Experts' Choice Award Balikci Sabahattin
What the experts agree on
This Istanbul institution since 1927 delivers consistently excellent fresh seafood and mezes in a refreshingly unpretentious setting near Sultanahmet, proving great fish doesn't require Bosphorus views.
“Grab a seat in the garden of this Sultanahmet seafood restaurant.”
– Travel + Leisure
Concierge "A fish joint based on the meyhane tradition but with a more formal standard of service, this restaurant has an excellent reputation for its very simple output of meze and the catch-of-the-day menu."
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Be sure to book ahead.
DK Eyewitness "Everything works well at this delightful fish restaurant. They have a long and delicious menu, having been in business since 1927."
Rough Guide Star
"A fish restaurant in the refreshingly down-to-earth streets beside Cankurtaran station, just a five-minute walk from touristy Sultanahmet."
National Geographic "Intimate seafood restaurant in a 1927 wooden town house. Al fresco dining in warm weather. “Known for rice-stuffed steamed mussels.”—Şerif Yenen, author, Turkish Odyssey: A Cultural Guide..." Full review
Time Out "Cankurtaran’s Balıkçı Sabahattin is evidence that delicious seafood can be eaten somewhere other than on the Bosphorus." Full review
Frommer's "One of the few consistently good, high-quality restaurants... still cranking out top-quality treasures from the sea." Full review
Lonely Planet "Balıkçı Sabahattin, Sultanahmet's most prestigious restaurant, serves mezes and fresh fish"
There’s a neighborhood in Istanbul to suit every taste
February 13, 2022
