Circle Restaurant offers world cuisine by Bosphorus
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 13, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Since 2001, Circle restaurant in Istanbul's Yeniköy has been offering great food and gorgeous Bosphorus views. The venue has hosted well-known names in the political world and members of the jet set, as well as local residents of the neighborhood. Managers Erkan and Sevda Kavcı plan to expand withnew branches on hip Bağdat Avenue as well as posh Bebek and lively Beyoğlu.
When an Istanbul restaurant combines a Bosphorus view with good food and service, it is impossible for it not to be popular, and Circle, which opened its doors in 2001 in the city’s Yeniköy district, is no exception.
Since that time, Circle has hosted many well-known names in the political world and members of the jet set, as well as local residents of the neighborhood. It is a place where diners can run into Kemal Derviş, the head of the United Nations Development Program, or the acclaimed actress and singer Hülya Avşar.
The restaurant was established when Sevda Kavcı and her sister decided to open a venue, later bringing on Sevda’s husband, Erkan Kavcı, to help manage. Renting the ground floor of a fascinating waterside residence called Mualla Hanım Yalı, the family went for a cozy and sporty look at the beginning. After eight years of offering the same tastes in a cafe atmosphere, the owners decided to make a change and close Circle for the month of March in order to renovate it into a cafe/bar.
The revamped venue looks like a newly opened restaurant; the change renewed not only the interior, but also the spirit of the employees, the decor and the menu.
Sevda and Erkan Kavcı now plan to open branches on Bağdat Avenue, the notable high street on the Asian side on Istanbul; in the posh Bebek neighborhood on the European side; and in the lively central area of Beyoğlu.
The new look and flavors of the restaurant have drawn a crowd that satisfies the owners. Since the restaurant’s renovation, its owners have started to collect data on frequent visitors and are trying to work more systematically, Erkan Kavcı noted. Famed young chef Coşkun Uysal prepares the new menus.
"The cooks now prepare different sauced or cooked meals and they are very talented," said Kavcı. The restaurant has 17 employees, seven of whom are cooks working in the kitchen.
Breakfast or late-night drink
At Circle, visitors can opt for an early-morning breakfast or a late-night drink, as the venue opens its doors around 8:30 a.m. and closes at 2 a.m. Circle offers a village breakfast that includes most of the traditional tastes such as olives, honey and tomatoes. Its dinner menu includes antrikot, lamb chops, risotto, sea bass and many other choices, and its desserts have also become popular around the neighborhood.
Of course, one must pay a price for a Bosphorus location. "We have struggled so much to find and rent a place to open Circle," Kavcı said.
Organic bread available
Kavcı stays until the restaurant closes its doors at night, which could have made his life monotonous, but he has not let this happen. Whenever he finds time, he goes to the gym or attends various social activities. Since childhood, he also has another hobby: preparing desserts.
"It is Uysal who prepared the menu, and we want to continue working with him, but since I am good at preparing desserts, I reserve the right to poke my nose into the list," Kavcı said. "The rest belongs to professionals."
A former professional football player, Kavcı, now 42, quit because back then, players did not earn much. He was in the coffee business for a while before joining the Circle team, and to this day, he believes that knowing about coffee improves his skill with preparing desserts, which he made first from recipes and later using his own ideas. In addition to its delicious desserts, Circle also offers homemade organic bread.
Depending on what one eats at Circle, a meal for one can run between 30 and 60 Turkish Liras, but the Bosphorus view, professional management and delicious food provide pleasure that is worth every kuruş.
Address: Köybaşı Cad. Daire Sok. Mualla Hanım Yalısı 5/1, Yeniköy - Istanbul Tel 0212 8455
Since that time, Circle has hosted many well-known names in the political world and members of the jet set, as well as local residents of the neighborhood. It is a place where diners can run into Kemal Derviş, the head of the United Nations Development Program, or the acclaimed actress and singer Hülya Avşar.
The restaurant was established when Sevda Kavcı and her sister decided to open a venue, later bringing on Sevda’s husband, Erkan Kavcı, to help manage. Renting the ground floor of a fascinating waterside residence called Mualla Hanım Yalı, the family went for a cozy and sporty look at the beginning. After eight years of offering the same tastes in a cafe atmosphere, the owners decided to make a change and close Circle for the month of March in order to renovate it into a cafe/bar.
The revamped venue looks like a newly opened restaurant; the change renewed not only the interior, but also the spirit of the employees, the decor and the menu.
Sevda and Erkan Kavcı now plan to open branches on Bağdat Avenue, the notable high street on the Asian side on Istanbul; in the posh Bebek neighborhood on the European side; and in the lively central area of Beyoğlu.
The new look and flavors of the restaurant have drawn a crowd that satisfies the owners. Since the restaurant’s renovation, its owners have started to collect data on frequent visitors and are trying to work more systematically, Erkan Kavcı noted. Famed young chef Coşkun Uysal prepares the new menus.
"The cooks now prepare different sauced or cooked meals and they are very talented," said Kavcı. The restaurant has 17 employees, seven of whom are cooks working in the kitchen.
Breakfast or late-night drink
At Circle, visitors can opt for an early-morning breakfast or a late-night drink, as the venue opens its doors around 8:30 a.m. and closes at 2 a.m. Circle offers a village breakfast that includes most of the traditional tastes such as olives, honey and tomatoes. Its dinner menu includes antrikot, lamb chops, risotto, sea bass and many other choices, and its desserts have also become popular around the neighborhood.
Of course, one must pay a price for a Bosphorus location. "We have struggled so much to find and rent a place to open Circle," Kavcı said.
Organic bread available
Kavcı stays until the restaurant closes its doors at night, which could have made his life monotonous, but he has not let this happen. Whenever he finds time, he goes to the gym or attends various social activities. Since childhood, he also has another hobby: preparing desserts.
"It is Uysal who prepared the menu, and we want to continue working with him, but since I am good at preparing desserts, I reserve the right to poke my nose into the list," Kavcı said. "The rest belongs to professionals."
A former professional football player, Kavcı, now 42, quit because back then, players did not earn much. He was in the coffee business for a while before joining the Circle team, and to this day, he believes that knowing about coffee improves his skill with preparing desserts, which he made first from recipes and later using his own ideas. In addition to its delicious desserts, Circle also offers homemade organic bread.
Depending on what one eats at Circle, a meal for one can run between 30 and 60 Turkish Liras, but the Bosphorus view, professional management and delicious food provide pleasure that is worth every kuruş.
Address: Köybaşı Cad. Daire Sok. Mualla Hanım Yalısı 5/1, Yeniköy - Istanbul Tel 0212 8455