On the last of the Ramadan holidays, we returned to Karakoy.

As is the case elsewhere in Istanbul, it's hard to know where Karakoy stops and Galata or Kabatas or Tophane begins. Suffice it to say that this is the area you reach when you cross the Galata Bridge.

Our goal was to explore a few more points of interest, while the traffic was still holiday-quiet, and return via said bridge with the goal of seeking out one of Istanbul's legendary fish sandwiches.

So we taxied to Kilic Ali Pasa Mosque, and walked back from there. It's a really picturesque area:






Galata Bridge is always lined with fisherpersons (despite warnings about over-fishing). But here on Karakoy waterfront too, the intrepid hunters congregate (as do their enthusiastic feline supporters):


No-one at this end of life was serving up any fish, however, and we began to gloomily wonder if we were too early (our meal schedule generally doesn't seem to fit too well with that of our Turkish hosts). But no, at the far end of the bridge, the Eminonu end, the aroma of cooking fish became apparent, and sure enough, some of the traditional little boats were ready to serve:



What you're after is a "balik ekmek" (literally fish bread). What it consists of is a crusty hunk of baguette, a fillet of grilled fish (which tasted like mackerel to me, but apparently they also use whiting), and a generous helping of salad:


Now, it wasn't as jaw-droppingly amazing as a Peel kipper bap (nothing could reach those heights). But it was pretty damn good. Both delicious and substantial. And at TRY 40 per person (just over GBP 2), you really couldn't complain about the price.

But then, on our way home, we spotted balik ekmek on offer for TRY 30... Not off a cute little boat, admittedly, or even by the sea (this place was on the landward side of the coast road). Nevertheless, we decided we should return one day for comparison tasting.

Which is what we did today...

This time we taxied up to the area round Saint Antoine's Church. There's quite a mixture up there. The late nightclubbers were just staggering out (and to judge by all the armed money-transporters standing around, it had been a good night), while the smart cafes were setting up for breakfast along Istiklal Avenue. Embassies hide behind heavy gates (as do churches). The cute little tram was just setting off on its daily journey to Taksim Square, and a film crew was preparing to do something interesting on Banks Street:














We decided not to stop for coffee, though that was a tempting prospect. Rather, we pressed on back over the bridge to find our sandwich.

Which absolutely did not disappoint... Whereas the one the other day had been perfectly good (really nothing to reproach it with), this one was just better... Plumper fillets, and more variety in the salad provision. (And TRY 10 less, remember...) Stupidly, I forgot to note the name of the establishment. But this is the view: