Where to eat in Istanbul

What do you feel like?

• Grilled köfte (Turkish meatballs): all three Filizler branches. Made from Gönen beef at our own butcher’s kitchen, without additives; served with mashed potatoes, rice and charred peppers.
• Turkish breakfast: Filizler Üsküdar and Pendik, daily from 08:00.
• Dinner with a view: Filizler Üsküdar, facing the Maiden’s Tower and the Old City skyline.
• Before or after a flight: Filizler Pendik, ~13 minutes by car from Sabiha Gökçen Airport.
• Halal and alcohol-free: at every branch.

Filizler Üsküdar: facing the Maiden’s Tower

From the tables on the Salacak waterfront the Maiden’s Tower is about 280 m away, with Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı behind it. Breakfast in the morning, köfte at lunch, the sunset at dinner.

No reservation needed; the room is large. Groups of 10 or more: +90 216 342 00 00.

Staying in Sultanahmet, Karaköy or Taksim?

• Take the ferry from Eminönü, Karaköy, Beşiktaş or Kabataş to Üsküdar, then walk ~15 minutes along the shore. The crossing is a small Bosphorus trip in itself.
• Or take the Marmaray from Sirkeci, one stop to Üsküdar, then ~11 minutes on foot.
• The Old City looks best from across the water: from Salacak the whole skyline is in front of you.

Filizler Pendik and Tuzla

Pendik: a large dining room for up to 1,000 guests, a big car park and breakfast from 08:00 — ideal near the airport. Tuzla: the original 1994 branch, near the marinas.

Filizler in the press

In 2012 a jury of food writers and journalists for the Turkish daily Hürriyet ranked Filizler Köftecisi first on its “top 10” köfte list.

Source: Hürriyet: İster porsiyon ister ekmek arası (2012, Turkish)

Frequently asked questions