Meat plays a huge role in Turkish cuisine, and like many other cultures, Turkish people love steak. There is no doubt that Istanbul is home to Turkey’s greatest steakhouses, ranging from traditional restaurants to more modern steakhouses. You can find many different great places to eat steak in Istanbul, and no Turkish food tour is truly complete until you try Turkish steaks. If you are looking for a place to enjoy a great meal with well-prepared red meat, here are our top steakhouses in Istanbul.
Nusr-Et
Founded in 2010 by Nusret Gokce (also known as “salt bae” in the internet), a Turkish chef who became an internet sensation with a viral video in which he sprinkles salt on a steak in 2017, Nusr-Et has 6 branches of steakhouses in Istanbul: one in Etiler, one in Bebek, one in Nisantasi, one in Kanyon Shopping Mall, one in Istinye Park Shopping Mall and one in Fatih. It is one of the best and most popular steakhouses in Istanbul, not because of just Nusret Gokce’s internet fame, but Nusr-et’s top quality steaks, professional service and unique options. Their extensive menu has everything that a meat-lover can ask for, such as smoked beef, smoked ribeye, steak tartar, jumbo shrimp, asado beef ribs, entrecote, Dallas steak, New York steak, rack of lamb, lamb fillet & chop, Nusr-Et burger and meatballs. They also serve great desserts and salads like rocket salad, goat cheese salad, Mediterranean salad, sobiyet, orange truffle, baklava and ice cream.
BySteak Steakhouse
One of the best steak restaurants in Istanbul, BySteak Steakhouse continues to amaze its customers with top-notch meat every day. Compared to most of its peers, its prices are also more affordable. Their staff is helpful and professional, and the place itself is very chic and boutique-style. Their menu has every steak variation a meat-lover can ask for, including, Tagliata, Kansas, New York, rib eye, Dallas, t bone, porterhouse and combo steak, on top of great meatballs, lamb chops, back and tenderloin, and troy burger. They also serve amazing local wines to go with the steaks, like Likya Malbec, Noduz Shiraz and Urla Vourla.
BySteak Steakhouse is located in the Sariyer district. There aren’t any metro or tramway lines near the place, so you will have to use the IETT buses. 22RE, 29B, 29P, 41SF, 58A and 59A numbered yellow IETT buses go to the IETT Memur Evleri stop, which is closest public transportation stop to the restaurant.
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Elbet Steakhouse
Founded in May 2016, Elbet Steakhouse has been so successful in cooking delicious steaks that it has become a local favorite in just a couple of years in a neighborhood like Etiler. Their owners are still personally involved to each steak that is in the restaurant, from the point the customer orders it to its trip to the table. This attention easily shows itself in their excellent customer service, professional staff and fantastic steaks. Elbet’s extensive menu has many options, from entrees like homemade sausage, steak tartar, meat sushi and smoked cheddar to its steaks such as veal fillet, t-bone, tomahawk, veal chops, lamb chops and Dallas steak. They also serve some of the best burgers in town with their Elbet Burger, Fit Burger, rib burger, sucuk (Turkish fermented sausage) burger and atom kokorec.
Elbet Steakhouse has two restaurants in Istanbul: one in the Besiktas district, in the luxurious Etiler neighborhood and the other in the Uskudar district, in Akasya Shopping Mall. But since you will be mostly closer to Besiktas during your Istanbul tour, we recommend going to the one in Besiktas. To go there, you need to walk for 10 minutes after getting off at the Nispetiye station of the M6 Levent – Bogazici Universitesi metro line, which is accessed by transferring from the Levent stop of the M2 Yenikapi – Haciosman metro line.
Boga Kasap Steakhouse
Easily one of the best steakhouses in Istanbul, Boga Kasap Steakhouse is one of the go-to places of the local meat lovers. Just like you would except from a top-notch restaurant like this, they have excellent customer service, helpful staff, quick service and near perfect steaks. Their menu is truly a dream. They have veal and lamb soups to make a great start, followed by entrees like smoked meat plate, grilled sucuk and carpaccio. Their steaks are separated into 2 categories: wet-aged and dry-aged. Wet-aged steaks include meat spaghetti, leaf entrecote, veal steak fillet, lamb loin and lamb chops. Dry-aged steaks are Dallas steak, T-bone steak and New York Steak. The menu also includes salads, desserts, hot and cold drinks. Similar to other steakhouses, they also serve burgers, kebabs and meatballs too. But unlike other steakhouses, they also serve a fantastic traditional Turkish Breakfast.
The only bad thing we can say about the Boga Kasap Steakhouse is its location. There isn’t any metro station nearby and the only transportation options are IETT buses, which may get stuck on traffic during busy hours. The buses that go to the Kagithane Emniyet Mudurlugu, which is the bus stop next to the Boga Kasap Steakhouse, are 39Ç, 41ST, 41Y, 44B, 48S, 48T, 49, 49B, 64Ç and 399B.
Baltazar
Made from meat that is aged for 1 month in special Dryage cabinets, the steaks of Baltazar are truly special. Their sausages are also %100 beef and do not contain anything other than extra spices. Plus, the materials they use in the service are natural and recyclable. All of this extra care manifests itself as delicious, high quality steaks in this restaurant. After starting with their entrees and salads like smoked meat, grilled potatoes, beef sausage, fries and Mediterranean salad, you can move onto the real stars of the show: grilled steaks. Cheddar meatballs, fillet steak, rib steak, dry aged, T-bone, Dallas steak and their special, Baltazar steak. Pick a hot or cold drink to go with the main course, like soda, lemonade, coffee, ayran or ice tea, and you are all set.
Baltazar is in the Karakoy neighborhood of the Beyoglu district. It is very close to the Tophane stop of the T1 Kabatas – Bagcilar neighborhood, so you can use that to come here.