Above photo: The handsome copper-domed grill above is located in Zebeyir Ocakbasi in the Beyoglu neighborhood. Ocakbasis are meat-centric open-grill restaurants which, like meyhanes, offer meze and alcoholic beverages.
If you long to imbibe a bit of alcohol with your food in Istanbul, the safest bet is to look for an ocakbasi or a meyhane. Meyhane is derived from mey meaning wine and hane meaning house – a tavern. Meyhanes have existed for centuries around the port of Istanbul, but tolerance of them swings depending on who rules the country.
The 17th century was also marked by a vicious cycle of banning and then legalizing the meyhane. As Kocu (Resad Ekrem Kocu, 1905-1975) wrote: ‘Sultan Ahmet I (1590-1617) prohibited the use of alcohol in July 1613, and also closed all meyhane and their guild. But, as a contemporary historian later on wrote, “As human nature is inclined towards depravity and evil, soon people were back to their drinking habits.”‘”
“Joie de Vivre – A History of Istanbul Meyhanes,” Yavuz Sac and Tan Morgul,” Gastromondiale, March 3, 2024
I have no idea whether it is by law or not, but there are blocks lined with meyhanes one after another, and the same is true of ocakbasis. Meyhanes offer a selection of traditional meze dishes and seafood in a simple setting.
They attract an unlikely trio of customers: thirsty tourists like us, young people at night and tables of older males who gather to sip coffee or raki together. Raki is made from the dregs of grapes left in the winepress that are distilled twice and flavored with aniseed.
Continue reading “Postcard from Istanbul, Turkey: Exploring traditional and imported flavors”
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