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...

Çapari, one of the district's oldest establishments, has live fasıl music.

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

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....

There are dozens of restaurants around the fish market by Galata Bridge and on the bridge itself. This one, on the west side of the bridge, is consistently...

Kartallar Balıkçı is famous for its balık çorbası (fish chowder) and buĸulama (steamed fish casserole) - and has a large celebrity quotient among its clientele.

In business since 1938, Kör Agop is known for its top quality fish and fasıl.

Gourmands from all over Istanbul regularly make the pilgrimage to Kanlıca, midway up the Bosphorus, for what many locals swear is the finest fish in...

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

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...

Rumeli's food is far superior to the tourist fodder served at the the cluster of establishments at the bottom of Divan Yolu. A former printworks with a...

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...

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. The ground floor...