“I hope you like Borscht,” I told my dining companion and fellow TOiST writer Vanessa Larson as we descended Galip Dede Cad. into Galata. “I can’t stomach it and I’m sure they’ll serve us some.” Honestly though, I had to admit upon further reflection, I’d never really tasted more than a spoonful of it and my opinion was probably based more on the famous Russian soup’s association with the grimmest aspects of Soviet life much like the gruel slathered into the dented tin cups of Victorian orphans. I’d rather eat liver and lima beans.
    Our destination, The Galata House on Galata Kulesi Street, has served many functions during its centurial life span prior to its current incarnation of Borscht purveyors.  Built as a civil prison in 1904 by and for the British community, who like the other major foreign populations, had won the right to try and punish their own citizens according to their own laws rather than the Sultan’s.
During the city’s occupation by allied forces in the aftermath of WWI, the building became the headquarters of the military police until the end of the independence war. It took ten more years of legal wrangling before it was finally sold to local merchant Pierre Fournial in whose family’s care it remained until 1979, serving as lodgings, office space and for a short span, an atelier for metal manufactuing. It didn’t pass into the hands of its current owners, architects Mete and Nadire Göktuğ, until 1990. Recognizing the hidden value of the place, the husband and wife team carefully and lovingly preserved and restored the house, rechristening it “The Galata House.”  Borcsht production commenced in 1999, when old jail was transformed once again, into a restaurant specializing in Caucasion cuisine in honor of Nadire’s birthplace.
    It only takes a few moments speaking with the current owners however to reveal the establishment’s true raison d’etre. First of all, The house is a headquarters of sorts for those happy few dedicated to preservation of the city’s unparalleled historical gems which they believe are suffering for the sake of modernity. The real future of Istanbul, the group seems to contend, lies buried under the layers of concrete, plaster and brick . The prison graffiti discovered during the restoration is case in point that attracts tourists and their wallets to the area.  The unfortunate inmates count the days, sketch their keepers and express their sorrows, sometimes through poignant verses such as  “An unfavourable wind has brought the ship of my life to this shore.” 
    The second is best expressed by Mete himself. “I want to know people,” he enthusiastically exclaims, “We come to the world to know people!” It’s a philosophy he proves daily in his ever-readiness to tell his tales passionately to anyone who shows an interest; it also explains why you won’t find any outside help waiting the tables in the dining room upstairs. Instead, the delightfully quirky owners serve as the bridge between the customer and kitchen, personally greeting, seating, advising and serving the perfect culinary complements to your palate’s desire. 
    Our dinner began with a glass of Georgian wine (10 TL each). Both were semi-sweet fruity affairs, the Old Tbilisi white tasting of apples and the red of forest berries.  While sipping our wine we had ample time to take in the eclectic décor of English furniture ceramics, oil and watercolour paintings and the old piano on which Neride serenades her guests each night. In other hands, it might have come off a touch tacky, but in this couple’s hands achieves a remarkable cosiness that relaxes both gut and gullet.
    Already predisposed to despise the borscht (8 TL) soon deposited on our table, I was thankful to find a possible hiding place in a nearby plant if necessity required. Topped with diced celery leaves, the beet-red broth was turned orange by the dollop of cream substituting for the woefully unattainable sour cream in Istanbul. The liquid swarmed my dipping spoon carrying a host of chopped beets, cabbage and potato. To my utter surprise, it tasted downright lovely, the culinary cold war now over,  I unabashedly  downed the rest and might have licked the bowl had I not felt the compunction of “civilized” behaviour.
    With a much more open mind and stomach, we eagerly dug into the mixed plate of cold appetizers (9TL for 1 person, 16 TL for two) that followed. The array featured 7-8 Russian/Georgian treats and an English celery-apple-walnut concoction thrown in to boot. Particularly eyebrow raising were the hot-spiced cheese with walnut and tomato paste and the coriander infused green runner beans with walnut. Only the beetroot salad (again with the walnuts!) left us cold. 
    The enticements of the main dishes listed in the menu were overwhelming enough to require a recommendation from its designer, Nadire. Taking her advice, I ordered the classic Georgian dish Çakapuli (16TL), a stew of semi-tender chunks of lamb, peas and a tarragon, green onion broth infused with hints of plum. Having never tried it before, the novelty of the flavour was enough to please but it also went far beyond, superior even to my companion’s titillating shaped Hingali meat dumplings, (15 TL) which weren’t too shabby at all.
    Mindful of our duties to our beloved readers, we rejected our stomachs’ warnings and ordered the Kuş Sutu (6 YTL), a Georgian dessert described in the menu as “chocolate cake covered in meringue, with chocolate sauce.”  Although unable to detect any specific Georgian qualities, it nonetheless hit the spot as chocolate always does. 
    What makes a trip to the Old English Prison a must for any tourist or resident of Istanbul is not just the historical context and content of the building, nor is it the homey, family-like atmosphere of the dining salons, or even the pleasant gastronomic departure from the sharp, peppery spice of most Turkish food to the softer, earthier tones of Russian/Georgian cuisine. What really makes a visit to The Galata House worthwhile is the opportunity to participate in and support a genuine labour of love. Mete and Nadire’s passion is not just limited to the four walls of the building but also encompasses the entire city and its people, past, present and future.

And that means you…

Galata Kulesi Sok. No: 15 (61)
Tuesday-Sunday 12:00-24:00
 212 245 1861
http://www.thegalatahouse.com/