Strong comeback for a historical fish venue
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Mina Erçel
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 30, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Established in 1934, Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı, with a new decor and elevated setting, makes a strong and remarkable comeback. Its new dining area, now serving dinner and alcohol, has opened atop the former restaurant, Karaköy Balıkçısı, and is an up-to-date hotspot with fresh seafood fares and a breathtaking view of the Golden Horn
Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı is located in Istanbul’s Perşembe Pazarı district; a shady area near the Golden Horn filled with small shops that sell plastic pipes and bathroom fixtures.
On a back street across the historic Tunel entrance called Kardesim Sokak, lays the inconspicuous fish restaurant Karakoy Balıkçısı. Once refered to by The New York Times as one of the best places to eat in Istanbul, until recently this celebrated institution was open only for lunch and served no alcohol.
New facelift
In the beginning of 2009, the owners of Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı opened a new venue on top of their existing location. Going up in a hip and fashionable elevator, one is transferred to a contemporary eating spot with a view that truly captures the heart of old Istanbul. With a simple yet neat and elegant dcor, the panorama of the Golden Horn is spectacular and speaks for itself.
On top of the fifth floor of this rather old and broken-down building built in 1910, the magnificent scenery captures the Golden Horn Bridge, Egyptian Bazaar, several of the mosques and the façade of Topkapi Palace.
Sea gulls and inner-city boats from Eminönü station pass by gracefully as one sits down to soak in the landscape. With a view like this, the food or design of a restaurant might even be irrelevant. Yet Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı delivers it all.
Once seated, the staff brings a funny looking loaf of sliced bread; identical to well known "halk ekmeği" (people’s bread) but half the size! Next Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı’s famous fish soup is presented. The staff and particularly the owner are true believers that the soup soothes and prepared the stomach for a night of Rakı drinking. Even if one is not consuming alcohol, the seafood chowder is a Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı signature dish and worth trying.
Appetizers include juicy, raw bonito with red onions; a standard mashed eggplant salad; perhaps a portion of fried sardines; and a lush green salad. The most noteworthy main course on the menu is the sea bass wrapped and cooked in parchment paper. The presentation is unique and the taste of the slices of sea bass in light olive oil is succulently good, yet the portion is a bit small, which might be a blessing for those who indulged in the meze appetizers.
To complete the meal, Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı's marble helva with pistachios is another house special. The rich and nutty helva is imported from the Aegean town of Manisa. The food here is no Michelin star-rated experience or even the very best seafood in Istanbul, yet with the view of the Golden Horn from Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı’s dining room, it truly feels like one of the best and most memorable meals on the Bosphorus. The staff is friendly, attentive and nearly as enthusiastic as newcomers to the restaurant.
Reservations are recommended for dinner, particularly if one has a guest from abroad they want to impress or if one wants to get a table by the window with a more refined view. Truly a unique Istanbul culinary experience; recommended particularly for astonishing visitors.
Tarihi Karaköy BalıkçısıTersane caddesi, Kardeşim sokak, No.30 Karaköy - Istanbul, Tel: (0212) 251 13 71
On a back street across the historic Tunel entrance called Kardesim Sokak, lays the inconspicuous fish restaurant Karakoy Balıkçısı. Once refered to by The New York Times as one of the best places to eat in Istanbul, until recently this celebrated institution was open only for lunch and served no alcohol.
New facelift
In the beginning of 2009, the owners of Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı opened a new venue on top of their existing location. Going up in a hip and fashionable elevator, one is transferred to a contemporary eating spot with a view that truly captures the heart of old Istanbul. With a simple yet neat and elegant dcor, the panorama of the Golden Horn is spectacular and speaks for itself.
On top of the fifth floor of this rather old and broken-down building built in 1910, the magnificent scenery captures the Golden Horn Bridge, Egyptian Bazaar, several of the mosques and the façade of Topkapi Palace.
Sea gulls and inner-city boats from Eminönü station pass by gracefully as one sits down to soak in the landscape. With a view like this, the food or design of a restaurant might even be irrelevant. Yet Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı delivers it all.
Once seated, the staff brings a funny looking loaf of sliced bread; identical to well known "halk ekmeği" (people’s bread) but half the size! Next Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı’s famous fish soup is presented. The staff and particularly the owner are true believers that the soup soothes and prepared the stomach for a night of Rakı drinking. Even if one is not consuming alcohol, the seafood chowder is a Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı signature dish and worth trying.
Appetizers include juicy, raw bonito with red onions; a standard mashed eggplant salad; perhaps a portion of fried sardines; and a lush green salad. The most noteworthy main course on the menu is the sea bass wrapped and cooked in parchment paper. The presentation is unique and the taste of the slices of sea bass in light olive oil is succulently good, yet the portion is a bit small, which might be a blessing for those who indulged in the meze appetizers.
To complete the meal, Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı's marble helva with pistachios is another house special. The rich and nutty helva is imported from the Aegean town of Manisa. The food here is no Michelin star-rated experience or even the very best seafood in Istanbul, yet with the view of the Golden Horn from Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı’s dining room, it truly feels like one of the best and most memorable meals on the Bosphorus. The staff is friendly, attentive and nearly as enthusiastic as newcomers to the restaurant.
Reservations are recommended for dinner, particularly if one has a guest from abroad they want to impress or if one wants to get a table by the window with a more refined view. Truly a unique Istanbul culinary experience; recommended particularly for astonishing visitors.
Tarihi Karaköy BalıkçısıTersane caddesi, Kardeşim sokak, No.30 Karaköy - Istanbul, Tel: (0212) 251 13 71