The Turkish lokanta can be most likened to the American diner, a toned down, modest place you go for the sole purpose of eating. If restaurants were given stars the way hotels are, based on amenities and services, the lokanta, like the diner, would get one or two, tops. Before the word 'restaurant' even crept into the Turkish language, when fine dining and Michelin stars didn't mean anything to anybody, the Tarihi Karaköy Balikçisi was serving up what they do best: fish. Standing the test of time, this fish eatery is now one of the only lokantas nestled between the hardware stores and toilet seat shops of Karaköy.
The old-world aura of the Tarihi Karaköy Balikçisi and the Karaköy neighborhood feel like one big time warp. Even the dialogue between the server and customer feels dated-there's none of the superfluous banter, customer pampering, or brown nosing that can be part and parcel of many dining experiences. This lokanta is a no-nonsense kind of establishment. In fact, the typical, simplified rigmarole goes a little something like this: Waiter walks up and asks “Would you like any soup?” (anyone already familiar with the restaurant automatically knows that he's talking about the fish soup, the only soup on the menu and one of the items that has earned them such good repute). Customer usually responds, “yes”, after which the waiter quickly replies “salad or piyaz?” (cold beans dressed in olive oil).
They do have menus for amateurs, although after one look it's obvious that there is no real need for one. The list of nearly a dozen fish is fairly predictable with two noteworthy exceptions: sea bass wrapped and cooked in paper, and tonguefish kebabs. Both dishes are easily among the best of their kind in Istanbul. The large tomato slices that cover the sea bass like a hamburger bun help retain the moisture, and along with the paper, protect the sea bass from drying out in the oven. This technique works, and slippery, succulent slices of sea bass flavored with a little bit of oil, are much better than the fried or grilled variety served at most fish restaurants. Technique aside, it's also the fish itself that's so excellent. The restaurant's proximity to the Karaköy fish market and its naturally strong knit ties and connections after eighty years in the business probably afford them their pick of the lot.
Reservations are not required, in keeping with the diner/lokanta tradition, but judging from customers comments (tables are close together, making eavesdropping unavoidable), securing your fish of choice is much more challenging than securing a table, as the restaurant seems to run out of the former more often than the latter. There's always room for dessert, however. The sweet craving that tends to strike at the end of every fish meal can be sated by Tarihi Karaköy Balikçisi's marble helva with pistachios, imported from the Aegean town of Manisa. This nutty and rich dessert complements and completes the meal, which will come to about 50YTL for two.
Tersane Cad.