Tasting Notes
Beyti opened in 1945 as a small shop in Küçükçekmece and has been in its present building in Florya, near the Sea of Marmara shore, since 1983. The building, designed by architect Yılmaz Sanlı, has several dining rooms and terraces with Turkish-Ottoman decoration. It is listed in the Michelin Guide and closed on Mondays.
The house kebab and the grill
The beyti kebab here is lamb minced by hand with a long crescent knife (zırh) and grilled over charcoal on a skewer; it is served plain rather than wrapped in lavash with sauce, as in many other places, and comes in several portion sizes. Döner, yoghurt kebab, lamb chops, lamb skewers, köfte and slow-cooked lamb shank make up the rest of the grill. Starters include su böreği, imam bayıldı, olive-oil artichokes, Circassian chicken and gavurdağı salad.
Desserts
Künefe, baklava, şöbiyet, rolled pistachio pastry and figs with clotted cream are on the dessert list, along with a mixed plate of Turkish sweets with kaymak. The menu on this page has no prices.
“Book for a weekend lunch, start with imam bayıldı and su böreği, order the beyti kebab with a portion of döner to share, and finish with the mixed sweets with kaymak.”
LR Kitchen — field note