Last updated on December 20, 2023.
Before I ever set foot in Istanbul, my friend Tim raved about Çiya (pronounced Chia, as in Chia Pet). He told me if I do one thing in Istanbul, skip the historic sites and go eat at Çiya. He was definitely onto something. I wouldn’t exactly skip the historic sites, but if there’s one restaurant that you cannot miss in Istanbul, it’s Çiya.
Çiya is our answer to everything. Had a bad day? Let’s go to Çiya. Are we celebrating something? Let’s go to Çiya. I’m bored. Let’s go to Çiya.
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Kebab Heaven
Çiya specializes in kebabs. They do kebabs and they do them better than anyone in Istanbul that I know of. But that’s not all they’ve got. They also serve several unique dishes from the most delicious region of Turkey, the Southeast.
Location
There are three locations of Çiya, all located right next to each other in central Kadıköy. They all have the same food, so don’t stress over which one to walk into.
Çiya is just a five minute walk from the Kadıköy ferry terminals. If you aren’t already on the Asian side, the best way to get there is to take a ferry to Kadıköy.
The System
It may be a little confusing for first time visitors, but the system is really quite simple. How does it work? Kebabs and desserts are ordered at your table off the main menu. Daily specialties are ordered from a chef behind a counter or at your table from the daily menu. There’s also a self-service dips and salad line. Read below for specifics on each section.
Kebabs
Let’s start with the kebabs. You will not be disappointed with anything you order. There are several of the typical kebabs you will find at any restaurant, like the Adana (spicy) and Urfa (not spicy), but I tend to order off the “special kebabs” menu. All the kebabs are priced fairly. I’ve narrowed it down to four favorites:
My top choice is halepişi – a spicy kebab with tomatoes in onions in a dark sauce, served on a bed of pita bread.
Tim’s choice is the Gülbahar kebabı – a cheesy kebab with tomatoes, walnuts and peppers, served on top of yogurt.
Other favorites are the şeftali kebabı – diced meat with spices, parsely, and onions (not as good as in Cyprus, but still good); and the Çiya kebabı – kebab wrapped in bread with walnuts, mint, parsley, and spices, served with yogurt.
From the Counter
While the kebabs are incredible, the daily specials from the counter are even more mouth-watering. If you want to see what you’re ordering, visit the chef at the counter. Tell him what you want, he marks it down on a slip of paper which you give to your waiter, and a few minutes later, your mouth will be filled with some of the best flavors you can imagine. You can also order from your table off the daily menu.
If you don’t know what the foods are, the chefs and waiters speak enough English to describe them. The best part – every day there’s something different! Just make sure you check out the price list first. For the most part everything is priced reasonably, but some things that may look simple and cheap could end up being very expensive.
Everything is delicious, but my favorites are the perde pilavı (curtain pilaf – rice, bits of chicken, and nuts baked in a “curtain” of dough, hence the name), içli köfte (fried kibbeh, sold by the piece), falafel (sold in portions), and any of the stuffed vegetables. For two people, two or three of these dishes are more than enough.
Self-Service Line
There’s also a self-serve dips and salads line. You put the food on your plate, the chef weighs it, then gives you a receipt to give to your waiter for the final bill. If you use the self-serve lines, don’t overdo it. The kebabs are big and you’ll definitely want to save room for dessert (trust me).
Dessert
For dessert, I have two recommendations. My favorite by far is the katmer. This is a small pancake filled with buttery pistachios and topped with kaymak, cinnamon, and honey. One dessert is enough to share, but I like to polish off the katmer on my own.
Another great choice is the delicious künefe, which is a cheese dessert pan-fried and topped with a sweet syrup.