Balıkçı Abdullah

A good fish restaurant in Turkey comes with royal service. Perhaps akin to a two Michelin stars-level service, fancy fish restaurant (balıkçı) staff tend to be extremely attentive, present in a non-intrusive way and with on-point foresight. Meaning, your glass will be refilled right after your final sip. Your dishes will arrive in perfect timing. Regulars will be welcomed with a rundown of their favorites.

Abdullah is the first generation owner of this classy fish restaurant. Northern Turkey, where Mr. Apo is from, is famous for its fish-based diet and hence fishers. At Abdullah’s you get the best of the fish, if you have space left from the perfectly made mezes.

What to order: I have been here so many times with my dad, who is a regular, that I’m not sure if the tarama and cornbread need to be ordered or if they just appear as starters. These are by far the best in town. A thin, dense, fresh off the grill corn pita and a dollopy tarama with the consistency of thick kewpie mayo. They are a heavenly combo.
All mezes here are excellent. It’s perhaps a great restaurant to build some reference points in the basics like chargrilled eggplant spread, tomato and onion salad, braised beans pilaki, etc. I think the only trap here is that the fish is also well-prepared, muhc juicier and tastier than other restaurants in Istanbul. It’s a fact that Turkish people like their fish on the drier side, but Abdullah has found a middle ground of well grilled outsides with soft, plump and moist insides. In winter the lüfer (bluefish) and kalkan (turbot), in summer sardalya (sardines) and perhaps barbun (red mullet). Grilled is better than roasted or fried here.
For dessert the sweet chestnut purée and fig dessert are rich and decadent endings, accompanied by kaymak (clotted cream).