Filizler Köftecisi

Where to eat in Istanbul: a district-by-district guide

Where to eat in Istanbul depends on what you want and which side of the Bosphorus you are on. This guide goes district by district and dish by dish. We are Filizler Köftecisi, so we cover köfte and the Asian side in more depth — and the rest honestly.

Where to eat in Istanbul: a district-by-district guide

Short answer: what do you feel like?

  • Fish sandwich by the water: Eminönü and Karaköy piers.
  • Home-style lunch (esnaf lokantası): back streets of Eminönü and Sirkeci, Kadıköy market.
  • Köfte (Turkish meatballs): the historic köfte houses of Sultanahmet and Sirkeci; on the Asian side, Filizler in Üsküdar (Salacak), Pendik and Tuzla.
  • Turkish breakfast: Bosphorus villages (Çengelköy, Emirgan), Üsküdar’s Salacak waterfront.
  • Meyhane (tavern): Beyoğlu, Kumkapı, Kadıköy.
  • Dinner with a view: Salacak facing the Maiden’s Tower, the Bosphorus shore, Galata rooftops.

Asian side

  • Kadıköy market: fishmongers, meze shops, home-style restaurants, dessert shops — walkable.
  • Üsküdar – Salacak: waterfront road directly across from the Maiden’s Tower; breakfast, köfte and sunset. Filizler Üsküdar is here (Harem Sahil Yolu Cd. No:61).
  • Kuzguncuk and Çengelköy: small cafés and breakfast by the Bosphorus.

European side

  • Eminönü and Sirkeci: fish sandwiches, home-style restaurants, historic köfte houses.
  • Sultanahmet: the old city’s köfte and soup tradition; busy with visitors — check prices on the menu.
  • Karaköy and Galata: coffee, börek and baklava; modern restaurants in the evening.
  • Beyoğlu: taverns and late-night street food.

A first day in three meals

Sirkeci to Üsküdar is one Marmaray stop under the Bosphorus; from Üsküdar station it is ~11 minutes’ walk to Filizler along the shore.

  • Morning: breakfast facing the Maiden’s Tower in Salacak (Filizler Üsküdar opens at 08:00).
  • Lunch: ferry to Eminönü for a fish sandwich or a home-style lunch.
  • Evening: meze in Kadıköy market, or back to Salacak for köfte at sunset.

Köfte at Filizler

Filizler opened in Tuzla in 1994; the köfte are prepared at our own butcher’s kitchen and grilled to order. Current prices at the Üsküdar branch:

  • 4'lü Filizler4 adet mini hamburger450 TL
  • 6'lı Filizler6 adet mini hamburger635 TL
  • FilizburgerÖzel hazırlanmış hamburger575 TL
  • Kasap KöfteGeleneksel Türk usulü ızgara köfte655 TL
  • Kaşarlı KöfteKaşar peynirli ızgara köfte655 TL
  • Acılı KöfteAcı soslu ızgara köfte655 TL
  • Karışık KöfteÇeşitli köfte çeşitlerinden oluşan tabak870 TL
  • Special FilizlerÖzel hazırlanmış et tabağı1.495 TL
  • Steak KöfteSteak usulü hazırlanmış köfte900 TL
  • Kaşarlı Steak KöfteKaşar peynirli steak usulü köfte1.000 TL

Filizler Üsküdar menu, prices in Turkish lira; updated from the restaurant’s live menu.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I eat in Istanbul?

It depends on what you want: fish sandwiches in Eminönü and Karaköy, home-style food in Eminönü and Kadıköy market, breakfast in the Bosphorus villages or Üsküdar’s Salacak, köfte in Sultanahmet–Sirkeci or at Filizler on the Asian side (Üsküdar, Pendik, Tuzla), taverns in Beyoğlu and Kadıköy.

Where can I eat with a view of the Maiden’s Tower?

On the Salacak waterfront in Üsküdar. Filizler Köftecisi Üsküdar (Harem Sahil Yolu Cd. No:61) is directly across from the tower, open 08:00–22:30.

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