Ahırkapı Balıkçısı

This little cove, off the beaten trail has wonderful seafood fresh caught from the Black Sea!
Ok, so I guess because this restaurant is so successful, some guys made a restaurant with the same name smack in front of this one. The owner kept trying to lure me in, but thanks to Google Maps, I knew that this place was not the right one, and me and my devious mind :) said that I am going to meet a friend there, so just help me please. Going on the gravel path behind the fraud, I reached the real restaurant which said «ORIGINAL Ahirkapi Balıkçısı». Nice going, guys.
I was met by the owner, an old man, who brought me his English guy (South African, I think, wears colorful turtlenecks). I have allergies to eggs, dairy and nuts, and this man was extremely gracious in helping me find something I could eat. For a starter, I had the hamsi, anchovies in tomato sauce, and it was BEYOND AMAZING. How is something so GOOD!!! I ordered THREE more.
For the main dish, I had the sea bream, which was also really good, but not as good as the hamsi. Also, it came as a very large portion, and I eat in small quantities, so I only ate about half.
I had Ahirkapi Balıkçısı hamsi for the next two days I stayed in Istanbul for a late night snack– I just couldn’t resist. Absolutely wonderful place that you must go to if you visit Istanbul.

Good fish at reasonable price. I had the eggplant purée and the grilled sea breen tonight. Left feeling full and happy.
Maybe things have changed since others have posted, but it didn’t feel like a locals place to me. Small with tables on sidewalk and a few inside with the menu proudly displaying a «TripAdvisor» rating… every single person I saw was a tourist. Also, the waiter who served me was a South African who spoke very good English.
Food grilled very well. Would probably come back on my vacation again because it is so close to my hotel and a terrific escape from the truly obnoxious and loud bar/​cafés catering to most of the tourist is sultanahmet below the square.
I advise not sitting outside. The traffic passed with a foot or two or the folks sitting there. It looked very dangerous.

Visiting this restaurant last September on Unilocal recommendations, my wife and I experienced everything that reminded us of a certain Seinfeld episode featuring a certain memorable character. Except we didn’t have any delicious soup.
We were hungry and arrived earlier than most diners in Istanbul — the place was empty save for the staff of 4. All of the outdoor and indoor tables had «Reserved» placards on them so we figured this place was a good choice.
Boy were we wrong. The proprietor (owner?) begrudgingly seated us and offered no suggestions for food or wine. I tried to engage the waiter and the rest of the staff just standing around with smiles and my limited Turkish, but it looked like they were all having a bad day. I did get to pick the fish we wanted from the display case, which was prepared whole of course. The fish was fine but not better than what we’ve had in Croatia, a «bit up» the Med coast. For the side dishes, we had to ask for them after the fish was brought out, and they were cold, tasteless and forgetful.
When the other diners started showing up, first time ever in Europe did we experience the waiter bringing us a check without us asking for it. And like some of the other patrons of this place also experienced, he started clearing the table as if we were not still seated there.
I usually don’t care about bad service if the food is great, but the ratio of unfriendliness to the food quality far exceeded our limits. The entire time we felt like we were a hassle for being customers. Avoid.

Came here for my birthday dinner. Visiting Istanbul alone, I was hoping to find good seafood. Something I noted is that most of the men who work here speak very little English, which means when asking about fish with which I had no familiarity, they were unable to describe for me the flavor and texture. This lead to a long decision-​making process and my eventually settling on the seabags, which incidentally is nothing like seabass in the states.
Fish comes with bones in and skin. Most people apparently eat the skin– this is not a cultural norm in the US, and thus I spent a good 30 minutes eating around the bones, trying to pick them out, and avoiding the skin. I suppose I could have tried the skin…
The fish came with fries, but wasn’t deep fried, so I must admit it’s an interesting take on fish and chips.
They had live music as well, a folk band. They urged a Turkish woman to request a song and then forced her to sing along. She was in good spirits about it. Then the fiddler made me dance with him… a bit uncomfortable, but it was meant as entertainment. It was a bit fresh that he kissed my cheek (not in the Euro kiss-​kiss way) after.
The experience was interesting. If I returned I’d probably not go back. Again, I dislike having people on the street trying to get me into their restaurant. Particularly when they make inappropriate comments…

One star because I cannot rate 0.
To start, the overaged waiter placed us at out table while holding a cigarette. Then we were given two menu cards covered in filth (whipping it with a wet cloth once in a week is not that hard) and a minute later I was shown the remaining fish of the day. They were in a fridge with display window and they were keep trying to make me take the one which was not fresh, ignoring that sometimes costumers DO know about fish.
We ordered some cold starters, the jumbo shrimp and a grilled blue fish. The first impression: «it’s amazing how small the portions are»! Let’s go to the taste…
The red peppers were most probably from a can, but very tasty… finished them by using my fork twice. The aubergine paste was not squashed, so it was like a salad… even less than the peppers. Jumbo shrimps where as big as my smallest finger and not cleaned, only decapitated. The fish was fresh and tasty, but badly cooked… at least 3 minutes under and poorly seasoned.
What surprised me at first is that they were «throughing» the plates on the table (and one of them was missing a part). Then, once a plate was empty, it was removed immediately… in not a kind way. They were putting their hands in front of us, interrupting our meal. And when we had the last bite of the last plate… they cleared the table before I even left my fork down, and brought the bill without me asking for it!
I’ve never felt so unwelcomed. A vending machine has a warmer smile!
To sum up. We paid 110 liras for small portions of medium food and to be practically kicked out!
I don’t understand how other Unilocalers gave such grate review, neither TripAdvisor users… nor the guides that call it «to choice». I guess I’m a bitter person or I went there at the wrong time of the wrong day.

So good! Believe the guidebooks, and eat what they recommend. (Or don’t — it will still be good.)
When we arrived, the waiter promptly moved the reserved sign on a table so we could sit outside and handed us menus. However, the chef came over and gestured for us to put down the menus and come see the fish case instead. He then told us what we should have and we agreed. The party of 6 Australians next to us decided to order other than recommended, and while they were not quite sure what was going to come out, they were very happy with their meal. (Less happy about Australia being down 2 – 3 to Holland in the World Cup as they were leaving, but so it goes.)
The bream was simple and perfect, the sardine-​wrapped olives were wonderful and the eggplant appetizer was equally good.

Listed in every guidebook as a top pick — but what’s not said is how fun and friendly the entire experience is: being welcomed (language isn’t an issue either way; we’re here to eat, and they’re here to cook); choosing your entrée and appetizers from the selection of utterly fresh fish in the counter display; watching the fish be sliced and then cooked on an open fire (aim for a seat in the western front corner!). Absolutely perfectly-​cooked, tasty fish. Perfect with a simple beer. The cats outside will dine well, too. Open late. Not at all expensive, and plenty of food. Come in October/​November, and you’ll get a table among the happy locals.

What the chef lacks in English, he makes up in spades with personality and sheer joy.
The meal was overall simple and unadorned, but marvellously delicious and satisfying in the same way we dined in most of Barcelona. The chef ushers you outside to his cooler displaying the day’s catch, and then lets you pick out (with as much help as you’d like, of course) whatever catches your eye. Then he simply dresses the fish with some oil and flour, grills the fish or calamari over a simple grill in his tiny kitchen, and plates before you one of the most lovingly-​handled pieces of sea food you will have ever encountered.
Don’t expect anything fancy, but do expect something delicious. You won’t be disappointed.

Wunderbares Fischrestaurant, das ich voll und ganz weiterempfehlen kann! Es ist sehr klein, bei schönem Wetter gibts aber auch noch einen kleinen Gastgarten. Eine Reservierung ist empfehlenswert, da im Laufe des Abends einige Leute abgewiesen werden mussten, weil alles besetzt war.
Es gibt eine Fischtheke an der man sich den gewünschten Fisch zum Braten aussuchen kann. Wir haben uns eine Vorspeisenvariation aus paniertem Tintenfisch, diversen Aufstrichen, einem würzigen Kartoffelgericht, gegrillten Sardinen usw. zusammenstellen lassen. Als Hauptgericht gabs dann natürlich gebratenen Fisch (Meerbrasse und Blaubarsch), der wirklich ausgezeichnet war! Supersaftig innen und knusprig gegrillt außen, genauso wie er sein soll!
Die Kellner waren sehr nett und zuvorkommend, absolut unaufdringlich, aber immer zur Hand, wenn man etwas brauchte. Wir haben auch noch 2 Flaschen sehr leckeren Wein getrunken und es war ein sehr gelungener Abend. Falls es uns nochmal nach Istanbul verschlagen sollte, werden wir dort sicher wieder vorbeischauen!

Ein winziges, wunderbares Fischrestaurant. Wenn es warm ist, werden noch ein paar Tische auf die Terrasse gestellt. Sehr feines Essen, dessen Auswahl man gut dem Chef überlassen kann. Unser Menü für vier Personen bestand aus einem Vorspeisenteller, Salat, Gambas, paniertem Tintenfisch und einem ganzen gegrillen Fisch für alle. Dazu eine Flasche Wein und ein Fläschchen Raki. Das Dessert bestand aus gebackenem Halva mit Karottenstiften. Die Vorspeisen waren so lecker, dass man auch ein kleines bisschen Knoblauch gern verzieh. Die Tintenfische schmolzen fast im Mund, so zart waren sie. Die Gambas waren perfekt gewürzt und schmeckten so lecker, das man sich fragte, wieso die sonst oft so langweilig sind. Der Fisch war so frisch, dass es eine Freude war.
Hinzu kommt der höchst aufmerksame Chef, der immer erst im richtigen Moment zur Stelle ist und so aussieht und spricht wie Jean Gabin. Die Speisekarte gibt es auch in Englisch und gekostet hat uns der Spaß ca. 30 EUR pro Person. Man sieht dem Laden am Tage nicht an, wie angenehm er am Abend ist, aber wenn dann die weißen Tischdecken ausgebreitet und die Bestecke bereit gelegt werden, spürt man, dass es etwas Besonderes werden wird. Diesen Geheimtipp möchte man fast für sich behalten, aber ich wünsche mir, dass sich auch andere daran so erfreuen wie wir.