One of the most authentic and colorful districts of Istanbul, Balat, which dates back to the Byzantine Tekfur Palace, is always a great place to take a trip back in time and relax.
Home to the Greek Patriarchate, the neighborhood is a must-see with its synagogues, the Iron Church, mosques and Greek houses dating back 500 years, cobblestone sidewalks and wooden Ottoman mansions.
Although the options in terms of eating and drinking are limited, we think there are still places to have a good time and find good dishes. In this sense, it should be said that a few newly opened restaurants have raised the quality considerably compared to others.
In this list you can find our favorite good restaurants and places that are synonymous with Balat.
Restaurants:
Cafe & Coffee:
Balat’s classic culinary stops:
– Fetih İşkembe tuzlama, kelle and kokoreç,
– Tarihi Fener İşkembecisi tripe soup,
– Tarihi Taş Fırın Evinbakery and pastry products,
– Meeting point for pickle lovers Balat Turşucusu,
– With confectionery Balat Merkez Şekercisi
– & with all kinds of sodas Sevda Gazozcusu..
As you walk around Balat, you will be greeted by a sweet place on every corner, antique shops, design shops and workshops, every street is a colorful neighborhood. Our recommendation is not to go to overly touristic places, because we observed that the quality of materials/products decreased over time in most of the places we tried.
We are going to explore the historical neighborhoods of Istanbul. With its rich historical heritage, cultural diversity, and long-standing coexistence of communities belonging to different religions, it is one of the places that most impressed us in Istanbul.
Balat stands out with its churches, monasteries and synagogues from the Byzantine period to the present day. In Fener, the influence of the Greek community in particular is still felt. One of the gateways of old Istanbul, the neighborhood is home to Christian and Jewish cultures;
This neighborhood, which has attracted the attention of local and foreign tourists in recent years, is in a constant transformation. There have been both successful and unsuccessful gentrification projects. As it turned into a touristic neighborhood, antique shops, cafes and workshops began to fill the streets. It is still one of the unique routes to enjoy the historical atmosphere of Istanbul.
First of all, if you are thinking of coming with your car, do not enter the side streets. You can leave your car at the municipality’s parking lot on the beach in Cibali or alternatively you can come by tram from Eminönü. Don’t forget to see Fener Greek Houses on the beach, which were demolished years ago with urban transformation projects and only a few remain.
As an alternative, you can also start your sightseeing in the upper neighborhoods, instead of climbing uphill 🙂 There are many historical buildings from Byzantine and Ottoman times in the area; Main sights:
Balat
* Ahrida Synagogue: One of the oldest synagogues in Balat, dating back to the 15. century, is still in active use.
* Balat Bazaar: Small cafes, workshops, design shops.
* Yanbol Synagogue: One of the important synagogues in Istanbul.
* Church of Metrology
* Ferruh Kethuda Mosque
* Gul Mosque
Fener
* Greek Patriarchate of Fener: Especially famous for the Church of St. George, this complex is of great importance to the Orthodox world.
* Private Marasli Greek School:
* Fener Greek High School for Boys: Also known as the Red School, this historic building is notable for its unique architecture. Most people think this magnificent building is the Patriarchate; Don’t forget to see the colorful row houses just down the hill.
* The Iron Church: A Bulgarian Church located on the coast of Fener
* Vlahsaray Church (Panagia Muhliotissa Church): It is the oldest church in Istanbul and built on the highest hill in the city;
* Fener Pier and Shoreline: A point where you can watch and observe the beauties of the Bosphorus.
Ayvansaray
* Remains of Blaherne Palace: The ruins of the palace where Byzantine Emperors once lived can be seen.
* Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Hazrat Cabir Mosque): It is a 15th century mosque and is one of the important religious buildings of Ayvansaray. Câbir Abdullah It is also called the Mosque of Hadrat Jâbir because it is the seat of al-Ansârî.
* Surp Hireshdagabet Armenian Church
More places in the surroundings:
* Küçük Mustafa Pasha Hamam
* Ayakapi Hamam
* Tekfur Palace
* Kariye: It was a museum church famous for its Byzantine mosaics and frescoes; Temporarily closed.
* Golden Horn Shores: It offers a beautiful area where you can take a walk and enjoy the view of the historical peninsula.
Located in the back streets of Balat, this restaurant started with very few tables the first year it opened, but over time, the fragrances from the kitchen carried to the upper floors of the historic building where it is located. Our favorite corners are the rooms, especially ideal for group gatherings, and the terrace, which offers the perfect escape in summer.
Smelt, founded with excitement from the colorful and historical texture of Balat, takes its name from the silver fish, which is also found in its logo. Behind him are two young chefs, Sinan and Samet. They opened this chef restaurant with long efforts and sacrifices, they have a very small team. As such, they take care of all the details themselves, from the sourcing of the ingredients to the arrival of the plate in front of you. It’s more tiring than expected, but that’s what makes us feel special every time we come here.
The menu changes frequently and every time we visit this restaurant we are greeted with creative plates of the season’s most delicious produce. Plates that are far from trends, that reflect themselves completely, that we can call unique. Be prepared to be surprised instead of finding what you are looking for here. Asla seveceğinizi düşünmediğiniz bir tat kombinasyonuna aşık olabilir ya da size göre olmayan bir tabak da deneyebilirsiniz. We can say that sand mussels, octopus and various seafood, creative plates of seasonal vegetables, kombucha cocktails are the prominent flavors of their menu.
On our last visit we tried the pumpkin sinkonta, the onion soup with mastic broth and the octopus with celery cream. One of their kombucha-based cocktails is Balat Sling.
Simple yet elegant choices have been made in every detail of the space. You can feel it in all the details, from the decoration elements to the glass of soda that arrives at your table. It has a very dim and pleasant lighting, all these elements, its originality and the charm of being in Balat make it one of the most romantic places in the city.
#smeltandco #balatrehberi
We are in a chef’s restaurant on the terrace floor of a hotel in Balat, right on the Golden Horn. This is actually one of the places on our radar that opened in the first half of 2023, so it’s not really new. But we still think it is not heard enough and does not get the attention it deserves.
We made our first visit in May, especially the terrace overlooking the Golden Horn and Galata is very pleasant. Abartılı olmayan & samimi bir dekorasyonu var.
We had the chance to visit 4-5 times since it opened, it is a pleasant place for both dinner and pre-dinner cocktails.
The portions are suitable for sharing, we can safely say that they are not small. If you go with 3-4 people, you can say more things and share everything.
The menu is divided into three categories: cold, hot and dessert. It changes according to the season and is renewed by Chef Gökhan Çilak. It is good that the menu includes products with geographical indications, Urfa isot pepper, Bolu kanlıca mushroom, Bolu cranberry tarhana are some of them.
Even the tarhana butter and bread served before the meal will make you come back again.
On our last visit we tried Sömelek & Kanlıca Mushrooms and Leek, an interpretation of a borek. Among the cocktails, Boza, which we tried and loved on our last visit, is our favorite. Catch it before it’s out of season if you like these flavors.
Their menus are featured on their Instagram page and we think they are quite affordable compared to their counterparts in Istanbul.
They also serve breakfast, but we think you should consider this place for a special dinner.
On the shores of the Golden Horn, Balat is a place where Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews have lived amicably throughout history and was included in the Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO in 1985.
There are various opinions on where the name comes from, but the most common one is that it derives from the Greek word “palatiyon” meaning palace.
It is stated that the region was called Balat because of the gate of Tekfur Palace on the Golden Horn side.
The Latin word palatium is known to mean “plain, paved ground, stone road”.
From Venetians to Armenians during the Byzantine period, the people of Balat diversified with the settlement policies after the conquest of Istanbul, and Sephardic Jews fleeing from Spain were settled in Balat and Hasköy at the invitation of Bayezid II.
This mixed structure is still felt today, from Balat’s architecture to its culture.
Bölge üç dini de hoşgörü kültürü içinde yaşatmış, yaldızlı kubbesiyle Aziz Stephan Kilisesi, Surp Hireşdagabet Ermeni Kilisesi ve Mimar Sinan eseri olan Ferruh Kethüda Camii yan yana olmuştur.
2000’lerden bu yana rehabilitasyon projeleriyle çehresi değiştirilmeye çalışılan Balat; arka sokaklarında toplumun görmek istediği, istemediği farklı hikayelere ev sahipliği yapıyor.
