Restaurant or Meyhane? Choosing Dinner in Kadıköy
Whether to choose a restaurant or a meyhane for dinner in Kadıköy depends on how long you want to stay at the table and what pace you want: a restaurant usually focuses on the plate, a meyhane on conversation and a shared table. This comparison was written by Koço, a century-old meyhane across from Moda Pier; for options neighbourhood by neighbourhood, see our Kadıköy meyhane guide.
Short answer: If you want a short evening where everyone picks their own plate, a restaurant suits you; if you want shared mezes, long conversation and rakı with fish, a meyhane is the better fit. Evenings get dark early in November; in this season the meyhane table is usually enriched with seasonal fish and hot mezes. If you are looking for a music-free table and a garden and terrace open all year, Koço is a strong choice.
What Is the Difference Between a Restaurant and a Meyhane?
The main difference between a restaurant and a meyhane is how the food is sequenced and how long the table lasts. In a restaurant, each person usually chooses their own plate; starter, main course and dessert arrive in a set order. In a meyhane, cold mezes placed in the middle open the table, hot starters and fish or meat are added over time; the food is shared and conversation stays at the centre of the table.
Restaurant options in Kadıköy range from world cuisines to grill houses, from home-style cooking to fish places; our guide to dinner in Kadıköy explains which kind of place you will find where. The comparison below focuses on a single decision: tonight, do you want to sit down to a plate, or to a table?
Another feature that sets the meyhane apart from the restaurant is the rhythm of the table. In a restaurant the waiter usually takes the order once; in a meyhane new plates are asked for throughout the evening, and the table grows or slims down with people's appetite and the flow of conversation.
Which Criteria Decide a Dinner?
When choosing between a restaurant and a meyhane, six criteria often settle the decision. The points below describe general tendencies; every place has its own way of doing things, so asking about what matters to you before you go always helps.
Flow of the table: In a restaurant, plates usually arrive in order and per person; in a meyhane, a table opened with cold mezes slowly grows through the evening with hot starters and a main plate.
Length: A restaurant dinner is usually shorter; a meyhane table usually lasts longer, and conversation decides when you get up.
Music: Background music is common in restaurants; some meyhanes have live music and fasıl, others are completely music-free, so it is worth asking in advance.
Group: For a large group, a meze table set in the middle is a practical solution; the restaurant format, where everyone picks a separate plate, works more easily for small groups.
Drinks: The traditional drink at a meyhane table is rakı, and beer and wine are common too; in restaurants the drinks list depends on the cuisine, and some serve no alcohol at all.
Season: Because November evenings get dark early, dinner time may move earlier; in this season the meyhane table is usually enriched with seasonal fish and hot mezes, while in restaurants how much the menu changes with the season depends on the cuisine.
If music is a deciding factor for you, our guide to quiet, music-free meyhanes describes the conversation-centred table in detail. Drinks and length are often considered together: an evening of rakı at a meyhane is a table that does not like to be rushed.
What Changes in Kadıköy on November Evenings?
November is the month when days in Istanbul become noticeably shorter; darkness falls early. Many people may therefore move dinner time earlier, and after dark the meyhane table can turn into a long conversation.
The season also changes the fish side of the meyhane table. Hamsi (anchovy), istavrit (horse mackerel) and lüfer (bluefish) are usually among the fish that come to the table in late autumn and winter; you can find which fish is eaten in which month in our seasonal fish guide. In restaurants, the fish on offer depends on the cuisine; in a meyhane, the fish usually changes with the day, and asking which fish are available that day is a natural part of the table.
Cool evenings also raise the appeal of hot mezes and casseroles. In this season, the move from cold mezes to hot starters at a meyhane table usually comes earlier; in a restaurant, soup and a main course meet the same need.
Which One Suits You?
The right choice between a restaurant and a meyhane depends on the purpose of the evening and the people at the table. The situations below make the decision easier.
A restaurant suits you better: If you are looking for a short dinner, a format where everyone picks a separate plate, an evening without alcohol or a specific world cuisine.
A meyhane suits you better: If you want a long conversation, shared mezes, rakı with fish and a table that moves slowly through the evening.
Mixed preferences: If fish lovers and meat eaters are in the same group, a meyhane that also offers grilled meat can bring both sides to the same table.
Large group: Because of its shared-table format, a meyhane is usually more practical; our guide to a meyhane for groups in Kadıköy walks through the planning step by step.
When you cannot decide, a single question is enough: is the focus of the evening the food or the conversation? If the focus is the plate, a restaurant is usually the right choice; if it is the table and the conversation, a meyhane is.
How Is the Table Set at Koço?
Koço Restaurant is a century-old meyhane across from Moda Pier, at Moda Caddesi No:171 in Moda, Kadıköy. It was founded in 1928 by Konstantinos "Koço" Korontos. It is open every day 12:00–00:00, welcomes more than 500 guests, its garden and terrace are open all year and it is music-free; the Aya Ekaterini ayazma lies beneath the building.
At Koço, the table is built on cold and hot mezes, seasonal fish and rakı. For those who want meat or a hot dish at a meyhane, grilled köfte (meatballs) and karides güveç (shrimp casserole) are on the menu; the fish varieties change daily, so it is worth asking which fish are available that day.
From the terrace you can see the Sea of Marmara, the Princes' Islands, Fenerbahçe and the historic peninsula skyline. Koço is also known as a haunt of writers such as Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca, Cemal Süreya, Arif Damar and Haldun Taner.
For those coming from the European Side, the ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy takes about 20 minutes; from Kadıköy pier you can reach Moda on foot or by the T3 heritage tram.
Who Is Koço For, and Who Is It Not For?
A good fit: Those who want to talk at a music-free table, large groups (more than 500 guests), those who want to sit in a garden and on a terrace open all year, those who want a view from the terrace, and those looking for a rakı-and-fish table.
Not a good fit: Those looking for live music or fasıl, those who want to continue after 00:00 and those looking for a bar-street crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is a restaurant or a meyhane better for dinner in Kadıköy?
If the focus of the evening is the food, a restaurant usually suits better; if it is conversation and a shared table, a meyhane does. A restaurant stands out for a short evening and separate plates, a meyhane for long conversation, mezes and rakı with fish. If the group has different preferences, a meyhane that also offers grilled meat can bring both sides to the same table.
2. Can you eat meat at a meyhane, not just fish?
Yes, many meyhanes offer grilled meat alongside mezes and fish. At Koço, for example, grilled köfte (meatballs) is on the menu; the fish varieties change daily, so it is worth asking which fish are available that day. You can see the current dishes on the menu.
3. How long does a meyhane dinner last on a November evening?
A meyhane table usually lasts longer than a restaurant dinner, and conversation decides when you get up. Because November evenings get dark early, sitting down earlier makes it easier to spend the evening without rushing. Koço is open every day 12:00–00:00; those who want to continue past midnight should keep this in mind.
4. What can you drink at a meyhane if you do not drink rakı?
Rakı is the traditional drink at a meyhane table, but it is not the only option. Koço's menu also includes beer, wine, şalgam (fermented turnip juice), mineral water, soft drinks, tea and Turkish coffee. For those drinking rakı, the serving order at Koço is rakı first, then cold water; ice comes in a separate bowl and is added last, if you wish.
If you are looking for shared mezes, seasonal fish and a music-free conversation on a November evening, your choice may lean towards a meyhane. Koço Restaurant is across from Moda Pier and open every day 12:00–00:00; calling ahead for weekend evenings makes things easier.
Address: Moda Caddesi No:171, Kadıköy, Istanbul (across from Moda Pier)
Reservations: +90 216 336 07 95 · Open every day 12:00–00:00
Comments