Sultanahmet Köftecisi - Inexpensive Eats near Istanbul Historic Attractions

Sultanahmet Köftecisi is an attractive restaurant. A line of marble tables greets you as the door is opened. Locals line up, but the wait is not long; there are several floors of fast food goodness waiting for you. There is also a brisk take-out trade.

You'll cross in front of the tiny kitchen to your right as you enter. The salad man is cranking out salads like crazy at lunch time, mixed green salads or an alternative salad with white beans. The grill guy is turning one of two meat choices over the wood burning grill, lamb kabobs or kofte, "meatballs". The smell is wonderful.

Sultanahmet Köftecisi offers just the two main courses, lamb chunks on a skewer, and ground meat (beef and lamb--köfte) on a skewer, cooked over a fire. In 2010, the köfte cost 10 Turkish Lira, 5 Euros, or $7.

There are also the salads, mentioned above. they cost 5 Turkish Lira (TL).

A variety of soft drinks are available, including the ubiquitous Coca Cola. If you wish to go native, the buttermilk is the way to go. No alcohol is served.

Meats are garnished with picked peppers. A server comes around with a bowl of chili sauce and asks if you'd like some. Service is brisk. You're expected to be out the door in a half hour, and you probably won't take that long.

Fast, efficient service, including the unique "automatic door opener" in the front. Darned good food in a really nice environment. It's almost luxurious inside. The noise level is fairly high, but the liveliness is a plus for this type of restaurant.

Location: Divanyolu Caddesi 12A, Sultanahmet (on the tram line)

Opening Hours Daily from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m.

They even take major credit cards

Note: A ten percent service charge is automatically added to the bill, so no further tipping is required).

Either restaurant makes a fine choice for a quick meal in the heart of Istanbul's historic center.