Top 5 Seafood Dishes You Must Try in Istanbul

1. Grilled sea bass (Levrek ızgara)

The everyday hero of Turkish fish restaurants: a whole fish simply grilled, served with rocket, red onion and lemon. At Miraport: 830 TL (380 g).

2. Black Sea anchovy (Hamsi)

Small, oily and full of flavour, hamsi is dusted in cornmeal and pan-fried until crisp. Best in winter. 750 TL.

3. Shrimp casserole (Karides güveç)

Shrimp baked in a clay pot with tomato, peppers and bubbling cheese — order bread to wipe the pot clean. 890 TL.

4. Fried calamari with tarator (Kalamar tava)

Crisp rings of squid with tarator, a garlicky walnut-and-bread sauce. The perfect sharing starter. 850 TL.

5. Bluefish (Lüfer)

Istanbul's most celebrated fish, caught in the Bosphorus in autumn and simply grilled. Seasonal, 2,400 TL.

Don't forget the mezes

A Turkish fish dinner starts with cold mezes: haydari, smoky eggplant, sea beans (deniz börülcesi), spicy ezme and stuffed vine leaves — 300–320 TL each, most of them vegetarian.

See them all on our English menu with prices, or read the Galata Bridge seafood guide.