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Restaurants in Üsküdar are usually off the tourist radar, but there are some excellent places to eat if you search hard enough.
Villa Bosphorus Beylerbeyi
The best place I’ve eaten at in Üsküdar is Villa Bosphorus Beylerbeyi. It’s located just north of the Bosporus Bridge in Beylerbeyi and has incredible views of the Bosporus. Reservations are recommended.
On my first visit, I went with a group of eight and we shared a delicious dinner. We started off with shrimp, salad, cheese, octopus, fried calamari, and other meze dishes.
We also shared a huge lagos fish. They brought it out for the table to inspect, then took it back to the kitchen and grilled it to perfection as we sampled the starters. When it was ready, they brought it back to the table on a huge platter and served a big chunk to everyone at the table.
For dessert, we shared a baked halva, a fig dessert, and a pumpkin dessert. Everything was delicious and our group enjoyed the experience dining on the shore of the Bosporus.
On my second visit, I organized a group dinner for 22 people during a tour I was leading. We sat in the main dining room. We had the same starters as my previous visit and had sea bass for our main course. Everyone was more than happy with their meal, and the service was excellent.
Zeynel Gülkardeşler Kebap Salonu
If you’re in central Üsküdar near the Marmaray station, check out Zeynel Gülkardeşler Kebap Salonu. They have a wide variety of traditional Turkish dishes. I tried the İskender kebab which is one of the house specialties, and was not disappointed.
Filizler Köftecisi
Along the Üsküdar seaside is a famous köfte restaurant that also has an amazing breakfast. Filizler Köftecisi has two levels with outdoor seating and spectacular views. The food and service are both excellent. I highly recommend it.
