Welcome to our restaurant
Barba Vasilis, is a small restaurant in Fener-Balat, Istanbul, a neighborhood which has historicaly been home to many different ethnicities of the Ottoman Empire, with their rich and diversified culinary traditions. At BarbaVasilis we try to bring together these rich traditions, with the tastes of modern tavernas, under the atmosphere of a “meyhane”, Turkish word for “tavern” or “place where to drink wine”. Here you will find not only find daily prepared mezes, but also seafood varieties such as octopus and calamaries, and some fresh fishes from the seas surrounding Istanbul.
Our Story
Meyhane is firstly a gathering place, where friends meet, to enjoy the conversation and presence of each other. In a typical meyhane night, dinner starts and goes for a long time with mezes, which are cold appetizers served in small plates and eaten with slices of bread, to be followed by hot appetizers and sometimes but not always, main dishes. Everything on the table, but especially mezes, and hot appetizers are shared. The food in a typical meyhane, is designed to go with ‘rakı’, Turkish national alcoholic drink.