My boyfriend and I love this place for its proximity to our place and the quality and value of the…read morefood. If you go, get the calamari -- for 10TL, you can't really do much better in Istanbul. It melts in your mouth and tastes nothing like the crap we Americans are usually (force)fed at seafood restaurants back in the US. My co-worker did say that he once ordered it here and it was rubbery, but that must have been a one-off type of deal because it was excellent all of the 38,247 times I've tried it. The fish sandwiches are great at 5TL. Another excellent aspect of this place is its menu -- with pictures and prices clearly marked. No tricks here. I only take one star off because the service is a bit hit or miss. They do tend to forget complicated orders and from time to time, they are slow. Hopefully that won't ruin your experience. If you are wondering where to eat a quick dinner or lunch that won't empty your pockets in Uskudar, give Veli a try.

My family and I had dinner at Lacivert Restaurant on the Asian side of Istanbul, right by the…read moreBosphorus in Beykoz. From the moment we walked in, I was amazed by the view -- calm water, city lights, and a perfect evening breeze. We were seated at table #320, right by the water, and it couldn't have been a better spot. Our waiter was a true gentleman -- very polite, friendly, and attentive without being overbearing. He checked on us just enough to make sure everything was perfect. Service felt smooth and professional all night. We started with bread and butter service. The butter had a light lemon-citrus flavor, which I loved -- it tasted fresh and unique. The olive oil was also high quality, perfect for dipping. For cold appetizers, we had the sea bass marinade, lakerda (pickled fish), sea bass carpaccio, shrimp with avocado and artichoke hearts, and stuffed grape leaves with sour cherries. Every dish had its own distinct flavor and presentation. The lakerda especially stood out -- I've had it before in other places, but this one was more delicate and flavorful. Then came the hot appetizers -- shrimp in garlic butter sauce was absolutely delicious. I used way too much bread to soak up every bit of that sauce. My sister ordered the grilled octopus, which looked tender and beautifully grilled. By this point, we were already full, but we couldn't skip the main course. We shared a whole 4-lb sea bass for the table -- cooked to perfection, juicy inside with crispy skin, served with roasted potatoes. For dessert, we couldn't decide so we ordered a few: chocolate mousse with raspberry ice cream, Mexican-style flan with orange flavor, and semolina with ice cream. All three were excellent, but the flan surprised me the most -- light, creamy, and not too sweet. We ended up staying late just talking and enjoying the view. The setting, the service, and the food all came together perfectly. Prices are on the higher side, but this is not your average dinner -- it's a full experience. If you're visiting Istanbul or celebrating something special, Lacivert is absolutely worth it. I can't wait to come back and bring more family with me next time.

Great food, amazing view, pretty steep prices. Their fish always taste very good but at the…read morebeginning, they brought bread that were very dry and clearly not fresh. Then, we got grape leaves as appetizers which were alright. For fish, we got blue fish and sea bass that were both delicious. For dessert, we got kazandibi and that was very well done. Our waiter wasn't very attentive either.

I lived in the neighborhood for a year and this was lettirly down the street from where i lived and…read moreI can't say anything but this is absolutely one of the best seafood restaurants in Istanbul. first of all, The owner and the staff has integrity they won't over charge you because your a tourist or don't speak Turkish. the food is outstanding and quality is insane, I mean you're in Istanbul what would you expect ? its a seafood heaven. This is absolutely worth the trip just to dine in and experience the real authentic Istanbul seafood.

We came to this place on a cold day to warm up and were not thinking having fish, lucky for us that…read morethis restaurant has changed its venue from seafood to serving primary kofte (a Turkish food made by minced ground beef with special spices). Staff were awesome with their recommendations and did not know how it would turn out initially but then everything were a hit. You should try both regular and cheese kofte. Highly recommended.

Old fish restaurant right by the Bosphorus. Yummie food, good service. Great view. Get off at the…read moreKanlica bus stop, you will see the colorful Kanlica Square and this restaurant.

The authentic fish restaurant with excellent salad (with feta cheese) and of course the highlight:…read moresalmon shish. The corn bread and the Turkish tea at the end complete an excellent dinner. Highly recommended.

The seafood at this place is phenomenal! We had the best calamari we have ever had at any location…read moreanywhere in the world. The fish was fresh and cooked just right. To top it off, the service is great as well.

There are too few restaurants make me feel like orgasm with it's food. This is one of them. A greek…read morerestaurant with mostly seafood. Airy garden both front and in the back, happy staff, happy customers, nice environment with flowers and candles. Every plate is offering perfect taste. You can tell the cook is spending double time and extra attention preparing the food. I had a couple of cold starters, octopus, meatballs and shrimp.And a dessert made with orange. They were all perfect. Especially shrimp with mushrooms was above everything. Please try this one if you go there. And go there.. Do it now..Do it good..Do it twice :) I am telling you guys, this place is top of the hill...

If you want to escape from the city for the weekend, make sure you stop by Maria'nın Bahçesi (The…read moregarden of Maria) for a brunch. Located amongst fruit trees, you are in the middle of the nature. There is also an enclosed space though. Mostly Aegean foods are served here. Highly recommended due to its ambiance.

Very nice place. The staff was friendly and the fish was cooked perfectly. And the prices were more…read morethan reasonable. I would recommend this place to anyone traveling to Istanbul. I also thought the location was great.

This is a fun local seafood restaurant if you want to get away from the tourists and try some real…read moreTurkish seafood. The staff is extremely friendly and the prices are half what they are in Sultanahmet. It's not far from the metro. Try the Hamsi!

It's the place to be seen in Istanbul it would seem. Located on the Bosphorus it's a restaurant…read morewith fabulous views and a huge outdoor area for dinner. White crisp linen tons of waiters and very attentive service was the highlight for me. The menu is classical Turkish with great selection of mezze and seafood. I was with some locals so they ordered and I just ate. Food here is fabulous and I would eat like this any day. We had some salads and breads to start and then out came the mezze tray from which we selected a few dishes. Mixture of hot and cold dishes were served one after the other. Some mild and some very spicy. I loved it all. They have a great wine list and they served us a mixed dessert platter and fruit to share after the meal. Turkish coffee came at the end and by the time we finished this place was hopping with the local elite and celebrities pouring in for a meal and a chat with friends. Boats pulled up and dropped off people right at the restaurant and all. It was a perfect people watching place ;-) It's not cheap but I would happily pay to eat here again. Fantastic service, nice ambience, posh people and good food made it a very special evening. Combined with food Raki made for a great experience.

I have long heard about Arnavutkoy Balikcisi being the best meyhane on what I like to call Fish…read moreRow. Being extremley close to my house and actually getting a reservation, I decided to jump in! On the outside, it doesn't look like much. Upon enterering it was much more posh ( company included) then I had imagined. We decided to stick with a few starters and go straight to the warm mezes. We got their grilled octopus, which was excellent, and their grilled calamari, which was to die for. To me this was a decent eating experience overall. Though loud inside and outside, I have come to expect that from any meyhane. If your looking for an intimate meal with a significant other, this isn't the place for you. The major con for me was not only the price but the rushed service. The waiter was practically dumping my raki into my glass, spilling two or three times on the table. Maybe becuase I wasn't wearing a suit or had a rolex on, they were trying to get us out of there as quick as possible! Still overall good food, but go down the block and go to Zipkin, a much better overall dining expererience!