Borsa establishes itself in İstinye Park

The open air, high end shopping square of Istinye Park Mall hosts world famous designer brands from Chloe, Fendi, Louis Vuittion and Christian Dior to Giorgio Armani. With flashy jeeps parked all around the outdoor luxury goods vicinity, the environment makes for exciting people watching, lavish shopping as well as dining.

On a sunny weekend Istanbul socialites can be observed lounging around sipping iced cappuccinos with their Versace sunglasses and beige Hermes Birkin bags, mingling with their acquaintances. Although the cafes here offer great ambience and prime crowd watching, with regards to food and a true exquisite Istanbul meal, Borsa Lokantasi on the second floor overlooking the square and the shops is the best address to head to.

The initial Borsa Lokantasi was established in Eminönü way back in 1927 on a street where the Zahire Borsa (Grain Exchange Office) was located, and hence the name of the restaurant.

It later moved to Sirkeci in 1983 and was then acquired by the Özkanca brothers: Rasim, Tahsin and Ali Reşat. Further developing Borsa’s culinary skills, the Özkanca brothers open the renewed restaurant on top of Lütfi Kırdar Conference Center in Harbiye. Other branches of this beloved Turkish kitchen were slowly introduced in Fenerbahçe and in the Kandilli area on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Mouthwateringly close to perfection
In terms of the superb taste of food, Borsa Lokantasi is probably not one of Istanbul’s but one of the world’s finest culinary establishments; every established dish here, from the cold olive oiled vegetables to the meats tastes, is close to perfection with the juicy zest of fresh ingredients disintegrating in ones mouth with each bite.

Upon seating, a basket of warm fluffy pita bread, fresh butter and a thick slice of Tulum cheese are brought to the table. Regarding the appetizers, the Gavurdağı Salatası, which is simply a straightforward chopped tomatoes and onion salad, is heavenly! The Eggplant Salad in taste is very typically Turkish but with regards to its architectural design and presentation at the table is flamboyantly Westernized (thin slices of grilled eggplant twirl around a lump of mashed eggplant). The Garden Cress and Rocket Salad bursts with flavor. Also fantastic are the seasonal artichokes with olive oil and warm humus.

Grilled Octopus is a good starter but not as amazingly melt-in-your-mouth as the vegetable appetizers. Requesting the Salt Bonito, the waitress comes back to inform the table that the chef did not like the bonito this evening and thus prefers not to serve it Ğ a trustworthy sign indicating that the chef and staff in the kitchen are constantly aware of the freshness of each ingredient.

The staff recommends the seasonal turbot fish. Juicily and gracefully cooked to perfection, the turbot at Borsa Lokantasi beats almost all the other fish restaurants in Istanbul. Even the steamed various vegetables on the side are scrumptious, one really wonders what the chef’s secret is getting the whole lot done so right.

Extraordinary staff
Borsa’s Harbiye branch above Lütfü Kırdar Conference Center has some of the most amazingly and well knowledge staff anywhere in Istanbul; motivated, enthusiastic but not too overbearing, the waiters with their suggestions guide dinners to a perfect meal. Thus the service in the Istinye branch is also highly professional and skilled, if not as passionate as the Harbiye staff. During the warm days, outdoor seating is available overlooking the glitzy Istinye Park designers square.

Traditional Turkish style

With regards to meat, Borsa offers over 20 various dishes cooked in traditional Turkish style. The most famous is Yoğurtlu Dana Köfte; the thick yogurt next to the meatballs is made from the milk of water buffalos and brought here from Kemalpaşa.

Another admired dish is the Akçaabat Köftesi and Borsa Döner all cooked in a special charcoal grill (restrictions are generally made for restaurants inside Istinye Park Mall, but Borsa has acquired their own charcoal grill). From the thinly cut juicy döner kebab, the Döner Iskender over pita bread and thick yogurt is a popular choice. And Anatolian style Adana and Urfa Kebap, Külbastı Veal (char-grilled veal) and Konya method cooked Lamb Tandir Kebab (Kuzu Tandır) are some of other well-liked meat dishes.

Pınar Mah. İstinye Bayırı Cad. İstinye Park Alışveriş Merkezi İstinye, İstanbul
Tel: 0212-345 5333