“Meze Apo Tin Poli”, in Nei Epivates, is a restaurant that has a “face”: the family of its owners originally from Constantinople, which opened its doors four years ago, completely based on the traditional culture of the people of Constantinople , both in terms of food and hospitality.

The story begins almost four generations back, from 1964, when their families were expelled from Constantinople and Imbros, with only the memories, strength and endurance of the people, who managed to survive for many years, in an environment not very friendly. By opening the restaurant, in 2020, they started realizing the dream of a family business, in which every guest – that is, the customer – would have the opportunity to enjoy all those dishes that fill the tables of Constantinople: from the daily small dishes with ouzo, until the festive gatherings.

Meet the family

At “Meze Apo Tin Poli”, you will be warmly welcomed, and mother Olympia, with little daughter Marina and big daughter Sofia, true “maîtres” in hunkiar, arnaout tzieri, soutzoukakia from Smyrna, will cook for you . Father Anthimos will take care of the supply of the best ingredients for your table and “Nene”, i.e. their grandmother, will be in charge of preparing the yalantzi dolmades.

For them, food was and is a rite of passage and not just a necessity. The table, the meeting place, where family members gathered to tell the news of the day, how they are, what they plan to do, who they talked to.

Even the daily tables had to be decorated and the plates with the food, beautifully decorated, with the highlight of the “Good Evening” table (as New Year’s is called in Constantinople), where the decoration was reminiscent of… a fairy tale!

Grandma’s recipes

In their restaurant, they cook their grandmother’s recipes, which were passed down from Ms. Olympia’s mother to her and then to her daughters, with each dish having its own memories and place in their hearts. Recipes that are kept unchanged, without variations, experimentation and additions, just as they were cooked so many decades ago, in a kitchen where the family “tselementes” is respected reverently.

Cuttlefish cooked with its ink, raisin and pine nut, dolma mussels – rich in aromatic herbs, raisin and pine nut too – lahmatzoun, mousveria (zucchini meatballs of Constantinople) and sigara boregi (round cheese pies), the aforementioned arnaout tzieri – beef liver with caramelized onions -, the festive, Sunday hunkiar begendi – veal in red sauce with aubergine puree – and soutzoukakia from Smyrna, but also pastourma pies, yiaourtlou or tas kebab. Unique flavors parade from the kitchen to the tables, provoking all your senses.

They will be served to you on boards, as is traditional in Bosphorus taverns, which bring out small, decorated plates with cold, handmade small dishes, for you to choose whatever makes you happy, in a space that combines the quality of the courtyards, with home cooking and hospitality.

At the end, of course, cool handmade sweets and the famous kiounefe from Constantinople and in the cellar, in addition to all the classic drinks, Yeni Raki. By the standards of neighboring Constantinople, where this cool drink is not missing from almost any table.

“Praiseful” comments

The people of “Meze Apo Tin Poli” deservedly earn the best reviews from customers and as they say, people daily make “praiseful” comments about their services. After all, in this particular restaurant the sense of hospitality comes spontaneously, through the owners’ own experiences, which highlight them at every table. This is, after all, what makes it stand out from others, besides of course its unique, for the whole region, authentic cuisine from Constantinople, which attracts every lover of flavors from Constantinople and beyond.

At its tables you will meet regulars who have now become regular customers, who come here first for the family of ‘Meze Apo Tin Poli’ and then for everything else. Customers with whom there is now a personal relationship, who are greeted in the store by their first names and with whom the owners know, almost, in advance, what they will order.

Secret of success is unrequited love

The “secret of success” of “Meze Apo Tin Poli” is the exclusively handmade dishes, completely different from anything else in the area, which are always cooked and prepared with love by the family. Everyone always puts their undivided love into what they do.

Their “motto”, based on quality, combined with the most satisfying meals: “first the eye is satisfied and then the belly”, they always told their family and this is what they say now, having as the only competitor of the good, the … the best !

“Meze Apo Tin Poli”, is a small trip, in the old neighborhoods of Constantinople. And we are sure that it has already won you over!

Tip: During the summer months, every Saturday evening and during the winter months every Sunday at noon, the meals at “Meze Apo Tin Poli” are beautifully accompanied by selections of live Greek music.