Try The Catch Of The Day At Istanbul’s Best Seafood Restaurants

This restaurant offers views of the Golden Horn and Beyoğlu neighborhood’s Galata Tower on the far shore. It also offers some of the best appetisers in the city, namely its baby octopus, Crete puree (Girit ezme), seaweed salad (kayak oruğu), tarama, samut salad, sea bass with dried tomatoes (kurutulmuş domatestli levek sarma) as well as their specialty topik, chickpea-based vegetarian “meatballs” filled with onions, nuts, currents and spiced with herbs and tahini. This venue offers a nice variety of in-season fish as well. Be sure to leave room for a caramelised artichoke after dinner. Served drenched in caramel sauce and scoops of vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet on the side, this unusual twist on a normally savoury vegetable is a must-try. A dinner for two here averages TL 350 (£45).

Scattered throughout the city are 19 alcohol-free restaurants run and owned by the city called Istanbul Büyüksehir Belediyesi Sosyal Tesisleri, which were established in 1994 to offer citizens of all incomes the chance to enjoy a nice meal with great views. Each branch offers the same menu and pleasant white linen tablecloths, so you always know what to expect. Their creamy fish soup with mushrooms and onion and their appetiser sampler with classic Turkish starters like green beans in olive oil, stuffed artichokes, peppers stuffed with spiced rice and haydari, a mint and garlic yogurt spread, are highly recommended. Their menu includes a variety of grilled, fried or baked fresh fish dishes, including salmon and sea bass. Two of their branches are located near popular tourist spots, namely Haliç Sosyal Tesisi, a few kilometres up the road from the city’s ancient Spice Bazaar, and Kasimpaşa Sosyal Tesisi, just down the hill from the Galata Tower. Both offer views of the Golden Horn. A dinner for two here is an affordable TL 90 (£11.50).

If you’re feeling adventurous and head to Istanbul’s biggest island Büyükada for the day, choosing a place to eat along the waterfront can be daunting. Milto, nestled on the island’s shore, offers great views of the comings and goings on the Marmara Sea and, if you time it right, spectacular sunsets. For starters, the tarator, a refreshing salad with yogurt, tahini and a touch of garlic, is a great choice paired with cheese croquets that melt in your mouth and fresh mussels. Their prawns are also superb and fresh fish is always available. A dinner for two here runs around TL 250 (£32), including drinks.

Turkey is known for its fresh produce, and this restaurant’s simple tomato salad (domates salatası) is perfection, especially when paired with their famous homemade corn bread that arrives whole, baked half plain and half sprinkled with a Turkish favourite – hamsi (tiny anchovies). For appetisers, their specialty is lakerda (a pickled fish dish) made from prized one-year-old binoto caught while migrating through the Bosphorus. Fished mainly in the winter, their grilled turbot (kalkan), a flatfish native to the Black Sea, is fabulous when in season, and if you’re feeling adventurous, fried turbot livers (kalkan cığeri) are also on the menu and a favourite of regulars. Their scorpion fish kebab (İskorpit şiş) also comes highly recommended. A dinner for two runs about TL 300 (£38).

Few street foods are as iconic in Istanbul as a fish sandwich. Always served on a fresh roll, the sandwich is perfect in its simplicity with a fried filet of white fish, usually bluefish or perch, sliced onions and shredded lettuce. The best place to grab one is right off the boats docked in the Golden Horn in Eminönü, just across the street from the Spice Bazaar. At around TL 12 (£1.50) and paired with the ice-cold yogurt drink ayran for TL 2 (25p), it makes a great snack or light lunch on the go.

Balıkçı Abdullah embodies fine dining with its linen tablecloths and charming fireplace, making it the perfect spot for a quiet, romantic evening near the Bosporus. Out of their wide variety of starters that include shrimp, lobster and mussel dishes, their grilled octopus and melt-in-your-mouth calamari are favourites of regulars. A unique starter here is their raw picarel filets, and the restaurant’s fried sol (dil balık) is also a great choice. Their buttery date dessert (hurma tatlisi) served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or their poached quince topped with clotted cream (ayva tatlisi) with a cup of tea are excellent ways to end your meal. A dinner for two here runs around TL 350 (£45) with drinks.

The neighbourhood of Kumkapı is famous for its lively fish restaurants. Out of the dozens lining its narrow streets, Kör stands out with its dark wood decor, live fasil music and warm atmosphere. For 70 years, this establishment has been offering excellent seafood and drinks, most notably its appetiser menu featuring topik, four-cheese red peppers and a variety of eggplant dishes. It’s a trustworthy place – in other words, they won’t overcharge tourists like other restaurants in the neighbourhood are known to do – so go here if you’re looking to add some colour to your evening in an unforgettable, classic Turkish setting. A dinner for two, including drinks, runs around TL 250 (£32).