Another line in the article stopped us cold. “I couldn’t help myself thinking, ‘Where are the old watering holes?’ with their rakı etiquette and their meze varieties,” the author wrote, as if some strange plague had swept across Istanbul and somehow made the city’s old-school meyhanes vanish. In response, we thought we’d offer a list of five of our favorite meyhanes, places that despite bans on smoking and outdoor seating and ever-rising liquor taxes, still manage to keep the old-time spirit of the “raki sofrasi” (literally “the raki table”) alive. Although the meze and booze flow at these places, these are not culinary destinations, per se. The food is good, but the real attraction here is to be part of the time-honored ritual of sitting down with friends, cracking a bottle (or two) of raki open and enjoying a long night of good conversation while small plate after small plate of food magically arrives at the table. Those are “norms” we can definitely live with.

Çukur Meyhanesi: When Liver Met Hamsi
It wasn’t quite as dramatic as Meg Ryan’s big moment at Katz’s deli in “When Harry Met Sally,” but a low-register, guttural moan of pleasure was detected from our table upon our tasting of the shredded celery root in yogurt, a house specialty meze at Beyoglu’s Çukur Meyhanesi. And we weren’t faking it.

We stop into scores of meyhanes, or traditional Turkish tavernas, and eat more yogurt mezethan we care to report, all for the sake of finding that one masterful meze among the goopy masses. Most meze in Istanbul are fine, but very few can be considered orgasmic….(to read the rest of the review click here)

Inciralti: Meyhane Time Machine
We like to think of Inciralti, a laid back meyhane in the sleepy Bosphorus-side Beylerbeyi neighborhood, as a destination restaurant – not so much because of the food, but because of the destination itself.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the food here, which is reliably well made. The meze tray at Inciralti (which means “under the fig tree” in Turkish) is brought to your table carrying all the classics, plus a few welcome and tasty surprises, such as the zingy brined twigs of the caper plant and a sea bass filet that had been cured in a piquant sauce redolent of curry. Among the excellent mains we had sea bass again, this time grilled wrapped inside grape vine leaves, and meltingly soft uykuluk (sweetbreads), that were also grilled and dusted with oregano and red pepper. Both were winners.

But it’s Inciralti’s location that will have us coming back, especially if we’re looking for an opportunity to take an excursion without leaving Istanbul….(to read the rest of this review, click here)

Mohti: All that Laz
“My heart starts pounding when a pregnant lady enters the room,” said Huseyin, the artist turned owner/operator of Mohti, a new “Laz Meyhane” in the back of the backstreets of the Asmalimescit area. While this might sound to some like the unsavory confession of a man with an exotic fetish, to us it was a breath of fresh air, redolent with the old-style charm of a classic meyhane patron, something that’s increasingly harder to come across these days.

There was a time when every meyhane around here had a true character at the helm, someone who knew how to work the crowd, comp a drink and indulge in the art of hospitality every night. Now, sadly, as Asmalimescit and other traditional dining zones go upmarket, the only trace of that old school proprietorship is found in yellowed photos on wall.  In this context, Huseyin — a boisterous host in an exceedingly sterile market — is almost as odd a fit as Mohti’s concept: thoroughly home-style Black Sea cooking in a meyhane setting….(To read more of this review, click here)

Salkim Meyhanesi: At the Car Wash
Like any place with real character, this spot is better known by its nickname: “the carwash meyhane.” Located, naturally, above a now defunct carwash, this small, no-frills meyhane — more commonly referred to as “otoyikamacinin ustu” or “Erkal’in Yeri” – is amicably run by a group of brothers who hail from eastern Turkey’s city of Van and who keep the place humming with a distinct sense of good cheer. A tiny kitchen in back, barely big enough to hold the one chef works inside it, turns out a constant stream of lip smacking pan-fried liver and grilled fish.
Address: Suslu Saksi Sok. #27a, Beyoglu (across from the Sakizagaci taxi stand)
(no phone)

Yazin ve Sanat Kooperatif: The Alchemist Returns
We had previously written about the unalloyed meyhane magic we experienced every time we ate at the boisterous Taksim restaurant run by the local branch of Turkey’s Metallurgist Union. Sadly, the place closed down not that long ago, but there’s a happy ending to the story. The heart and soul of the metallurgists’ spot was not metallurgy, but Huseyin bey, the host, an affable  and ever-present man from the Eastern Black Sea. Since the closure of the metallurgists’ meyhane, he’s migrated over to a spot run by his wife near the Beyoglu police station. He brought with him the metallurgist vibe and many of his old customers. Same menu, same comically low prices, same ban on the smoking ban in effect. We had some very nice lakerda and grilled barbunya there, as well and the popcorn-like fried “sole”.

From the moment you enter, you’ll be ensconced in the warm, personal handling that is an integral part of the Mekan experience.  The gracious owners are often standing by to greet new arrivals or working the room with a glass of wine in hand, as if they were hosting a dinner party in their home.

A bottle of the house red wine is a good way to start the meal, and at roughly $20 a bottle this is one of the most affordable (drinkable) wines in town. If you are lucky, Mary, the boisterous chef, will make an appearance along with the meze tray. On a recent visit, she took one look at us and immediately saw in our future the pickled mezgit (silver hake fish), an ultra-fresh tomato salad with crushed walnuts and dressed with pomegranate molasses, along with and a plate of smoked red peppers in a thick, sour yogurt. We also went for the topik, an Armenian specialty that stuck out on the meze tray like a sore thumb, or, more accurately, a softball. Made out of chickpeas, potatoes, tahini, and onions that are mashed together and turned into a mound that is then studded with pine nuts and dusted with cinnamon, this sweet and savory concoction is an odd assembly of flavors and textures, to say the least. It is a novelty that people either hate or write folk songs about, but should be tried at least once.

Following the meze comes the ara sicak, or hot appetizers course. From this round we suggest the icli köfte, better known as kibbeh in Middle Eastern restaurants. Mary’s courage to ramp up most dishes with a bit more spicy heat than usual came through on this dish. Its color alone, a deep crimson, spoke of the paprika kick within.

Patlican börek is a Mekan specialty from the Sephardic kitchen that is not to be missed. In place of the cheese, spinach or potato that most börek is filled with, this börek’s crispy phyllo dough shell holds a smoky eggplant mash. To the veteran börek eater, this is at first alarming and, shortly thereafter, extremely pleasing.

Entrée’s at Mekan tend toward a simple preparation, mostly from the grill. Köfte, meatballs, or a fresh fish are always around. When on offer, we opt for a plate of hamsi, Black Sea anchovies, in cornmeal cooked on a lightly oiled flat griddle. The preparation does this small fish justice and is presented in a perfect fan shape on the plate, as if twenty little fish were attached at the tail.

Mekan’s uncommon ethnic specialties, served in a quiet atmosphere, present a nice change of pace to the predictable menus and raucous surroundings that mark most dinners out in Beyoglu’s meyhanes. Though the price of a dinner with alcohol doesn’t differ much from its competitors, the quality of the food, wine and service keep us coming back for more.

Address: Eski Çiçekçi Sokak No:3, Beyoğlu
Telephone: 212-252-6052

(photo by Ansel Mullins)