What Makes a Meyhane Historic? Old Buildings vs Living Tradition
Plenty of Istanbul venues call themselves a historic meyhane (a traditional Turkish tavern serving meze and rakı), and wood panelling and old photographs can make any room look old. Being historic is something else. This guide sets out the criteria, shows how they separate a historic meyhane from a vintage-styled newcomer, and applies them to century-old Koço, across from Moda Pier and serving since 1928.
Short answer: A meyhane is historic through continuity, not the age of its walls: uninterrupted service, a settled kitchen and table culture, regulars spanning generations, and a memory of its own. A new venue can copy the décor, but not the regulars, the literary ties or the recipes settled over decades. Koço, serving since 1928, is one of Istanbul's oldest surviving meyhanes: Moda Caddesi No:171, Kadıköy; open daily 12:00–00:00; reservations on +90 216 336 07 95.
Four criteria that define a historic meyhane
Four tests keep "historic" from being a decorative word on a sign; a historic meyhane passes all of them.
1. Uninterrupted service
What counts is the age of the table, not the building. A meyhane that has served for decades without closing offers a table where a regular's father and grandfather also sat, and lets tradition pass from master to apprentice.
2. Living tradition: recipes, service, regulars
Fava (broad-bean purée) and lakerda (cured bonito) are made the same way year after year, the fish of the day is chosen from the counter, and rakı (the anise spirit), water and ice reach the glass in a set order. Service follows its own settled order too. The müdavim keep it alive: regulars who ask for the same table and quietly show newcomers how it works.
3. The memory of the place
Photographs on the wall, old signs, a holy spring beneath the building, a counter worn smooth by decades of use: these are traces of the venue's own story, not props bought to look old.
4. Ties to literature and the city
Istanbul's historic meyhanes appear in poems, stories and memoirs. Once a tavern has been a haunt of writers, its table belongs to the city's cultural map, and that bond cannot be arranged after the fact.
Historic meyhane vs new venue with vintage décor
Many newer venues recreate the "old meyhane" look skilfully, and a good evening does not require a long history. The difference lies between claim and reality.
• Décor can be copied; generations of regulars cannot.
• Old photographs can be bought; a place's own past, recorded in that very room, cannot.
• A menu can be imitated; recipes settled over years in the same kitchen cannot.
In short, a historic meyhane cannot be designed in retrospect; it builds up by being lived in. For both styles side by side, see our classic or new-generation meyhane comparison.
Istanbul's historic meyhane districts
Istanbul's historic meyhanes cluster in a few neighbourhoods, each with its own character.
• Beyoğlu – Asmalımescit and Nevizade: narrow streets carrying on Pera's nightlife tradition; crowded, lively, often with live music.
• Kumkapı: on the Marmara shore near the fishing harbour, known for seafood-led meyhanes.
• Samatya: further along the Marmara coast; quieter, with more of a neighbourhood feel.
• Kadıköy – Moda: the Asian side's seaside quarter, with sea views, a waterfront promenade and traces of its Greek past.
Each district has places that genuinely earn the word "historic", though debates over which is oldest rarely use clear criteria. See Istanbul's oldest meyhanes and, for the Asian side, our Kadıköy meyhane guide.
Koço as a case study: how the criteria come together
Koço was founded in 1928 by Konstantinos "Koço" Korontos, a Greek from Imbros (Gökçeada), and is still a family business. The four tests apply as follows:
• Continuity: the table has been laid since 1928, with roughly a century of regulars behind it.
• Living tradition: home-made cold and hot meze, with classics such as lakerda, fava, topik (a chickpea and tahini meze), çiroz (dried mackerel) and atom (cold strained yoghurt with fried dried chillies), plus seasonal fish chosen daily from the counter. Rakı comes the classic way: rakı first, cold water on top, ice separate and added last if wanted.
• Memory of the place: beneath the building lies the Aya Ekaterini holy spring, a Greek Orthodox ayazma dedicated to St Catherine. Moda Pier lies directly opposite.
• Ties to literature: Koço has been a haunt of writers such as Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca, Cemal Süreya, Arif Damar and Haldun Taner. For the full account, read the story of Koço.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a historic meyhane?
A historic meyhane is a Turkish tavern that has run without interruption for decades, kept its kitchen and service traditions and gathered generations of regulars. An old building alone is not enough.
Which Istanbul neighbourhoods have historic meyhanes?
Istanbul's historic meyhanes cluster in Beyoğlu (Asmalımescit and Nevizade), Kumkapı, Samatya and Kadıköy-Moda. In Moda, Koço, serving since 1928, is one of Istanbul's oldest surviving meyhanes.
Why is Koço considered a historic meyhane?
Koço has been laying its table since 1928, keeps a tradition of home-made meze and seasonal fish, sits above the Aya Ekaterini holy spring, and has been a haunt of writers such as Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca and Cemal Süreya.
Where is Koço and when is it open?
Koço is at Moda Caddesi No:171, Kadıköy, across from Moda Pier, and is open daily 12:00–00:00. There is no live music or fasıl (traditional ensemble); reservations on +90 216 336 07 95.
A historic meyhane is not a style of décor but a table culture still in practice. Koço, across from Moda Pier, shows what that means: a century-old table, still laid every day.
Address: Moda Caddesi No:171, Kadıköy, Istanbul (across from Moda Pier) · Reservations: +90 216 336 07 95 · Open every day 12:00–00:00
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