Restaurant
Turk Fatih Tutak
Chef Fatih Tutak's Bomonti tasting-menu restaurant, holding two Michelin stars and a Green Star, reworking Turkish culinary traditions with modern technique.
Balıkçı Sabahattin
A long-running family seafood restaurant in a 1927 wooden house in Cankurtaran, a short walk from the Blue Mosque, serving meze and seasonal fish.
At a glance
- Type
- Seafood
- Area
- Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Price
- $$$ · Upscale
- Official site
- balikcisabahattin.com
Good to know
- Garden seating
- Lunch set menu
- Online reservations
- WhatsApp bookings
Why we recommend it
Balıkçı Sabahattin is a family seafood restaurant in Cankurtaran, the quiet neighbourhood below Sultanahmet. It was started by Sabahattin Usta, the son of a fisherman from Tirilye on the Sea of Marmara, as a small eatery in the back streets of the old city, and later moved into a wooden mansion built in 1927. His sons now run it, and it has been a favourite with both locals and visitors for many years.
The menu is built around meze and seasonal fish. House specialities include midyeli pilav, rice cooked with mussels; fener kavurma, monkfish sautéed with olive oil and herbs; torik, bonito slow-cooked in its own fat; and sardines wrapped in vine leaves and grilled over embers. The torik salad and the Sabahattin salad with shrimp are among the chef's recommendations, and grilled octopus is a regular too. Finish with the apricot dessert, caramelised apricots served with ice cream.
What is available depends on the catch and the season, so ask what came in that day. Autumn and winter are the best seasons for many local fish, including bonito and bluefish. In warm weather the tables spread into the garden and the lane outside, which is the place to sit on a summer evening. Inside, the rooms of the old wooden house are cosier and better suited to cooler nights.
A set fish lunch menu is served daily in the garden of the mansion from 12:00 to 16:00, which is good value if you are sightseeing nearby. Dinner is the more popular sitting, so book ahead through the online reservation page, by phone or by WhatsApp, especially at weekends. Allow two hours for a relaxed meal with meze. The restaurant serves alcohol, and rakı with fish is a classic pairing.
It suits couples, families and groups who want a traditional fish dinner within walking distance of their hotel. The restaurant is about five minutes' walk from the Blue Mosque, downhill towards the sea, and close to the Four Seasons and the small hotels of Cankurtaran. Sultanahmet tram stop on the T1 line is about ten minutes away on foot, and Cankurtaran Marmaray station is also nearby.
Balıkçı Sabahattin FAQs
Is there a lunch menu?
Yes, a set fish lunch menu is served daily in the garden between 12:00 and 16:00.
How far is it from the Blue Mosque?
About a five-minute walk, in the Cankurtaran streets below Sultanahmet.
What should I order?
Mussel pilaf, monkfish sautéed with herbs, slow-cooked bonito, sardines grilled in vine leaves and the apricot dessert.
How do I book?
Through the online reservation page, by phone or via WhatsApp.
Is there outdoor seating?
Yes, the garden and lane outside are used in warm weather.
How old is the building?
The wooden mansion dates from 1927.
Who runs it?
The sons of the founder, Sabahattin Usta.
Does it serve alcohol?
Yes, and rakı is a classic choice with fish.