Levrekmek

For weeks, I had been wondering what was going on next door. One of the less attractive buildings in the neighborhood had been completely refurbished, and it was becoming clearer that a restaurant would be opened there. It’s not like there aren’t any food places anywhere close, but a little variety can’t hurt.
Soon enough it became clear that it would be a seafood place. Wonderful, I thought — just what needed, and without doubt not just me. Levrekmek, the name said — and I was really getting curious about what they would offer.
Deniz Kurt is the owner, and he’s quite an interesting man. Former opera singer, passionate sailor and cook, author, and now also a restaurant owner. His restaurant is a small, bright place, lots of white, light blue and turquoise, and the walls are decorated with lots of images that prove the owner’s dedication to the sea. And even if you see him in most of those images, you don’t get the feeling that it’s too much about him, it’s nice way of telling you that he is too much in love with the sea to offer bad seafood.
In a way, Levrekmek is further proof that Levent is slowly but clearly expanding into Gültepe, offering more upscale housing like the neighboring Levent Life building, and more urban choices for food and shopping. It makes living at the edge of these two very contrasting parts of town really interesting — you can choose whether you want to hop over to that charming little tantuni place, or visit Deniz Kurt and his crew for some tasty seafood.
Today was the day — it looked like the place was ready for business, and on my way home I took a closer look. I was invited inside immediately to go upstairs, and have a seat. Originally, I had planned to ask for something to go — but I was informed that they weren’t ready for delivery service yet. But no problem, they just opened, and sitting down to have dinner there was just as good an idea.
Many times I have mentioned the wonderful friendliness and hospitality in restaurants in Turkey, and this is another fine example. The owner himself took some time to sit with me and explain the concept of the restaurant. Fresh food, great fish, and a menu that has a fixed part and a seasonal part. The salads for example are changing on a monthly basis.
The menu is something like Ottman inspired seafood — and it’s a very tasty affair. It started with the fish soup, Levrekmek Domatesli Balık Çorba. Great starter, lots of really fresh and tasty fish in it, good stuff. Especially if you consider the fact that they only charge 6TL for it.
The salad of the month followed: a really lavish bowl of absolutely fresh vegetables, with a generous addition of shrimps and octopus. Whatever you might need is put on your table — croutons for the soup, three different dressings for the salad, and a basket of freshly toasted bread with herbs. It’s really good and tasty food, and the house dressing is a clear recommendation.
The salad is a really generous portion, you can easily fill two plates with it, and it’s clearly worth the 16 TL you are charged for it. And I like the idea of the salads changing every month. Except they will always contain seafood, of course. I also had the chance to try the calamari — really crispy and just as fresh as everything else, served with very fine fries and two different remoulade sauces. Nice.
And then the main course. I left it up to Deniz Kurt to choose for me, and if I understood him correctly, he chose their main course house special, Levremek Izgara. I was served a steel bowl — probably even the bowl the dish was prepared in, filled with fried fish bits, along with small tomatos and onions, with leek and garlic, and bell peppers. All really nicely seasoned, sizzling hot and smelling great.
Well, it tasted great too — it’s a really nice and simple dish, charming and refreshingly different from the usual fish dish that basically is nothing but that — a filet of fried fish. You can choose whether you want to have 160g of fish or 220g, for 14 or 18 TL — and again, it’s well worth it.
This is a really nice place to go for lunch if you work around Harman, Ecza, or Talatpaşa, and don’t feel like spending twice as much at Kanyon. And it’s clearly a smart choice for seafood lovers that live somewhere between Levent and Gültepe. And if you look at how this part of town is developing, the number of people who will appreciate a place like Levrekmek will rise quickly. Good for Deniz Kurt and his folks. They deserve to be really successful.