The New Karaköy Fish Market & Seafood Dining At Akın Balık

There’s a little corner of Istanbul that’s very special to us. Karaköy Fish Market (Karaköy Balık Pazarı) was not just a market but also a place to go and eat.

You could eat anything from üskümrü / hamsi ekmek (mackerel or anchovy sandwich) to fish soup.

Or even a full seafood platter whilst enjoying a can of beer, glass of wine or rakı on the shores of the Golden Horn.

It was all a bit ramshackle…

Rickety chairs and tables. Hawkers trying to tempt you into their little eatery.

There were barbecues along the pathway packed with sizzling mackerel waiting to be wrapped in dürüm, along with vibrantly-coloured salad stuffs.

Diners constantly packed this area. Along with people just looking to grab a quick snack from the barbecues…

And then, in June 2015, we woke up one morning to tweets galore…

Demolished

They had demolished one of our favourite little corners of Istanbul overnight.

Gone!

To say we were shocked and genuinely saddened? Wow, that’s an understatement!

Many of the folks of Istanbul knew this was in the offing. But we’re tucked down here in our own little corner of Turkey; Fethiye.

We never saw it coming.

A few weeks before, we’d been staying in Galata. And we’d sat at one of those eateries in the spring sunshine with our friend, Anıl of Foxnomad.

The waters of the Golden Horn slapping against the shore, seagulls eyeing our food.

Apparently, most of these eateries were unlicensed (illegal) and they had been given notice that their days were numbered.

The problem was, they’d been there so long, they’d become an institution. Hence the shock felt by many.

And then, on studying photos of the demolition by Istanbul-based bloggers and online newspapers, we soon worked out that not just the eateries but the whole Karaköy fish market was gone, too!

Just disbelief!

We wondered how we’d feel when we saw the scene for ourselves when we returned to Istanbul in November…

And where we’d go to eat hamsi ekmek!

Hope Springs Eternal

But my first sighting held a smidge of hope.

As I ran past the site of where the Karaköy Fish Market stood, en route to the 10k finish line in the Istanbul Marathon, I spied new wooden units…

As soon as we could, we both headed back that way…

The (New) Historic Karaköy Fish Market

“Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçılar Pazarı” means, “Historic Karaköy Fishmongers’ Market.”

We guess it’s historic because fishmongers have traded from this site for some years.

It just doesn’t look too historic at the moment; with its brand new, tiled units, clad in freshly varnished wood and a big shiny ‘2015.’

It reminds us of a shop that used to sell ‘Modern Antiques’ in Fethiye.

But it’s a big phew from us for these fish market traders. We thought we’d be going to see a vast empty space where once a vibrant market had stood.

Another of the world’s markets gone forever.

But, happily, the fishmongers are still selling their fish. And they are selling it from purpose-built units, too.

It’s neat and organised, the fishmongers have their names over the tops of their units. Better in bad weather? Most probably.

It’s not rickety and ramshackle; an atmosphere we will miss.

But trade continues. It would be nice to think the fishmongers are happier and better equipped in this set up than the previous one.

So, from appearances, all well and good on that score. We hope it’s well supported.

But it was this area where we used to come for our favourite hamsi ekmek. Steam rising from a huge tantuni pan into the autumn air as the anchovies sizzled in the deep, hot oil.

That’s gone…

But on another wander around the area, we headed a little further along the shore of the Golden Horn, just past the Karaköy Fish Market, to where the seafood cafes once stood.

Akın Balık – Seafood Beside The Golden Horn

Walk through Karaköy Balıkçılar Pazarı, passing the Karaköy ferry terminal and you’ll come across Akın Balık.

We were so happy to see that one of these restaurants had lived to tell the tale…

Akın Balık is still there, legally, we guess.

Multi-coloured plant pots and wooden chairs. Blue-painted tables. Plastic covering to shelter diners from the breezes and cold autumn air.

Eating Seafood By The Golden Horn

Akın Balık is a lokanta specialising in meze and seafood.

Ahh, to be thankful for small mercies; we still get to eat hamsi by the Golden Horn in winter!

Apparently, Akın Balık is packed out in the evenings, especially at weekends.

But we were there late afternoon; the low autumnal sunshine casting dappled lighting around the dining area.

This is a lokanta, so there is no menu.

Meze Dishes

We wandered inside and the waiter lead us around the back to choose what we wanted from the meze fridges.

You know us, when we see us a selection of foods on display. Some of that, some of that, a bit of that…

And before we know it, we’ve got a table full of food. With just the two of us to eat it.

We eat quite often in Istanbul so we managed to be quite sensible on this occasion.

First, an obligatory (for us) meze of Antep Ezmesi. And then it just wouldn’t have been right to have other non-seafood meze. Kaya Otu (a rock seaweed) and then a little treat…

Mmm, if we see octopus in any form, we’ve gotta order it. This time, it was an octopus salad.

Mains

There was a variety of choice for main courses. And the waiter was rhyming off all manner of fish and seafood to try and tempt us.

He could have stood there all night with his sales patter. It wouldn’t have made a scrap of difference for me.

“Hamsi, for me, please.”

Barry ordered some barbun (little Red Snapper). Then we went off to sit at a table where we could see the water and the boats coming and going.

Over on the opposite side, Süleymaniye Mosque was dominating the skyline.

As is the norm in places like this, once you’ve indulged in your range of meze, our fish main courses were served just with a simple salad of rocket and a wedge of lemon.

It was all just exactly what we wanted. And then the sun began to lower in the sky…

How can we not want to spend time eating simple seafood dishes by the water with a view like this?

Rumours

They might have removed the cafes. And the atmosphere has definitely changed. But Akın Balık is still there.

Rumours abound as to what the now empty space by Akın Balık will be. Time will reveal…

But, for now, Karaköy Fish Market still sells fish and seafood to shoppers (thankfully). And those who are hungry can take their pick of places to eat.

For good simple seafood at decent prices, Akın Balık is no bad choice. We’ll definitely be back, that’s for certain.

And, as we left to walk back through the neat and shiny new Karaköy Fish Market, three vendors manned barbecues packed with sizzling mackerel, ready to sell balık ekmek to people getting off the ferries.

Istanbul stops for nobody…

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