Ciya Restaurant, Istanbul

Though it was a few weeks ago now, we’re still savoring the superb lunch that we had at Ciya in Istanbul. In fact, of all the restaurants we visited during our recent trip, this simple little place is the one we liked the best. Unlike the fancy spots we checked out on the European side of the Bosphorus, Ciya is located in the busy and very authentic Kadiköy  neighborhood, which is a pleasant ferry boat ride away in the Asian part of the city. It’s sort of like a Turkish bistro, if such a place were to exist; in other words, it’s brisk, busy and popular with the locals because it serves the dishes they most love to eat.

To clarify a confusing situation, Ciya actually has three addresses in the same street, and if they all serve more or less the same menu, the one we prefer is Ciya Sofrasi, which offers some Anatolian dishes the others don’t and has a cozier and more attractive setting. One way or another, the menu there changes daily, but after Ezo Gelin soup, absolutely delicious and made with red lentils, mint, garlic, onions and spices, we tried two exceptionally good dishes -- green almonds with yogurt, lamb and safflower and Lady’s Thistle (sort of like an Italian cardoon) with lamb, olive oil, lemon and egg, before finishing up with a succulent Karniacik kebab, roasted eggplant and ground beef served with a wonderful garlic tomato sauce. No alcohol is served here, but a glass of blackberry juice accompanied this food quite nicely.

Since this place isn’t easy to find, we suggest you print out the map from the restaurant’s web site before you leave home. Once you arrive, however, most of the staff speak English and are very friendly. Lunch is preferable to dinner, and afterward, explore the surrounding market streets, a great place to shop for Turkish delicacies such as apple tea.

Caferaga Mah. Güneslibahce  Sk. No. 43 Kadiköy – Istanbul. Tel. 90-216-330-3190. Email: [email protected]

ADDENDUM: A few weeks after we ran this review, the New Yorker ran an extensive profile of Ciya Restaurant. That piece is now in their subscriber archives.