Varka Alaçatı

Varka opened in 2011 just inside the entrance to the market street, across from Club Baba, and has held to a deliberately honest meyhane formula: day-boat fish, a working cold-and-hot meze table, and a bring-your-own-drink policy that keeps the bill sane next to its neighbours. The cooking is straightforward Aegean, grilled fish, calamari, octopus, herb mezes, handled by a family that treats hospitality as the point rather than the markup. It is livelier and less precious than the chef rooms a few streets over, with the loose evening energy of a proper neighbourhood tavern. For a discerning local who wants fresh fish and raki without the see-and-be-seen tax, this is the pragmatic pick.