Turkish Meze

A popular misconception about meze is that it is an assortment of side dishes and/or appetizers, akin to South America’s tapas, Korea’s banchan, and Italy’s antipasti. The truth is that meze is a meal itself, often served with traditional alcoholic beverages such as raki, arak, and mastika.

Meze is a smorgasbord of traditional Mediterranean dishes served in small platters, a hodgepodge of hot and cold dishes, of seafood, meat, cheeses, vegetables, and dips. Meze favorites include souvlaki (grilled meat on skewers), halloumi cheese (either grilled or fried), pastrami, sarma (grape leaves stuffed with lamb, rice, and herbs), tarama (mashes potatoes with olive oil and fish roe dip), and artichoke salad.

Here are the best places to have meze in Istanbul:

• INCIRALTI | Beylerbeyi
  For meze and raki in the picturesque area of Beylerbeyi
  What to order: Grilled sea bass, Meze, Muhammara
  Price range: 8 to 18 TRY ($2.27 to $5.11)
  When: 10:00 – 02:00 Daily
  Where: Arabacilar Sok No. 4, Beylerbeyi, Istanbul
• SAFE MEYHANESI | Fatih
  For upholding more than a century of culinary tradition
  What to order: Pastry stuffed with cheese and meat, Spiced mutton liver, Pilaki
  Price range: 17 to 50 TRY ($4.82 to $14.18)
  When: 13:00 – 02:00 Daily
  Where: Yedikule, 34107, Fatih, Istanbul
• HAYDARPASA MYTHOS | Kadikoy
  For mezes in the beautiful Haydarpasa train station building
  What to order: Cheesecake, Patlican Sarma (Stuffed grape leaves), Marinated salmon
  Price range: 18 to 49 TRY ($5.11 to $13.90)
  When: 11:30 – 01:00
  Where: Rasimpasa, Haydarpasa Gari, 34716 Kadikoy, Istanbul