Cahide saw that her fame was about to expire, so she did what she had to: she ousted Joke Circus and brought Lüküs Saz in its place. Her meyhane stole our hearts, filling the void left there when Dedikodulu closed down.
Cahide is an enticing dame, one who knows what she wants. Inspired by the cultural life that began in Istanbul thanks to the treasures the Russian aristocrats left on ships as they were running away from the Russian Revolution of 1917; Cahide imagined a meyhane adorned with this loot, that was both unusual and familiar. Now you have Cahide’s latest number, Lüküs Saz. The décor is perfect! Cahide Sonku’s photographs hang on the walls and her hats wink at you from the foot of the stage before the show begins.
The night begins with the setting of an all-inclusive meyhane table. The meze dishes, bite-sized and delicious, are placed on each table. Grandma’s kısır sarma (wrapped cracked wheat with olive oil and veggies), gavur turşusu (literally, ‘infidel’s pickle’), topik and rose börek with spinach take your breath away, while the işkembe (lamb tripe) with chickpeas has a shocking effect on your palate. With the first glasses being raised in the air, the meyhane patrons act like they’ve been friends for forty years.
The repertoire is impressive and seduces everyone from seven to seventy. When everything is so intimate and genuine, you can’t help but join in on the singing and dancing, and before you know it, you’re passing request pieces scribbled on napkins to the singer, lost in the intoxication of nostalgia, Şıllık Vodka (30 TL) and Sour Apple & Rakı Cocktail (30 TL). When you get the chance to collect yourself during the slower pieces, try the tas kebap on a bed of fresh milk-scented purée, the chicken stew or the meyhane pilavı, the highlight of any trip to the meyhane. Çapamarka, the proud owner of this establishment, hasn’t forgotten any of the meyhane rituals; you’ll find iced almond sellers, flower girl, Güllü with her basket on her arm and the ‘şipşak foto’ guys with Polaroid cameras here. Let the hundreds of immortal pieces by famous folk and classical music singers take you exactly where you want to go, and then, for the finale, try the pumpkin dessert with honey and chestnuts, or the atom.
To tell you the truth, we’ve missed this flavour, as well as the music that reverberates in our ears and the tasty mixture of rakı and meze that lingers in your mouths for days and days. Don’t miss out on this quintessential Istanbul experience - you won’t regret it. There’s fasıl every night except on Sunday, as well as exclusive programs every Tuesday. We went on a Friday, when Cihan Doğan, whom we recognised from the former venue, Dedikodulu, was on stage.