphorus cruise.
—by Tom Brosnahan