For the food-obsessed it is practically an impossible task within the confines of a 3 day city break, to figure out where/when/and how much to eat. Having said that, we made it our mission not to waste precious calories on tourist-trap kebabs but to seek out the best and finest of what Istanbul could offer. After scrupulous research of all the Istanbul foodie blogs, we settled on two very different, but equally terrific establishments.
Karadeniz Pide ve Döner Salonu
The Karadeniz Pide ve Döner Salonu is located within the hustle and bustle of the Beşiktaş shopping district. Without really trying we managed to stumble upon the restaurant as our attention was drawn to the customers sitting at the tables spilling onto the street, the GINORMOUS beef and lamb kebab rotating around the spit, the delicious smells wafting into the air, and a small army of waiters making sure that a constant stream of food was dispatched to the hungry lunchtime crowd. As we approached the restaurant we were warmly greeted by its owner, and given a table upstairs. A Turkish-only menu listed about half a dozen items (none of which we could read except for the eponymous 'kebap'), but on inspection of what everyone else had on their plates clearly the most popular items were the kebab in pide bread and kebab meat on a plate with salad. After an initial negotiation between us on whether to order kebab on a fresh crusty bread roll, or in a pide, I was overruled and we went with a pide filled with kebab meat. It’s difficult to describe the elegant simplicity arrived on our plate a few minutes later - a fluffy pide, better than anything I’ve ever had in London, which served as a means to contain slivers of fresh kebab meat, tomato slices, cucumber pickle, and green chilli. There is no secret to it other than fresh ingredients, presented simply.
The Karadeniz restaurant is located in the Besiktas district which is within walking distance from Taksim Square, with the added bonus of having the Dolmabahçe Palace en route. Alternatively, there are numerous buses from Taksim square and taxis are cheap (except in our case when we were taken on an extended scenic route version). We had a great time absorbing the frenetic activity of the Saturday shopping trade, which gave us a little insight of what real life is like in Istanbul outside of the main tourist areas.
Address: Sinanpasa Mah. Mumcu bakkal Sokak No 6, Besiktas, Istanbul, Turkey
Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi
"When you eat once, you have to come back to it. It's addictive." - owner of Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi.
Later in the day, we continued our quest for meat on sticks, by visiting Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi is located in the Old Town area of Sirkeci. The restaurant specialises in cağ kebab, which means that the lamb is roasted on a horizontal rather than vertical spit. From our table we had a great vantage point of the kebab master at work. In one hand, he wielded a large carving knife, which was deftly used to cut slivers of lamb, which in turn were transferred onto smaller wooden skewers. The smaller skewers handed to his sous chef, who gives the individual skewers a final sear over the charcoal grill. These skewers are served directly on a piece of thin, crepe-like flatbread called 'lavash bread'. After the fluffy pide I had in the morning at Karadeniz, I was initially skeptical as to whether the lavash bread would equal my expectations. In fact, it was a nice accompaniment in that it was fresh, soaked up all of the lamb juices.
Address: Hocapaşa Sokak 3/A, Sirkeci
Thanks to Istanbul Food blog for the recommendations!
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