Garry S
Google
Starving, and on the hunt for something that truly captivates Istanbul’s spirit, I stumbled across Beyti, a legendary establishment, mythical in status, dating back to 1945, and more notably featuring on Mark Wein’s best restaurant in Istanbul.
18km from The Ritz Carlton, the trip took around 1hr through Istanbul’s metropolis rush hour. A giant bull decorates the garden, signalling your stop.
A series of greeters met me at the front door, waiters moving at light speed, and effortlessly gliding to their destination, with copper coloured cloches preserving hidden secrets beneath them, ready to delight whoever was lucky enough to receive it.
After sitting down, I was frequented by multiple servers, each very well dressed, clearly and deservingly, very proud of their work.
I decided on the speciality starter, the “Imam Fainted”. This alone was an entire backstory of its own, the unique flavours bursting through impossibly, and was served in what seemed like seconds after ordering.
Next up, was the mixed platter. I’d originally eagle eyed the doner kebab, but I was kindly advised this was included in the mixed platter, which I had also ordered.
The doner kebab was served first of the mix - I was a little nervous I’d ordered the wrong thing, because there was no other signs of the other cuts of meat. However, after finishing the most perfectly sliced pieces of succulent doner, another waiter arrived and placed two sizzling pieces of grilled meatballs on my plate, along with mashed potato. Although arguably not ball shaped, these could be any shape they wanted, as they were absolutely spectacular.
Following that, I was presented with the sheesh Kebab or kidney grill (I couldn’t tell), but the cuts were perfectly singed on the outside, whilst perfectly cooked on the inside.
Finally, the lamb chop. I have no idea how this retained so much flavour. It was, quite simply, astonishing, and easily the star of the show.
Baklava, Turkish Tea and Turkish Coffee all followed, I somehow made even more space to fit in the Turkish hospitality. Once again, I was stopped short of tarnishing my meal with adding sugar to my tea, and I was given assurance that the Baklava was sugary enough, without adding sugar to the tea. The coffee was ultra strong and I felt like I’d just shotted 4 monsters, which was exactly what I needed from stopping me from slipping into a food comatose.
Truly satisfied and stuffed to the point of exploding, I was kindly offered a tour of the building by Yusuf. Softly spoken, and having dedicated 23 years of servitude to Beyti, there was magic to his storytelling that itself could have been a tour of Istanbul.
As we walked around, I realised Beyti is a time capsule, showcasing items collected from the Ottoman Empire, to various visits from Emperors of Japan, to Presidents of American. As we toured from room to room, what astonished me was the diversity in decor, almost as if each segment had been added on in each decade, each with its own story and charm.
As my journey came to an end, Yusuf bid me farewell on my journey after calling a cab. I left feeling like I’d just visited one of the great wonders of the world. I can’t wait to return and continue the culinary journey at Beyti.
