Fish Bazaar-Balık Pazarı
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Nowhere in Turkey, not even Istanbul's Wholesale Fish Market, can compete with the rich variety of edible water-bound yummies that abound here. There is octopus from Bodrum, calamari from Antalya, shrimp from Çanakkale, grouper from Saroz Bay and delectable fresh "fruits of the sea."
And that's not all! You can also find any kind of meze, (the tasty dishes eaten as an appetizer with rakı) here, especially kinds seafood mezes.
The Fish Bazaar also houses the most important fruit and vegetable market in Istanbul, with the freshest and widest variety of produce available. But the Fish Bazaar offers more than fresh fish and produce, with its brilliant sense of display and lively atmosphere; it is a fascinating place to explore.
This open market is filled with different sights and sounds, and its passages lead to yet another street filled with restaurants and drinking spots; a street that is an alternative destination on its own. Nevizade Sokağı (Nevizade Street) has scores of tables set on the street and accommodates patrons with the freshest fish in the city (brought over directly from the Bazaar) and loads of delicious mezes.
The Fish Bazaar is conveniently located in one of the most popular areas in Istanbul, the Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passageway). Despite its name, the Çiçek Pasajı is not filled with flowers. Rather it is a walkway filled with a combination of small, unpretentious restaurants called Meyhane which specialize in alcoholic beverages and the types of food that go well with them. On weekend nights there are often street musicians to entertain those who have come there to unwind.