Fodor's Expert Review Balık Pazarı
Just off İstiklal Caddesi, next to the entrance to the Çiçek Pasajı, the Balık Pazarı makes for great street theater: it's a bustling labyrinth of streets filled with stands selling fish, produce, spices, sweets, and souvenirs, and there are also a couple of eateries specializing in kokoreç (grilled lamb intestines). The adjacent Second Empire–style arcade, known as Çiçek Pasajı, was one of Istanbul's grandest shopping venues when it was built in 1876. In the early 20th century, it was gradually taken over by flower shops run by White Russian émigrés—earning it the name "Flower Arcade." In later decades, the arcade became dominated by famously boisterous meyhanes, or tavernas. It now houses about a dozen rather touristy meyhane-style restaurants offering meze and fish. For a more authentic local vibe, continue toward the end of the Fish Market and turn right on narrow Nevizade Sokak, a lively strip of bars and meyhanes, all with tiny sidewalk tables packed... READ MORE
Just off İstiklal Caddesi, next to the entrance to the Çiçek Pasajı, the Balık Pazarı makes for great street theater: it's a bustling labyrinth of streets filled with stands selling fish, produce, spices, sweets, and souvenirs, and there are also a couple of eateries specializing in kokoreç (grilled lamb intestines). The adjacent Second Empire–style arcade, known as Çiçek Pasajı, was one of Istanbul's grandest shopping venues when it was built in 1876. In the early 20th century, it was gradually taken over by flower shops run by White Russian émigrés—earning it the name "Flower Arcade." In later decades, the arcade became dominated by famously boisterous meyhanes, or tavernas. It now houses about a dozen rather touristy meyhane-style restaurants offering meze and fish. For a more authentic local vibe, continue toward the end of the Fish Market and turn right on narrow Nevizade Sokak, a lively strip of bars and meyhanes, all with tiny sidewalk tables packed with locals in summer.
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