Halil Lahmacun has been known for its delicious, thin-crust lahmacun (Turkish pizza) for years in Kadıköy Market. Its cheesy pita bread along with buttermilk (ayran) is as delicious as lahmacun.
Halil Lahmacun exactly fits the latter definition. It has stood firm with its delicious taste for years. Whoever you ask, the restaurant reminds them old good memories and reply; “We used to frequent that restaurant when we were in high school. It has a delicious lahmacun. Glad to remember, we will pop in there some time.”
A chef named “Urfalı Halil Usta” opened the restaurant in 1982 at Kadıköy Market. Now his son, Fuat Bey, runs the restaurant as his father’s inheritance. It is very close to popular Çiya Restaurant.
Walking by the fish market, you will come across with a two-storey cosy building. It is crowded any time. On the first floor, there is a stone oven in which lahmacuns are baked. In that oven approximately 1000 lahmacuns are baked in a day; based on this, imagine the customer circulation!
What makes Halil Lahmacun special is its thin-crust dough with its high quality topping. The minced meat used for the topping is of high quality. Your stomach’s comfort is the assurance of the quality of its ingredients. In some restaurants, to cut down on minced meat usage because of its costs, a great amount of tomato sauce and herbs are added to the topping. However, Halil Lahmacun doesn’t offer such tastes to its customers. When you take a bite, you can easily distinguish it from the others. Thanks to its quick service, you can taste the hot delicious thin-crust lahmacun instantly.
Apart from lahmacun, you can find cheesy pita-bread in the menu. The topping of this delicious pita-bread is the mixture of white cheese and herbs, presumably parsley. It’s a great option for vegetarians.
As a beverage, home-made ayran (buttermilk) would be a good choice with lahmacun. If you don’t like buttermilk, the restaurant’s home-made lemonade is delicious too. One final word, make room for ‘kunafah with ice cream topping’ in your stomach. It is really delicious and the best in Istanbul.
There are lots of places to discover in Kadıköy, but for the lahmacun lovers, Halil Lahmacun should be the first to discover. Bon appetit! Tel: (0216) 337 01 23
