Usually people go to the cute seaside village of Arnavutk�y to eat at one of the many seafood restaurants here.
But not me.
When I'm out and about during the day and happen to by nearby, I pop into a tiny pide and lahmacun shop a few streets back off the main shore road.
Emir Kebap & Pide only has four tables inside and two tables outside. When I stop in for lunch, one of the guys will sometimes move a male customer so I can have a table to myself. It's a nice gesture, but not necessary.
Sometimes I order the lentil soup, only 3 tl, and then I'll order a lahmacun or my favorite - an ispanakli pide (a spinach open-faced Turkish "pizza"), only 7 tl. So lunch only costs me about 10 tl on average.
I love spinach and cheese together, and this place does the combination quite well! In fact, this is one of the few places where I've actually seen an ispanakli pide on the menu in Istanbul. Also, I've never even ordered another type of pide here because the spinach one is THAT good!
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| I always top my pide off with a generous spoonful of Turkish pul biber. |
At Emir Kebap & Pide, the pide crust is always crispy and has just the right about of fillings. And it's served popping hot out of the stone oven.
Bonus: you can watch the guys rolling out the pidedough and throwing it on the peel and into the hot oven while you eat. After lunch, take a stroll around Arnavutk�y and enjoy the architecture of the old houses here.
Emir Kebap & Pide
Francalaci Cad. No:16
Arnavutk�y, Istanbul
Arnavutk�y, Istanbul
212-263-6899