5 stars

Meat lovers can sate themselves a hundred times over on Turkish cuisine, but it does have a habit of diluting the protein hit with the odd eggplant. Brazilians, in carnivorous contrast, can make a 12 course meal with nary a green in sight at Quente, Istanbul’s only Churrascaria (Brazilian barbeque) will fill your plate with all the meat you can eat for 69ytl*. 

Before the flesh feeding frenzy starts, an L-shaped plate of mezes and a cheese board come to your table – the only way service differs from an authentic Churrascaria. Olive oil dishes, smoked salmon crepes and an eggplant tartlet start you off in a civilized enough way but then the china, cutlery and manners are cast aside in favour of a wooden board, tongs and elbows on the table. The first of the 12 cuts of meat**, extremely tender marinated chicken, appears at your table.  Passdors (meat waiters) serve each meat on skewers, reminiscent of classy döner kebabs; rare beef, boneless lamb chops, the best entrecote I’ve had in 4 years in Istanbul and a Brazilian specialty, picañe (rump steak).  The invisibly ever-present waiters carve a hunk off for you to snatch with your tongs so as to get it to your mouth before it melts away in the air.  The traffic of food to your plate is directed by two-sided discs set at each diner’s place.  Green for Go and red for the point where you start sweating meat juices. Although the order of the courses is fixed, you can skip or repeat any you like, not forgetting the side dishes of mini jacket potatoes, borek, fried banana parading in from the kitchen.

The meat, from Istanbul’s finest butcher, Dukkan, hangs for 20 days to tenderize and, with the exception of the chicken, is dressed only with the best salt you’ve ever tasted.  Didn’t realize salt could be almost worthy of being a course in itself? Brazilian ocean salt comes in crystals as big as peppercorns and accessorizes the meat like diamonds.  Wine drinkers are similarly indulged, 45 wines are on the list ranging from local Doluca and Kavaklıdere (from 60ytl per bottle) to Chilean, Argentinean, French, Italian and German (up to 645ytl per bottle). 

Seasonal fresh fruit plate rounds off the meal but more fun can be ordered separately in the form of cheesecake, tiramisu or fruit pie (14.50ytl) or the Brazilian grilled cinnamon pineapple (19.50ytl).  As this is Suada, eyes are as satisfied by the view as the stomach is by the food, but true carnivores will probably barely glance up from their plates. 

*Price includes mezes, BBQ, salad and fruit platter.  Excludes drinks and desserts.

** Vegetarians and fish eaters can be accommodated.

Quente

Muallim Naci Caddesi No: 141
Suada
Kuruçeşme

0212 327 4606/ 257 1000

Open daily 11-2am