Relish the season with ‘fish’!

The city of Istanbul, along with its historical and natural riches, attracts attention with its cuisine that emanates from various cultures. Especially the fish meals and mezes prepared from the delights of the sea that caught from the Black Sea or the Marmara constitutes an integral part of this cuisine. As well as the districts along the shores of Bosphorus, it is possible to reach these savours in the districts which are far from the sea but are the heart of the city.

Arşipel (The Archipelago)
Arşipel, which is serving in Bodrum Aktur for years, opened a new branch in SuAda last year. With its panorama and special flavours, in Arşipel, which has steady regulars, you can select any fish or lobster from the aquarium and you can enjoy the Bosphorus view and watch the preparations of the feast that you would taste soon. By the way, do not forget to enjoy the special mezes.

In Arşipel’s kitchen, fish are served without using any sauce, completely preserving their original tastes; and the mezes are broadened reminding of the old Istanbul dinner tables.

Address: SuAda, Kuruçeşme 
Ph: +90 212 263 73 00

Asmalımescit Balıkçısı (Asmalımescit Fish Restaurant)
Asmalımescit Balıkçısı, as its name implies, is in Asmalımescit which is located in Beyoğlu, the heart of Istanbul. In this special restaurant, you can enjoy unique paintings which are exhibited on the walls, while ordering your 'fish of the day' to the chef. Yes, you can do this; because this place arranges periodical special exhibitions to appeal to its guests’ emotions as well as their taste buds with its peculiar flavours. By the way, let us remind you that Asmalımescit Balıkçısı was chosen by Time Out magazine as 'Istanbul 2005, The Best Restaurant'. 

Address: Asmalımescit Mah. Sofyalı Sok. No: 5/A, Beyoğlu
Ph: +90 212 251 39 39  

Bebek Balıkçısı (Bebek Fish Restaurant)
At Bebek Balıkçısı, the first place for the fish ‘addicts’ and located in the most beautiful district of Bosphorus, Bebek, you have the chance to taste all of the seafood, especially unmatched fishes of Bosphorus. This special venue, with its splendid scenery and its terrace cheek by jowl with the sea, for sure would fascinate you.

Address: Cevdet Paşa Cad. No: 26/A, Bebek
Ph: +90 212 263 34 47 

Del Mare Ristorante
Del Mare, having the unique Bosphorus panorama of Çengelköy, is among the top fish restaurants with its service and special flavours. The restaurant which serves a cuisine of various special tastes, offers a special feast in a classy and tranquil ambience with its authentic and historical architecture.

Address: Kuleli Cad. No: 53/4, Çengelköy
Ph: +90 216 422 57 62


Doğa Balık
Doğa Balık, which stands out with its different flavours, is an indispensable venue for fish lovers. It is an extraordinary fish restaurant with rich fish species and rare and delicious herbs. Especially the broils, pilakis and steamings prepared from fishes like angler and scorpionfish; pilakis and steamings prepared from fishes like horse mackerel, blue fish and mackerel are among the indispensable flavours of Doğa Balık. In this place, as well as different fish mezes, fish salads and other mezes prepared from 35 different plants are waiting for the flavour hunters.

Address: Akarsu Yokuşu No: 46 Kat: 7, Cihangir
Ph: +90 212 243 36 56 

Branch: Barbaros Mah. Barbaros Cad. No: 226, Yenisahra-Kadıköy
Ph: +90 216 470 66 80

Fishmekan
Fishmekan, located in the most beautiful district of Bosphorus, Arnavutköy, addresses your palate with its selected assortments from the traditional fish cuisine, specially-prepared cold and warm mezes, smoked fish choices, homemade pickles and desserts with clotted cream.

Also, let us tell you that you may enjoy the ‘fasıl’ on the weekends on Tekne by Fishmekan (a boat restaurant), the pearl of Bosphorus.

Address: Arnavutköy Cad. No: 60, Arnavutköy
Ph: +90 212 358 51 58 
Tekne by Fishmekan: +90 212 263 76 42 

Giritli Restaurant
In a restored old Sultanahmet mansion, Giritli Restaurant offers special Mediterranean flavours with its countless herbs served for four seasons, meals cooked with the olive oil of Antakya and Küçükkuyu, ever-fresh fishes and with the delicate work of Ayşe Şensılay. The restaurant runs on a fixed menu basis. This menu starts with the pilaf with seafood, which prepares the stomach for the drinks and delicious meals, and goes on with mezes, appetizers, main dish and desserts.

Among the most demanded Giritli classics are the grilled octopus, raw sea bass marinated and enriched with herbs, stuffed onions and Giritli meze prepared from goat cheese, walnuts, crushed green olives and spices; fried hot dumplings with ice cream in the summer; finger flans with halvah in the winter. In addition to that, unlimited domestic drinks and homemade Giritli liqueurs are also on the menu.

Address: Keresteci Hakkı Sok. No: 8, Cankurtaran-Eminönü
Ph: +90 212 458 22 70 – 71  

Balıkçı Sabahattin (Sabahattin the Fisherman)
Balıkçı Sabahattin, which welcomes the regulars of Cankurtaran for long years, serves between 12.00 pm–02.00 am everyday. Some of the tables in Balıkçı Sabahattin, giving service in a historical wooden building built in 1927, offer the chance to have fish feast in the open air in the summer. The place is renowned with its special dishes like all kinds of seafood and fish salad, pilaf with mussel, fish flan and zucchini with yogurt.

Address: Seyit Hasan Kuyu Sokak No: 1, Cankurtaran - Eminönü
Ph: +90 212 458 18 24   

Çengelköy Villa Bosporus
Çengelköy Villa Bosporus which has a wonderful view of Bosporus on the Anatolian Bank, with the first and only private beach in Istanbul, gives its customers full service with delicious fish dishes, its private pier and its garage for forty cars. Among the specialities prepared with fresh sea products taken from the fishermen’s boats daily, there are the sea bass on salt, fried calamari with soy sauce; and chocolate soufflé and kadayıf (a traditional Turkish dessert with syrup) as dessert.

Address: Albay Hüsamettin Ertürk Sok. No: 13, Çengelköy
Phone: +90 216 422 80 80 – 81   

Mavi Balık
Mavi Balık, with its qualified service, hygienic kitchen and a staff working as delicate as an artist; and wonderful sea view, is mentioned as one of the best fish restaurants. Mavi Balık, with its capacity of four hundred in the winter, hosts five hundred in the summer with its terrace.

The restaurant serves for special group meals and parties with its open terrace for two hundred.

Address: Muallim Naci cad. No: 64/A, Kuruçeşme
Phone: +90 212 265 54 80–81

Laledan Fish Restaurant
The 300 years old story of the rakı-fish-meze which dates back from the Ottomans is re-created in Çırağan Palace Kempinski Laledan Fish Restaurant.

In the restaurant where mezes are offered in salvers, and the carefully selected by the Chef, the freshest fish of the season are prepared, one can not get enough of the exquisite flavours of the desserts. In Laledan Fish Restaurant, with Bosporus view, you may turn your meals into a feast with your beloved ones or colleagues. Laledan Fish Restaurant waits for its guests everyday between 7.00 pm and 11:00 pm.

Address: Çırağan Cad. No: 32, Beşiktaş
Phone: +90 212 259 03 94

Cibalikapı Balıkçısı
Cibalikapı Balıkçısı, the sequel to the old İstanbul meyhane tradition, which has started to serve in its three storied historical building almost eight years ago, opened its second branch in Moda, again a historical district of İstanbul, four years ago.

The decoration of these meyhane is mainly wooden... Wooden tables, wooden chairs and the Turkish Classical Music songs, old Turkish Films’ songs, rebetika that never covers the chat are taking you to the meyhane tradition of the old times.

Cibalikapı Balıkçısı, which serves almost twenty-five type of meze, prepared faithful to the original, most of them forgotten, shows the same diligence when it comes to fish. One should not forget the salad made of nearly fourteen ever-fresh plants, the special dessert made of sesame butter and grape molasses, and the liqueurs produced from fresh sour cherries, Satsuma mandarins and pomegranates.

Address:
Haliç: Kadir Has Cad. Kadir Has Üniversitesi yanı, No:5, Cibali
Phone: +90 212 533 28 46 – 533 27 89

Moda: Tarihi Moda İskelesi Yolu, Moda - Kadıköy
Phone: +90 216 348 93 63 – 418 59 73



Kıyı Fish Restaurant
Kıyı Balık, one of the first restaurants coming into mind to eat fish, opens in 1964. The wooden pane ornaments and the photograph and picture collection from Turkish artists gives the place a warm and cosy club air.

Kıyı, offers wide options for the ones who can not give up the traditional fish meals with its cold and warm mezze and daily fresh fish. In Kıyı Fish Restaurant, you have the opportunity to organize dinner and parties for your special invitations.

Address: Kefeliköy Cad. No: 126, Tarabya
Phone: +90 212 262 00 02

İskele Restaurant
The restaurant right on the shore, taking its name from the old pier of Rumelihisarı, may be an ideal choice for your business meals and for your foreigner guests. İskele, one of the most favourite fish restaurants in İstanbul with its delicious marine products, offers tasty alternatives of fish and meze from Turkish, Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. 

You should in any case try the aubergine salad, octopus, salt bonito from the aperitifs and shrimp in butter, paçanga böreği (a fried pastry with pastrami) and anchovy in farina from the main dishes.

Address: Yahya Kemal Cad. No: 1, Rumelihisarı
Tel : +90 212 263 29 97

Set Balık
Set Balık, serving since 1967, is among the most qualifies restaurants of Istanbul. In the menu comprising of the marine products and meze, the most demanded tastes are fish salami, fish pastry, spinach clam, broiled angler and hard-boiled turbot. Set Balık offers a delightful ambience with its summer and winter lounges and decent prices.

Address: Kireçburnu Caddesi No: 18, Tarabya
Phone: +90 212 262 04 11

Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı
This charming restaurant, a place for neighbourhood workers and fish ‘addicts’ as regulars, serving for 74 years, offers Istanbulites the fish savour with its ambiance and delicious fish.

You should try the fish soup, the shrimp and the sea bass wrapped in paper of the Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı settled in the most energetic district of Istanbul, Karaköy.

Address: Tersane Cad. Kardeşim Sok. No: 30, Karaköy
Phone: +90 212 251 13 71

Papalina Fish Restaurant
Papalina Fish Restaurant, with its special flavours, is one of the hangout places for the fish ‘addicts’... You can taste here all the marine products as well as the secret savour of the historical Turkish, Greek and Mediterranean cuisine.

Papalina fish restaurant which serves with its terrace in the summer, gives a good head start for you with its café section where you can taste the aperitifs.

Address: Ataköy Marina - Sahil Yolu, Ataköy
Phone: +90 212 560 12 70