What is Mezze Tray?
If you want to eat an extensive Turkish style dinner in Istanbul/Turkey, you should head to kebab or seafood restaurants. The “Mezze Tray,” which is served as a start to the meal, is a long-standing tradition in these types of restaurants. “Mezze Tray” consists of many Turkish style cold appetizers. Some of the appetizers are available in both kebab and seafood restaurants, and some of them differ between the two. The ones that you may find in both are köpoğlu, eggplant salad, purslane with yogurt, haydari, feta cheese, borlotti beans in olive oil, humus and fava. In the seafood restaurants you may also find options prepared with seafoods such as marinated bass, lakerda, çiroz etc… In some of the restaurants, you may also find Topik, marinated artichoke, appetizers with shrimp or octopus, and more! It’s also a tradition to order rakı alongside these famous mezze options. Rakı and mezze are like sisters and brothers.
There are also some restaurants in the concept of Turkish tavern which you may taste these Turkish style appetizers. These spots have a traditional concept which differs in terms of decoration, music and atmosphere. Some of them have been serving to their clients for many years and preserve their true essence and some of them are in the style of modernized tavern. This is a really unique concept that is worth experiencing.
Here are the best places that you can eat the most delicious “Mezze Tray” components:
-
Kıyı Tarabya- Seafood restaurant
-
Rumelihisarı İskele- Seafood restaurant
-
Uskumru Restaurant- Seafood restaurant
-
Karaköy Lokantası- Turkish tavern
-
Yakup Asmalımescit- Turkish tavern
-
Selimiye Birtat- Turkish tavern with Kebab options (There is additionally a variety of appetizers prepared with offals)
-
İncir Altı Meyhanesi- Turkish tavern (Restaurant’s topic is famous)
-
Şişko Perihan- Turkish tavern
-
Güneşin Sofrası Kadıköy- Turkish tavern
-
Piraye Taş Plak Kadıköy- Turkish tavern
-
Demeti Cihangir- Turkish tavern
-
Mana Karaköy- Turkish tavern
-
Zübeyir Ocakbaşı- Kebab restaurant
-
4’ten 4’e Ocakbaşı- Kebab restaurant
If you try one of them, please share your thoughts with us and let other readers learn about your experiences!
