Best Restaurants in Sirkeci

For Turkish food in Sirkeci, choose Bitlisli for regional Anatolian dishes and lahmacun, Şehzade Cağ Kebap for Erzurum-style lamb skewers, and Kasap Osman for traditional döner. This BestPlacesFinder guide focuses on three restaurants in Sirkeci’s Hocapaşa streets, helping you choose by the food you want while staying within the neighbourhood.

Bitlisli’s address and telephone come from its own website; Şehzade’s details appear on its restaurant QR menu. Kasap Osman’s address and telephone are corroborated by its managed Tripadvisor listing and other business listings.

1. Bitlisli – Regional Anatolian Dishes and Lahmacun

Bitlisli is a convenient place to start when wanting to sample a few of the dishes from eastern and southeastern Anatolia. Lahmacun is mentioned on its website together with tava dishes of the region such as Ali Nazik, patlıcanlı söğürme, Siverek tava and Kilis tava. This makes it different from a restaurant around a single kebab, in that you can compare a thin flatbread to a more substantial aubergine or meat dish.

The interior of the restaurant is described as cosy, and there is also seating on the exterior. Consider for a casual lunch with family and friends, especially when everyone is craving something different. Before you make your meal, inquire what are the regional dishes being served that day. Find restaurant menus, prices and reviews.

What are you looking for to order?

Try lahmacun with one of the local tava dishes featured on the restaurant’s website. If sharing, ask about the portions: when ordering multiple main courses with a side of flatbreads, you may be eating more than your table does.

For those looking for a taste of the region, Bitlisli is the best of this brief list. If you don’t want to focus on a particular specialty, it’s its menu that made you come here.

Practical information

• Address: Hocapaşa Mahallesi, Hocapaşa Camii Sokak No:2/B, Sirkeci, Fatih, Istanbul, Türkiye.
• Direct restaurant phone: +90 212 513 77 63.
• Instagram: @bitlislisirkeci.
• Website: bitlislikebap.com.
• Opening hours: Published schedules conflict between 10:30–22:30 and 11:00–23:00 daily. Call before an early or late visit.
• Directions: Get directions to Bitlisli.

The Instagram account is corroborated by business listings and an independently embedded restaurant post. Its current profile contents could not be inspected directly.

2. Şehzade Cağ Kebap – Erzurum-Style Lamb Skewers

For those who visit Sirkeci just for the cağ kebab, Şehzade is definitely the best option. This is an Erzurum speciality in which lamb is roasted on a spit which is stuck to the horizontal axis, then cut into small skewers. The small restaurant and tables on the restaurant street make this an informal and fun place to eat. Mekanlar

It is on the published QR menu as both a portion and a dürüm of cağ kebab, meaning that two skewers are counted as one portion. This is a good option for those who wish to sample a specific area’s cuisine without having to navigate a lengthy menu.

What do you wish to order?

The first is cağ kebab. In addition, lentil soup, shepherd’s salad, spicy ezme, ayran and kadayıf dolması are also on the QR menu for a fuller meal.

Please look at your order before ordering sides (salads and other sides are listed as separate selections). For extra skewers, inquire as to how they will be charged.

One of the most notable attractions at Şehzade is its suitability for those with a taste for lamb and for anyone who is interested in the local Turkish cuisine. If a group requires a couple of large protein-free plates, they should find out what they can before they sit down.

Practical information

• Address: Hoca Paşa Mahallesi, Hocapaşa Camii Sokak No:6, D:4, 34110 Fatih, Istanbul, Türkiye.
• Direct restaurant phone: +90 212 520 33 61.
• Instagram: @sehzadecagkebap.
• Menu: Restaurant QR menu.
• Opening hours: The restaurant’s QR page advertises 10:00–22:30 daily. Other listings disagree about Sunday service, so confirm before a Sunday visit.
• Directions: Get directions to Şehzade Cağ Kebap.

The QR page supplies the address, telephone, menu and advertised hours, and links directly to the Instagram account. Older directories show a different schedule, including Sunday closure.

3. Kasap Osman – Traditional Döner in Hocapaşa

Within the same compact restaurant area, Kasap Osman offers this short list a traditional döner. The business is listed in Kültür Envanteri since 1964 and working in the tradition of the wood-fired döner. It offers an intriguing contrast to Şehzade, which emphasizes the more common vertical spit as opposed to the horizontal cağ kebab.

It is listed in its managed business as a table service, outdoor seating and takeaway. The latter are ideal for a meal while sitting or a quick break between sightseeing. It is also possible to find the name of İskender in the lists of visitors, but you must consult the menu that will be on offer during your visit. 2026 Reviews & Information

What to eat?

Try their döner first to get a taste of the restaurant’s specialty. If you’re after a more substantial main, have a look at İskender (assuming you can find it).

Travellers who like traditional and meat dishes, and those who prefer an informal restaurant in the streets of Hocapaşa will find their perfect match in Kasap Osman. In older guides, the door numbers are different, use the restaurant name in conjunction with the current listing of No:8/A.

Practical information

• Address: Hoca Paşa Mahallesi, Hocapaşa Camii Sokak No:8/A, Sirkeci, Fatih, Istanbul, Türkiye.
• Direct restaurant phone: +90 212 519 32 16.
• Instagram: @kasaposmann.
• Website: No currently accessible official website was confirmed.
• Opening hours: Recent directories list 10:00–22:00 daily. These hours have not been confirmed directly with the restaurant.
• Directions: Get directions to Kasap Osman.

The telephone and No:8/A address are supported by current listings. The Instagram handle is linked by Restaurant Guru and corroborated by an independent food guide containing an embedded account post.

Where to Eat in Sirkeci: Start with Hocapaşa

The Hocapaşa restaurant streets are a useful starting point for a Turkish lunch or dinner around Sirkeci. All three recommendations are clustered in this area, allowing you to choose according to your appetite without adding another journey to your day.

The attraction is the concentration of food specialists: you can seek out regional Anatolian dishes, horizontal-spit lamb kebab or traditional döner within the same small area.

If your plans take you towards the Spice Bazaar, our guide to restaurants in Eminönü covers a different selection. For an oven-baked meal, the Istanbul pide guide includes a specialist in Sirkeci.

How to Choose the Right Sirkeci Restaurant

Choose your main dish first. Bitlisli suits regional variety, Şehzade suits a specific lamb speciality, and Kasap Osman suits döner. This is more useful than treating three different types of restaurant as interchangeable.

Compare the actual menu. Look at portion sizes and ask what accompanies the main dish. Extra skewers, salads, bread and drinks can change the final bill.

Check the setting against your needs. For a larger group, step-free access or a particular seating arrangement, contact the restaurant before arriving.

Confirm timing and dietary requirements. Call before a Sunday visit or a late meal. Ask directly about allergens, vegetarian preparation and any halal requirements; a general listing category does not establish every kitchen practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best restaurants in Sirkeci for Turkish food?

Choose Bitlisli for regional eastern and southeastern Anatolian dishes, Şehzade Cağ Kebap for Erzurum-style lamb, or Kasap Osman for traditional döner. Your preferred dish is the most useful way to choose between them.

Are these restaurants actually in Sirkeci?

Yes. All three are in the Hocapaşa restaurant area of Sirkeci, within Fatih on Istanbul’s European side. Their addresses are in the inland restaurant streets, rather than at the Spice Bazaar or Galata Bridge.

What is the difference between cağ kebab and döner?

Cağ kebab is associated with Erzurum and uses a horizontal spit, with meat served on small skewers. Döner is roasted on a vertical spit and sliced for serving. Şehzade and Kasap Osman offer an opportunity to explore these different styles in the same area.

Which restaurant offers the widest choice of regional dishes?

Bitlisli is the most suitable starting point in this shortlist. Its website advertises lahmacun and several regional tava dishes, providing choices beyond a single meat speciality.

Are the restaurants open on Sundays?

Confirm directly before travelling. Şehzade’s QR page advertises daily service, but other directories disagree about Sunday. Kasap Osman is listed as open daily by recent directories, while Bitlisli’s published schedules also vary.

Do I need to reserve a table?

Contact the restaurant for a larger group or a fixed dining time. Reservation policies have not been independently confirmed for every venue, so use the listed restaurant telephone numbers to check.

Are these good choices for vegetarians?

This shortlist is strongly meat-focused. Ask about stock, meat toppings and cooking fats before ordering soup, rice or aubergine dishes. Groups requiring several vegetarian mains should confirm suitable options in advance.

How much should I budget for a meal in Sirkeci?

Use the menu available on the day rather than older online price bands. Compare portion sizes and ask whether bread, salads, drinks or service charges are included. Şehzade’s linked QR menu provides its advertised item prices.

Which Sirkeci Restaurant Should You Choose?

Choose Bitlisli for regional variety, Şehzade Cağ Kebap when lamb skewers are the reason for your visit, and Kasap Osman for traditional döner. Each offers a different introduction to Turkish cooking within Sirkeci’s Hocapaşa restaurant area.

Watch the Sirkeci Restaurant Streets

This independent Sirkeci and Hocapaşa walking tour introduces the neighbourhood’s restaurant streets. The downloadable HTML includes its embed.