Samdam Meyhane. Another hidden gem!
I've always been weary of visiting hotel restaurants. They are sort of known for being very expensive and serve run of the mill type of food, but I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Samdan Meyhane in Pera. I was out searching for somewhere that had an awesome view, when I discovered by complete accident this gem of a place. It wasn't decorated as you'd normally expect from a hotel, but instead bright coloured table runners on wooden tables arranged in such a way that it felt cosy. The view was out of this world too. A Stunning and picturesque panoramic vista lay before us. Topkapi Palace, The Blue mosque and the hustle and bustle of the Halic inlet lay at our feet. We'd arrived just in time for one of most magnificent of sunsets I've ever seen.
After looking at the menu, we understood that it would cater for everyone's tastes, vegetarian or like myself an avid meat eater.
A good selection of Mezzes (cold appetizers) were available at the glass fronted refrigerator. As usual, I always order stuff I can't cook at home, or is too time consuming We were also keen to try as much as we could, so I ordered the aubergine (eggplant) puree, which was superbly made. Smooth, smoky with a hint of sweetness and garlic. Stuffed vine leaves topped with sour cherries, an odd combination I hear you say, but it really worked well. We tried them on their own first, then decided that they tasted a lot better after squeezing the lemon garnish they had decorated the dish with. I would have liked to have seen lemon wedges instead of slices. Nevertheless, very tasty! We also ordered goat cheese wrapped in fried aubergine and courgettes (zucchini) topped with a fresh Pesto. It was fresh and interesting but it wasn't our favourite. Our favourite by far was this unusual herb/plant that was crunchy and had a tangy taste to it. Our waiter was really friendly and told us the name of it in Turkish, Kayakoruk. In English it's known as Rock Samphire according to google
Our hot Mezzes were very creative too. Crispy Turkish Dumplings, stuffed with succulent meat and served in a yoghurt dip, Liver, pan-fried in butter, that just melted in our mouths and traditional Kokorec. Which is for all intense and purposes finely chopped lamb's intestine. Now I know what you are thinking, but this delicacy is a must try in Turkey and I would never advise trying it on the streets of Istanbul, but if you find a top notch restaurant that serves it, it's a must!
You can imagine by now, my guest and I were absolutely stuffed. We made a rookie mistake and munched down on the freshly baked bread that they kept bringing over. We decided to order some wine and our waiter said their house red was a Merlot, so we kicked back and watched the scenery below. The sunset a blood orange was disappearing behind the blue mosque. It was really quite romantic.
Even though we were quite full, I wasn't about to leave without trying some of the meat. After all, we were in no hurry and they place was very inviting, you could really just stay there all night. Soft music in the background wasn't disturbing and people were starting to arrive for dinner or just drinks.
I asked our waiter if we could try a tasting platter, a small portion of the meat they had on the menu. He was very accommodating, helpful and said it wouldn't be a problem. About 20 mins later this massive platter appeared. (See photos) We weren't able to finish it all, but I'm glad we tried everything. There's no need to go into too much detail, but the steak, meatballs and lamb chops were of the highest quality. Perfectly seasoned and cooked at the right temperatures. No frills just top notch and lean. We grazed slowly and had a very romantic evening. If you are looking for an 'off the beaten track' sort of place, then I highly recommend Samdan Meyhane Pera (on top of the Rixos Pera hotel). Let's not forget too that it was not expensive at all. 6 Mezzes (hot and cold) 2 main courses and 2 glasses of wine came to around 150TL. It's not easy to find the quality, the view and the atmosphere for much less than double that. read more
