Hot / trendy in Athens & Istanbul

[adelly]

I would like to take my hubby out to a decent birthday dinner on September 6 in Athens and another dinner on September 11 or 12 (Friday / Saturday) in Istanbul. I tried searching Concierge and Travel & Leisure but many of the recs don't even apply anymore. Are there any decent restos that are hot and trendy right now? We are 30 year-olds from LA and would love to find good food in a bar/lounge-y type atmosphere. Since we are on a budget and suffering from the recession, I would not want to spend more than $100/person for each dinner.