Meşhur Filibe Köftecisi

Serving its customers for over a century, Meşhur Filibe Köftecisi was founded in 1893 by Mehmet Saltuk, who moved to Istanbul from the Bulgarian town of Filibe (Plovdiv), hence the restaurant’s name. One of the prominent culinary establishments in Sirkeci, Filibe’s juicy meatballs are an ode to simplicity, as the only ingredients involved are ground beef, onion and cumin, and they are made daily by hand. Now looked after by the fifth-generation descendants of Saltuk, Filibe’s no-frills menu also includes piyaz, çoban salatası (shepherd’s salad with tomatoes and onion) and the delightful sponge cake revani.