Today’s our last day in Istanbul before venturing on to other parts of Turkey. I had thought we stayed too many days here, but after today’s lunch, I’m glad we got to stay for our last meal at Çiya because it is quite possibly the best meal we’ve had so far. In fact, it is so good that we plan to visit Çiya again after we return to Istanbul in November before flying back to LA.
Çiya is located on the Asian side of Istanbul in Kadıköy, which is a 30-minute ferry ride from Karaköy (or 20-minute from Eminönü).
This restaurant was recommended by a blogger as well as listed in the little handy book Senem had given us the second day we were in Istanbul. The New Yorker also had a write up about this joint and its owner chef Musa Dagdevirin in 2010, and was also mentioned in the New York Times in 2018.
There is no set menu as dishes change daily. To order, you just go to the counter and pick out what you want. Same goes with the meze counter.
We wish we had discovered this place 2 weeks ago, because we would have seriously made a trip out to Kadiköy for every. single. meal.
By the time we were done eating we were stuffed. I told Joe I could practically float back to Europe. But wait, there’s more.
All I have to say is (beside Mark Wiens missing out on this one), Çiya, we’ll CYA next month!
Total for today (meal and ferry trip) – $23.
FIRE'd @ 47 