The Best Fish and Meze Restaurants in Istanbul

The best fish and meze restaurants in Istanbul are not the ones with a host waving a menu at you on a tourist drag. They are the meyhanes, the old taverns where you sit down with a glass of rakı, a tray of small cold dishes, and no real plan to leave for three hours. This guide is the short version of what I’d actually send a friend: where to go, what to order, and how the whole rakı-balık ritual works.

A quick bit of background, because it explains the whole culture. The meyhane goes back to Byzantine times, when taverns sat in the coastal districts and fed sailors who wanted a meal with their drink. The format really took hold under the Ottomans, and rakı, the anise spirit that turns cloudy white when you add water (cousin to ouzo and pastis), became the drink the city built its evenings around. You will pass a meyhane on what feels like every other corner. That does not mean you should walk into the first one you see.

How to avoid the tourist traps

Here is my honest advice up front: steer clear of the places packed under the Galata Bridge and along the busiest old-town lanes. Those tend to push farmed fish at inflated prices, and the magic of a good meyhane is exactly what they are missing. The real ones reward you with fresh fish, a relaxed table, and a bill that makes sense.

“Meyhane” simply means tavern, and the ritual is half the point. You drink rakı, you graze on meze as starters, and then, if you still have room, you move to a grilled fish. This is where the phrase rakı-balık (rakı-fish) comes from. It is less a meal than an evening, slow and social and genuinely one of the best things you can do in the city after dark. If you want more of the food side of Istanbul, the wider Istanbul cuisine guide and this run-through of famous Istanbul foods cover the dishes you will keep meeting.

What is meze and how do you order it?

Meze are small appetizers served before the main course, both cold and hot, and the easy way in is to ask for the tray (“meze tepsisi”) so you can point at what looks good. Reliable orders include levrek marin (sea bass marinated with mustard), various salads and vegetable dishes, hummus, karides güveç (shrimp baked with mushrooms, tomato and cheese), squid grilled or fried a la plancha, and ahtapot salatası (octopus salad). That is barely scratching it. If you want to study the field before you sit down, the dedicated list of Turkish mezes to try is worth a look.

Which fish in which season?

Once the cold meze are done, order a hot meze or a whole grilled fish with salad, raw onion and lemon. Fish price moves with the season and often is not printed, so ask before you order. As a rough calendar for Istanbul: palamut (bonito) and çinekop (baby bluefish) peak through October and November, lüfer (full bluefish) runs strong from late autumn into January and February, and levrek (sea bass) is at its best in spring and summer. In short, autumn and early winter is prime time. Visit in those months and the fish on the ice will be local and cheap by comparison.

Eating good fish in Istanbul is possible if you know the right places

Beyond the classic meyhanes, some of the best seafood in the city sits at the upscale terraces along the Bosphorus, where the view does a lot of the work. Below are the places I keep coming back to. For an even longer shortlist, see our Istanbul seafood restaurant recommendations and the best Bosphorus restaurants with a view.

Arnavutköy: the meyhane cluster I’d start with

The Arnavutköy district is one of the most charming corners of the city, all bay-windowed wooden houses and a real neighborhood feel. The fish places line one street, which makes it easy: walk the row, glance at the menus, pick your mood.

Sur Balık is the upscale option, set in a restored Ottoman mansion with a proper Bosphorus view and a serious wine cellar (it has been going since 2004 and the fish is always seasonal). Lipari is the affordable, local choice with genuinely good cooking. Arnavutköy Balıkçısı and Eftalya are the two old neighborhood institutions, dependable service, fresh fish, no fuss. They all sit on the same street, and on weekends they fill up fast, so book ahead. To round out the evening there are a couple of good bars nearby: Alexandra Cocktail Bar for homemade cocktails and a lovely rooftop, and Any Istanbul, a small pub that sometimes runs live Turkish music.

The street to aim for: Arnavutköy Mah. 1. Cad., Arnavutköy.

Eleos Beyoğlu

A lovely terrace just off İstiklal with a Bosphorus view and, lately, a Michelin Guide nod. The meze are fresh and well priced, and alongside the Turkish classics you get genuinely good Greek meze, which is the draw here. It sits on an upper floor of the historic Hıdivyal Palas, slightly hidden, which only adds to it. Reserve a few hours ahead on weekdays and a few days ahead on weekends. While you are in the area, the wider İstiklal Avenue guide covers what else is worth your time on the street.

Address: İstiklal Caddesi, Hıdivyal Palas, No 231, Kat 2, Beyoğlu. Website: eleos-restaurant.com

Karaköy Lokantası

A true institution and one of the safest bets in this whole guide. The room is beautifully done in turquoise tile with a historic feel, and it now carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The menu is not huge, but that is the point: order the meze tray, lean into how fresh everything is, and you will eat very well for the money. By day it runs as an esnaf lokantası with homemade daily specials that are genuinely tasty; by night it turns full meyhane. If you are anywhere near the Galata Bridge, eat here instead of the touristy spots. Evenings book out, so reserve. It anchors a neighborhood worth exploring in its own right, covered in our Karaköy guide.

Address: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mh., Kemankeş Cd. No: 37. Website: karakoylokantasi.com

Del Mare

Over on the Asian side in Çengelköy, set in a restored 19th-century building, Del Mare pairs excellent seafood with a sweeping view back across the Bosphorus. The romantic touch is the small boat that ferries guests across from the European shore straight to the terrace. Order the octopus carpaccio, the fried shrimp, the yogurt ravioli, and a spread of Turkish and fish meze. The wine list is strong (rakı included) and the service is polished. Prices run a little above average, but the food, the boat, and the setting earn it.

Address: Çengelköy Mahallesi, Kuleli Cd. 45-1, Üsküdar. Website: delmarerestaurant.com

Uskumru

This one you can only reach by boat, which is exactly why it is special. Head to the platform at Rumeli Hisarı and take the little shuttle across to Anadolu Hisarı; it runs back and forth for diners. The restaurant sits right at the water’s edge under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, a few meters from the Bosphorus. Go in the evening or on a sunny afternoon, ideally April through October. The appetizers are the strong suit, sea bass with basil, squid a la plancha with walnuts, and you will want a reservation to land a good table. It is on the pricier side and worth it for the setting alone.

Address: Anadolu Hisarı Mh., Körfez Cd. No:55. Website: uskumru.com.tr

A few last tips for your rakı-balık night

Pace yourself: the meze come first for a reason, and rakı is meant to be sipped slowly with food and water on the side. Always ask the fish price before ordering, eat what is in season, and book ahead on weekends everywhere on this list. Do that and you will have one of those long, easy Istanbul evenings people remember for years. For more on the drink itself, see why rakı is the national drink of Turkey, and if you are weighing where to base yourself for nights like this, the best area to stay in Istanbul guide will help.