Most visitors staying around Sultanahmet head to Kumkapı for fish, unaware that there's a far better option on their doorstep. In fact, Balıkçı Sabahattin is one of the few...

Don't let the entrance via the dismal lobby of the Villa Zurich Hotel put you off: Doĸa Balık is a splendid neighbourhood fish restaurant. The dining rooms on the seventh floor...

Arnavutköy's coolest new venue is housed in aconverted Ottoman yalı, which stands out from the throng of nearby fish restaurants with its burgundy façade. If you can't grab one...

A supremely stylish affair, Poseidon serves superior seafood at vertiginous prices. Sampling the meze menu will hike up the bill, but specalities like stuffed calamari,...

Established in 1954, this upmarket meyhane is a great starting point to immerse yourself in meze culture and acquire a taste for rakı. Gravel voiced Refik Arslan still meets...

Despite competition from newer, shinier seafood restaurants, this place is always packed. The best tables are on the waterfront deck, with a view of the hilltop castle of...

A meyhane maybe, but très genteel. This cosy local haunt feels like someone's front room - someone with money, taste and a fine old house. There are mustard walls, exposed...