Şafak Restorant & Pub was our dinner location our first night in Istanbul and on the route to the Blue Mosque from our hotel. We were being pitched by all the restaurants' sidewalk frontmen and randomly chose Şafak and it turned out to be a good choice.
We weren't that hungry so got the Mezze Combo and Sigara Böreği - cigar pastries.
The mezze combo had the usual suspects of humus, cacik (yogurt sauce aka Turkish tzatziki), cucumbers, and eggplant puree along with pickled beans and fried eggplant (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/%C5%9Fafak-restorant-ve-pub-istanbul?select=PhEfsmb3fqv80rpnOsMYtQ#IXUdsuuhKn2rdbDRQtUnqA). All were very good, especially the cacik which was quite garlic-y.
The Sigara Böreği are like eggrolls filled with cheese (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/%C5%9Fafak-restorant-ve-pub-istanbul?select=PhEfsmb3fqv80rpnOsMYtQ#A4lSe4nADdHKl4p73rlAOQ) They had a nice crisp shell and salty, creamy center.
Cheap, tasty & filling meal. read more