Balkan Restaurant — Restaurant in Fatih

As a solo female traveler, I’d awaken at about 5:30 am ready for a run though it was still dark out (December 2024). Having been given the green light by Seaway Hotel Istanbul staff (great people by the way) I felt safe and free to roam the streets around the Hagia Sophia, as well as the waterfront where I was shocked to find no homeless people high on drugs - a very sad and dangerous effect so often found near US waterfronts in current times. I kept expecting to find some person rolled up in a sleeping bag around each corner, yet there were none.

So, I ran and ran to my heart's content all through the streets, past monuments that spoke to my soul without the din of crowds to drown them out. I ran through neighborhoods, most with their lights still out as people remained nestled in their beds. There was one time when I even ran past hordes of worshippers heading toward their morning prayers at the Hagia Sophia. I felt the calm of this massive city in that darkness, alight only by their streetlamps and I am grateful to the city of Istanbul for creating this safe environment for me, a solo female traveler, to run.

After my run, I’d visit neighboring historical sites that were also a stone’s throw away from the Seaway Hotel Istanbul - only in the direction opposite to the water. While visiting these sites, I read reviews to find great places to eat, however, I found myself over and over back at the Balkan Restaurant which is not especially close to the hotel.

What brought me back for about ten of my meals there in Istanbul was that the Balkan Restaurant (listed as the Balkan Restaurant on Google maps, but as the Balkan Lokantasi on their sign - but be sure to go to the one listed as "Balkan Restaurant" on Google maps) seems to home cook their meals. The food was fresh, and it felt as though it had been prepared that day for their very own family. That really hit the spot since I was unable to cook due to staying in a hotel for 12 days. Also, the people working in the restaurant were extremely kind and the place was nearly always bustling with cordial locals who clearly appreciated the restaurant as much as I did.

There were even a couple of occasions when the restaurant filled up and local women asked, on behalf of themselves and their families, to share the table with me. This took me by surprise since I clearly looked like an ill-fitted shoe against their modest dress in my running leggings and thin, moisture-wicking short sleeved running tops. Just another good surprise Istanbul had to offer.

Thank you very much to everyone at the Balkan Restaurant in Istanbul....

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5

Fatih, İstanbul'daki Balkan Lokantası, turistik yerlerin ortasında, Marmaray'a çok yakın bir konumda yer alıyor. Bu gizli cevher, turistik kebapların ötesinde, otantik ve lezzetli yemekler arayanlar için harika bir seçenek. Lokantanın basit bir kantin havası olsa da, yemek çeşitliliği etkileyici ve lezzetli vejetaryen yemeklerden tut tavuk, hindi, dana eti, kuzu eti ve baharatlı köfteler gibi doyurucu et yemeklerine kadar uzanıyor. Özellikle taze sebzeler, salatalar ve farklı çorba çeşitleri vurgulanmaya değer. Tatlılar da bir başka öne çıkan unsur – çeşitli, lezzetli ve inanılmaz uygun fiyatlı!

Fiyat-performans oranı burada tartışmasız çok iyi, bu da bu restoranı bütçe dostu gurmeler için mükemmel bir tercih haline getiriyor.

Özellikle Nuri Bey'e teşekkürler, her zaman dikkatli, yardımsever ve yüzünde bir gülümsemeyle bizimle ilgilendi. Bize hem yön bulmada hem de yemek seçiminde büyük destek oldu. Diğer personel de dostça, nazik ve samimi idi.

Tuvaletler idare eder, ancak küçük bir yenilenmeye ihtiyaçları var, özellikle de yoğun müşteri trafiği nedeniyle biraz yıpranmış olan klozet kapakları. Yine de sabun, tuvalet kağıdı ve kâğıt havlular gibi gerekli her şey mevcuttu.

Genel olarak, Balkan Restoran, her zaman tekrar ziyaret etmek isteyeceğimiz bir yer. Mutfak çok temiz ve otantik yemekler gerçekten muhteşem! İstanbul'da geleneksel yemekleri deneyimlemek isteyen herkes için bir zorunluluk.

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5

Das Balkan Restaurant in Fatih, Sirkeci, Istanbul, liegt mitten im Tourismusgebiet und in unmittelbarer Nähe der Marmaray. Dieses versteckte Juwel ist ideal für alle, die abseits der typischen touristischen Kebabs authentisches und leckeres Essen suchen. Das Restaurant hat zwar ein einfaches Kantinen-Flair, aber die Vielfalt an Gerichten ist beeindruckend und reicht von köstlichen vegetarischen Speisen bis hin zu herzhaften Fleischgerichten, darunter Geflügel, Pute, Hähnchen, Rindfleisch, Lamm und würzige Frikadellen. Besonders die Auswahl an frischem Gemüse und verschiedenen Suppenarten ist hervorzuheben. Die Desserts sind ebenfalls ein Highlight – vielfältig, lecker und erstaunlich preiswert!

Das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis ist hier unschlagbar gut, was dieses Restaurant zu einer hervorragenden Wahl für preisbewusste Genießer macht.

Ein besonderer Dank gilt Herrn Nuri, einem jungen Mann im Service, der stets aufmerksam, hilfsbereit und mit einem Lächeln im Gesicht für uns da war. Er hat uns bei der Orientierung und der Auswahl der Speisen großartig unterstützt. Auch das übrige Personal war freundlich, höflich und herzlich.

Die Toiletten sind in Ordnung, könnten aber eine kleine Auffrischung vertragen, insbesondere die Klobrillen, die durch den großen Gästeandrang etwas abgenutzt wirken. Dennoch war alles Notwendige vorhanden, einschließlich Seife, Toilettenpapier und Papiertücher.

Insgesamt ist das Balkan Restaurant ein Ort, den wir immer wieder gerne besuchen würden. Die Küche ist sehr sauber, und das authentische Essen ist einfach hervorragend! Ein Muss für jeden, der traditionelle Gerichte in Istanbul...

Delicious food. The only problem was, as a foreigner, I didn't really know the names of the dishes I was eating - just the contents! Therefore, I can't give recommendations for specific dish names or tell if I was overcharged...still, 180-220 TL/person is reasonable (in this economy, I think) for 2 dishes + 1 soup. Meat dishes are more expensive, generally. It's canteen style, so grab a tray and name the dish or (if you don't know the name) point at whatever you think looks good.

I had the bulgar pilaf, and it was delicious. The sautéed chicken and potatoes were a little dry by themselves, but it worked perfectly with the bulgar and the chicken soup. Chicken soup was soothing, but the lentil soup (with tomato?) is amazing. Tomato pasta was very good. Food is not spicy at all. Such a filling and hearty meal for 180-220 TL per person. You can pay with cash or card. I saw some tourists, but it was primarily locals. Feels like an authentic and cheap Turkish meal. I would come...