Dinner at Riva

by Canan Negüs

It was a hot summer day when our friends invited us to dine at Riva. When they advised us to take a coat or shawl I was sure they were joking, but I just grabbed a shawl anyway.

We met Ayşen and Haluk at Kavacık at 18:30 and left our car there. As soon as I jumped into Haluk’s car I asked him to turn the air-conditioner on. When we left Beykoz Konakları and Acarkent behind I immediately regretted my request and I opened the windows to breathe in fresh air and the sweet smell of wood resin and grass. Thank God we had a rainy winter. The road is surrounded with trees and meadows displaying all possible shades of green, although it is mid-June.

It was only a 15-minute drive to Riva, which is a small village between Anadolu Feneri and Şile. It is on the coast of the Black Sea, and the Yelken Balık Restaurant is located on the banks of The Riva stream; that, itself, is a beautiful sight as it lazily flows in a green valley all the way to the Black Sea.

It is a comfortable, cozy and very clean restaurant with friendly staff. There are 25 tables all lined on the shore. The indoor restaurant is housed in a building that was built by the British during World War I for repairing heavily damaged ships and supplying materials. Dr. Babür Ertekin restored the structure and converted it into a unique site on the most beautiful spot in Riva.

It has a well kept garden and the large area where the customers park their cars is also a very suitable place for parties and wedding ceremonies. Those who wish to have a country wedding accompanied by a stunning sunset should visit this site before making their final plans.

After Dr. Ertekin’s unexpected death, Mrs. Ayşegül Ertekin took over the responsibilities of running Yelken Balık.

We were seated at one of the tables on the shore and began to admire the view. The sun was slowly drawing closer to the horizon behind the low hill of the opposite bank. A few motorboats were returning from sea, the small boats berthed on the stream were swaying gently to their wash; gray mullets were swimming along by the restaurant expecting us to throw them some bread. 

Olives seasoned with thyme, paprika and olive oil, eggplant salad, marinated sea bass and octopus salad were served first, followed by some fried calamari, and paçanga börek (pastry with pastırma and kaşar cheese) along with raki and white wine. And they were each as delicious as the other.  The portions were suitably filling.

We left the selection of the main course to the chef; it was a perfect decision. The mouth-watering Sea bass Meunier, filets of sea bass roasted in butter with lemon and decorated with vegetables fascinated us. To say the taste was “delicious” is not enough. However my English is not sufficient to find a more suitable word!

Unfortunately there was no place reserved for dessert in our stomachs so I promised to taste the soufflé the next time.

Of course, we did not miss the beautiful sunset. It was another pleasure to view it with delicious food! By the way, late at night I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders.

In short, telling you about Yelken Balık is just not enough; you should go there and discover it for yourself. One final thought: isn’t it worth eating more delicious and fresher fish with better prices than the Bosphorus?

Riva Yelken Balık Restaurant
Riva Denizciler Mahallesi No. 1
Riva-Beykoz-Istanbul
Tel: (216) 319 16 86



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