Siyah

The good weather is dwindling. Only a desperate few last weekends remain before winter sets in in earnest and al fresco dining becomes plasticated.

 

Siyah is situated along the interconnecting street between Faruk and Deep Store.

Its pavement seating is inviting, and there is an indoor option that looks cosy.

Service is good. Was here before and had a Dutch guy serving, which was kind of oddly funny.

They don't have wi-fi, but there's a loo and the menu is quite big.

It seems gözleme is a dish that is open to many "interpretations".

Recently, the Ihlamur massacred it. 

The last go at Carmenta was disappointing. 

It should be buttery, not burnt, and filled generously - and have something to it, a hint of spicy seasoning at least.

Well, Siyah didn't disappoint. 

The 8TL price was more than made up for by a huge portion that was really tasty.

This is a good people-watching spot too. 

Plenty of students and artists hang out on this stretch.

Pışı, opposite, was getting a lot of custom. Will have to try there soon too.

This place gets a thumbs-up from me. 

Shame about the internet, and it may lose some of its charm once the summer is firmly over but if you want great gözleme, big enough for two and under a tenner, look no further.

[Gratuitous artsy photo.]

Carmenta Cafe

This morning saw a return to Çelebi Oğlu Sokak (the left-hand turning at the little eagle) in this yabanci's quest to find a good, honest breakfast in Beşiktaş.

Snuck into the Carmenta Cafe while the greeter guy was busy watching a film or something on his mobile. 

I'd never given this place much of a second look before, but like many such cafes, once you're inside it seems to go on forever to the back.

The menu is short and cheap - not a bad sign. 

Disturbingly though, it feels like a primary school cafeteria; the plates are chipped, the knives and forks look old and streaky, and there are incongruous pictures seemingly bolted to the walls, which are lit by an institutional fluorescent light. 

Had gözleme many times before. Sometimes it's overcooked, or a bit

greasy. This one felt like a little kid's dinner. The sucuk inside was little more than sliced hotdog weiner. And it was bland.

And the fact it was cut into wittle squares to help me eat it didn't alleviate this feeling much neither.

Couldn't even bring myself to ask if they had wi-fi. Just wanted to leave asap.

So, as affordable as Carmenta is/was, I would not be rushing to go back there anytime soon... happy never-ending fag break, dude!

kara tahta

I really, really want to like "kara tahta". And I still do - sort of. Things started out so well, like in a brand new, exciting relationship. But somewhere along the way, there was a foundering, a displacement. 

If only the "help" hadn't come along and spoiled everything... where to begin?

Kara tahta is immediately opposite the Hamam on Şair Veysi Sokak. It's always looked cosy, had plenty of seating, and the punters generally seemed quite contented.

Thought I'd give it a go!

(Although I didn't try any, their freshly-squeezed orange juice looks sumptuous and the mama proprietess was diligently churning it out).

To my absolute amazement - they had a novel menu item! Jalapeno menemen.... A revelation! Someone give them a medal!

This is the kind of innovation I've often dreamed of...

And the prices were exTREMely reasonable to say the least - nothing over 6 TL in sight.

So, hanging with Sucuk, or Patates, or whatever the local dog's name is, I tucked in... :) 

Absolutely great. No complaints. Compliments to the old baba who's doing all the work in there. Afyet Olsun to everyone.

And along comes the most persistent problem on breakfast street. The waiters...

I'd first of all wanted a coffee with milk. It came back without - and there was no salt, pepper or sugar or napkins on my table. But this was just when the breakfast rush was starting, so no problem.

First, the old lady's daughter rocks up (to help out - I'm thinking) and pretty much does as little as humanly possible and picks her nose.

Next, at the stroke of 11, a dude comes along who seems full of energy. "Ah" I think,"this is the real muscle in the operation".

But sadly no. He exerted himself heroically sweeping, and clearing a few tables, but was so inefficient that it took me twenty minutes to get the bill. Which turned out to be absurdly wrong. And wrong in their favour. The delightful sweet and spicy taste of that jalapeno suddenly went an awful sour as I asked him, "What are you doing?" in incredulous, trying-not-to-sound-too-sarcastic Turkish. 

(Am I being too fussy given it is a cheap-ish place?)

Anyway, Sucuk was entertaining, 

Will return to try that yummy frothy orange juice and have another jalapeno menemen.

No wifi - but they have a toilet and there is evidence of weather-retardant sheeting and heaters at the ready for the winter that cometh.

BaaL Cafe

Bayram has set its teeth into Istanbul and Beşiktaş was very quiet, if not a little sombre this morning. A few moustachioed men could be seen out shuffling along the streets to grab bread or milk in the early hours.

Most have left the city and the feast of the sacrifice has begun.

A few of we foreigners crossed our fingers and hoped that glorious breakfast street would at least be open, offering a little respite from the quiet 4-day holiday stretching ahead of us.  

Lo, what light from yonder cafe breaks? 'Tis a basket of bread, and some variously-arranged morsels on a plate!

We were in luck and gave BaaL a try. It's just there ahead up on the right on Şair Veysi, not far from Faruk's.

After having tried a few of these breakfast plates, we found that the 8TL offering was acceptable. Helena mentioned though that there was no olive tapinade, as you might find at Faruk's - so not quite as good a value for the same sized plate, but all acceptable, in general.

I had the gözleme, which was very tasty and substantial. Sorry there are no actual food pictures this time.

Service was quick, but a teeny bit stiff. The guys running around in BaaL wear funny bellhop outfits, incongruous with the casual nature of breakfast in these parts. One gets the impression the manageress is trying to set her establishment apart from the others, but the grub and the price were very bog standard, I'd say.

She did give us a little chocolate treat as it was Bayram, and was very attentive. Add wi-fi availability, and it gets a thumbs-up from me!

 hey! resist!  çarşı!

Alli Börek

If you spend any amount of time in Turkey, and are one of those people who can't wait until 10 or 12am to find nourishment on the streets of Istanbul, you will eventually become acquainted with the stodgy street food called: simit, börek, açma and poğaca. Börek is the one I associate most with something akin to breakfast - hot, greasy, but the layers of filo pastry (or yufka) still surprisingly light.

In Beşiktaş, as you proceed down Ortabahce after passing the small eagle, the area becomes a lot more leafy and the road turns into Ihlamurdere Caddesi.  Cafes, banks and clothes shops (this one selling gas masks) line the boulevard. 

Feeling an early-morning impulse to grab some food - and the usual eggs-for-breakfast restaurants still not open, I sought refuge in Alli Börek, a very typical example and I thought I could just make out a garden at the back.

Luridly-coloured menu on the front glass prevents disappointment and/or confusion.

Garden was underwhelming... more of a waste area that had a fern stuck in front of it. But beggars can't be choosers...

...and this börek was fresh, hot and delicious. 

I chose potato, which is usually lightly spiced. You can usually get cheese, spinach or meat-filled ones too. Or if you ask for sade, or plain, it comes with icing sugar on top.

Good eats, and never more than 5TL for a portion.