Bebek Balıkçı — Restaurant in Beşiktaş

Recommended by our hotel (Le Méridien), we visited Bebek Balıkçısı expecting a true local experience, as it's known to be a long-standing favorite among Istanbul residents. However, our visit revealed something important about dining in Istanbul that’s worth sharing.

In many global cities — like New York, London, or Madrid — restaurants frequented by locals often offer tourists an equally warm and engaging experience. In Istanbul, however, the dynamic is different.

Yes, Bebek Balıkçısı is clearly a spot that locals enjoy. The menu is traditional, with familiar Turkish seafood dishes prepared well. But that’s also part of the issue — most restaurants in this category offer nearly identical menus, with the real difference being location and views, not the culinary identity.

More importantly, first-time visitors are not treated the same as regular local guests. Seating preference, service attitude, and general hospitality felt noticeably less personal for tourists. As a one-time visitor, we felt like we were simply being processed through a well-oiled machine — efficient, but lacking warmth.

Advice for fellow travelers and hotel concierges: In Istanbul, “go where the locals go” doesn’t always translate into a better or more authentic experience for tourists. Restaurants like Bebek Balıkçısı may be beloved by locals, but unless you're a regular, you're unlikely to be treated as one. For travelers, especially first-timers, consider restaurants that are known for treating all guests with equal attentiveness, even if they aren’t considered local...

CON ARTIST THE WORST RESTAURANT EVER

I can really express my feelings now. I have been all over North America lived in Dallas where 35% of its population are employed in the restaurant business, Africa, Europe and Asia never ever I have encountered anything similar to this disgraceful place A TOTAL RIP OFF they charge for each plate of appetizer multiplied by the amount of guests you have on the table in addition to this a cover charge per person, to top it all off a 9% service at the end of the bill I was probably chosen randomly to be ripped off as a foreign guest that looked like a guy that can have his head taken. Well guess what they did not succeed I had them remove most of the extra charges by just saying I will not pay for something I did not order and it got pretty loud. They knew there were not getting anywhere they had to keep the cover charges by claiming that all restaurants in bebek charges the same fee. I will definitely never visit this place again neither will I advise anybody to try it. I will soon post a picture of my bill for...

Before going to dine there we have checked the reviews and this restaurant was rated one of the ten best fish places in Istanbul. When we arrived we had a very cold greeting from the host . Once seated we have noticed that locals are treated more friendly than foreigners. Once we finished the bill the plates were taken and we weren’t even asked if we would like to see the desert menu or maybe if we would like a tea or a coffee . Once we paid we thanked the waiter we haven’t heard back a thank you or anything at all, he just left. Upon leaving the restaurant the host did not bother to say thank you or even good bye . The food was good but the service really ruined the evening. Considering the fact that there are so many tourists and foreigners living in Istanbul you would expect a better treatment from the personnel especially when there is a restaurant status to uphold . Will not be going back for sure. Would not...