Balat Sahil Restaurant

Unfortunately, we had a very bad experience at this restaurant. Upon arrival, we were not given a menu, so we had no idea about the prices or available options. The staff simply told us to choose a starter, so we selected starter dishes. Then we were strongly pushed to order a certain type of fish – it was almost forced upon us, without any mention of the price. We assumed it was a regular dish, but when the bill arrived, we were shocked: 11,500 lira for just a few small dishes and a fish that wasn’t even particularly tasty. The quality of the food did not match the price at all. We truly felt misled, and it’s very unprofessional that there was no transparency regarding the menu and pricing. This kind of practice is not hospitable and certainly not fair to customers. I absolutely do not recommend this restaurant.

Very authentic restaurant. Ferruh was absolutely lovely — he walked us through all of the fresh fish in the fridge outside, along with the mezzes and helped us choose the best ones. The fish is incredible fresh — the smoked mackerel (cold) and the grilled were both amazing ! We finished the meal with Ferruh’s recommendation, ekmek kadayıfı, and it was delicious. Would definitely come again and recommend to anyone visiting Istanbul.

Great experience in this local restaurant. Ferruh was an amazing host! Enjoy their incredible meze.

A jewel. We tried the fresh sea bass, boiled and served with a lemon sauce. The cold meze options were amazing, we especially loved the green beans and lemon anchovies! Pair your meal with a nice beer or rakı and enjoy a beautiful atmosphere… established 1939!! Ferruh our server was fenomenal, he gave us the best recommendations and was so very kind!

Very tasty the dinner,a bit slow and unfortunately they forget some food what we ordered but in the end everything was good!

Very friendly place! Great food and great service.

A wonderful neighborhood restaurant…unassuming but what delicious food. Kind and thoughtful service. We Were here for lunch and followed the advice on plates …no disappointments!

The freshest most tender sea bass in white sauce! Outstanding! Ferruh, our server, was gracious and expert in guiding us in our selections of appetizer spreads and main. Highly highly recommend!