8 Places for the Best Kuru Fasulye (Bean Stew) in Istanbul
Where to eat kuru fasulye, Istanbul's white bean stew, with rice, pickles, and ayran. 8 tried places across both sides of the city, by neighborhood.
Kuru fasulye is Istanbul’s white bean stew: tomatoey beans, simmered soft, served with a mound of buttery rice. It started as a peasant dish in Turkish cuisine and turned into something close to a national dish. This guide names 8 places to eat it well, on both sides of the city.
If you want a place at that table, here are 8 of the best kuru fasulye restaurants in Istanbul.
At a glance
| Restaurant | Neighborhood (side) | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Tarihi Kalkanoğlu Pilavcısı | Beyoğlu / Taksim (European) | Beans and rice, ayran in an Ottoman-style cup |
| Hüsrev Lokantası | Beşiktaş (European) | Butter beans, Chef’s Special Plate |
| Çömlek Kuru Fasülye | Üsküdar / Çamlıca (Asian) | Beans with bulgur rice and mıhlama, hilltop views |
| Fasuli | Fatih (European) | Black Sea beans, soups, anchovy rice |
| Erzincanlı Ali Baba | Süleymaniye, Fatih (European) | Spicy beans with smooth rice and yogurt |
| Kardeşler Lokantası | Eyüpsultan (European) | Esnaf lokanta, beans with patates kapama |
| Bizce Kuru | Bahçelievler (European) | Bean-forward stew, köfte and offal sides |
| Nalia | Ataşehir (Asian) | Black Sea cooking, two rices, cornbread |
For more sit-down ideas across the city, see our roundups of the best local Istanbul restaurants and the best soup in Istanbul, plus the wider best food in Istanbul guide.
1. Tarihi Kalkanoğlu Pilavcısı
A stone’s throw from Taksim Square, this is one of the best beans-and-rice plates in Turkey. It is also one of the restaurants we visit on our Taksim Evening Food tour.
Anyone who hates beans tends to change their mind here. The recipe has been passed down from generation to generation, and the owner takes each guest’s enjoyment seriously.
The kuru fasulye is best paired with the rice, pickles, and the frothy ayran that arrives in a traditional Ottoman-style cup. If it is your lucky day, there will still be some Hamsiköy Sütlacı (rice pudding) left to order.
Address: Kuloğlu, Ayhan Işık Sk. 16/A, 34435 Beyoğlu
2. Hüsrev Lokantası
A grand room with a white butter bean dish that melts in your mouth. With tempting options like tender boiled lamb shank or the variety of kebabs, one smart move is to try the beans as part of the Chef’s Special Plate (Şefin Tabağı).
Order that and you get the kuru fasulye paired with roasted beef, stuffed black cabbage, and rice, instead of just one dish on its own. If you can never say no to dessert, the ice cream with “Un Helvası” will make you envy the other tables.
Address: Gayrettepe, Yıldız Posta Cd. No:48/1, 34349 Beşiktaş
3. Çömlek Kuru Fasülye
“Welcome to the Turkish Kitchen,” says the menu, and this hilltop restaurant up in Çamlıca lives up to it. If you like combining dishes, order the beans with bulgur rice, then add the mıhlama (melted cheese) on top for a rich, savory plate.
The service runs slow, which gives you time to take in the views. The black cabbage sarma (rolls) is excellent too. For more options on this side of the water, see the best restaurants in Üsküdar.
Address: Kısıklı, Turistik Çamlıca Cd. No:50, 34692 Üsküdar
4. Fasuli
Fasuli has several branches across Istanbul and claims to serve the best kuru fasülye in the world. We agree their bean stew is one of the best in Istanbul.
You will find plenty else here too, like oven-baked rice wrapped in anchovies that may convert you into a seafood fan. We are also big fans of the soups, especially the lentil soup and the black cabbage soup with corn and red beans.
Address: Molla Gürani, Adnan Menderes Blv. No:103, 34093 Fatih
5. Erzincanlı Ali Baba
This place is focused on little else, and it shows. The spicy beans come with the exact viscosity you want against the smooth rice and creamy yogurt.
For more protein, swap in bulgur rice, or add a colorful salad if you are after something lighter. One warning: the pumpkin dessert, sweet sauce oozing off it with crunchy walnuts, is hard to skip. It sits in Süleymaniye, an easy stop on a walk through old Fatih.
Address: Süleymaniye, Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar Cd. No:11, 34116 Fatih
6. Kardeşler Lokantası
Don’t be put off by the plain décor. This esnaf (workers’) restaurant turns out some of the best-tasting dishes around. The döner kebab catches your eye first, but the real fun is walking up to the counter and combining the spread of traditional Turkish dishes.
The beans here run less viscous than at other spots, which makes them ideal with the potatoey patates kapama (shepherd’s pie). Get there at lunch and you may share a table with locals.
Address: Mithatpaşa, 84, İstanbul Cd., 34075 Eyüpsultan
7. Bizce Kuru
This bright, yellow-walled restaurant suits both big eaters and lighter ones. There is buttery rice and tempting fries, but the kuru fasulye itself leans on the beans more than the tomato sauce.
Add a wallop of protein with köfte (meatballs) or roasted meat. If you are feeling bolder, the offal dishes hold their own, whether liver, brains, feet, tongue, or head. Eating light? Pair the beans with frothy ayran, pickled veggies, or salad.
Address: Yenibosna Merkez, Köyceğiz Sk. 5A, 34197 Bahçelievler
8. Nalia
This family-friendly restaurant is the Black Sea region’s answer over on the Asian side. You may fill up on cheesy pide, but don’t miss the two rices: the buttery kind and the higher-fiber bulgur with şehriye (noodles).
Gluten-free cornbread comes plain, with anchovy, or with blueberry, the last good enough to eat as a dessert when the pumpkin cake is out of season. The sugar-free black grape juice is a nice close. For more on this side, see the best restaurants on the Asian side of Istanbul.
Address: İçerenköy, Caddesi, Prof. Dr. Ali Nihat Tarlan Cd No:103, 34752 Ataşehir
Eat it with us
Kuru fasulye is exactly the kind of home cooking we build our Istanbul food tours around, sitting down with locals over rice, pickles, and ayran rather than rushing between photo stops. Running since 2013, with 50,000+ guests and a 4.95/5 rating from 7,800+ reviews, our small groups cap at 10.
