- Cuisine
- Meyhane (Rakı & Meze)
- Area
- Newington Green
Sarıyer Balık is a family-run Turkish seafood restaurant and meyhane on Green Lanes at Newington Green, named after the Bosphorus district of Sarıyer in Istanbul. Founded in 1990 by Yusuf Bey and run by Cihan Bey since 1996, it has been serving fish and rakı for more than three decades and was named Best Turkish Restaurant at the Time Out…
Sarıyer Balık is a family-run Turkish seafood restaurant and meyhane on Green Lanes at Newington Green, named after the Bosphorus district of Sarıyer in Istanbul. Founded in 1990 by Yusuf Bey and run by Cihan Bey since 1996, it has been serving fish and rakı for more than three decades and was named Best Turkish Restaurant at the Time Out Eating and Drinking Awards in 2002.
The menu is almost entirely fish: grilled levrek (sea bass), çupra, barbun, uskumru and dil balığı, Black Sea hamsi tava, swordfish and halibut, with kalamar, midye tava and a prawn casserole among the hot starters. A long list of cold meze, from fava and kısır to haydari and ezme, makes it easy to build a meyhane-style table before the mains.
It suits a slow evening with friends over rakı, a date night, or anyone who wants Turkish seafood rather than kebabs.
What to order at Sarıyer Balık
Build a table of cold meze first, then choose your fish from the grill or the pan.
- Levrek – sea bass, simply grilled
- Tereyağlı Levrek – sea bass cooked in butter
- Çupra – grilled sea bream
- Karadeniz Hamsi Tava – Black Sea anchovies, pan-fried
- Kalamar Izgara – grilled squid
- Midye Tava – fried mussels, from the hot starters
- Ahtapot Salatası – octopus salad, from the seafood meze
- Helva – warm, creamy helva to finish
Atmosphere and good to know
The interior is styled as a fisherman’s cave crossed with a 1970s–80s Istanbul meyhane, giving the cosy dining room a warm, nostalgic feel. It opens in the evenings only, from 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, and is closed on Mondays. Tables can be booked online through Quandoo, which is worth doing at weekends.
Rakı, wine and Efes beer are served, and the restaurant has held occasional rakı and live music nights. Vegetarians can make a full meal from the cold meze, which include fava, kısır, mücver, cacık, aubergine ezme and roasted pepper dishes. Halal status isn’t stated.
Sarıyer Balık opening hours
Monday: Closed; Tuesday to Sunday: 17:00–01:00. Hours can change on bank holidays, so check with the restaurant before you travel.
How to get to Sarıyer Balık
Sarıyer Balık is on Green Lanes just north of Newington Green. Canonbury Overground station is around a 10-minute walk, and Highbury & Islington (Victoria line and Overground) is about 15–20 minutes on foot. Buses 141 and 341 stop on Green Lanes, while routes 21, 73, 236 and 476 serve Newington Green.
Menu, ordering and contact
View the menu · Order or book online · Sarıyer Balık website · Instagram · Facebook · Call 020 7275 7681
More Turkish food nearby
Nearby, try Beyti Ocakbaşı and Kozan Grill, or browse all Turkish restaurants in Newington Green. New to Turkish food? Start with our guide to popular Turkish dishes or see the best Turkish restaurants in London.
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