Çömlek Kuru Fasulye

Çömlek Kuru Fasulye is a traditional Turkish dining establishment located on the forested slopes of Büyük Çamlıca in Istanbul's Üsküdar district. Originally established in 1999 at Kısıklı Meydanı under the commercial entity Çömlek Restoran İşletmeleri Ticaret Limited Şirketi, the venture began its culinary operations under the title Çömlek Taşfırında Kuru Fasulye. In 2006, the business relocated further up the summit to Çamlıca Hill to open a purpose-built scenic facility featuring a mechanical rotating dining platform and an open viewing terrace.

The cornerstone of the enterprise is its dedicated clay pot kitchen, where dried beans sourced from organic farming in the high plateaus of İspir are slow-cooked with meat and butter inside masonry stone ovens. The business notes on its official portal that this specialized earthenware method elevated their recipe into a recognizable brand, promoting itself under the slogan of Turkey's number one kuru fasulye. Since its founding year of 1999, the venue has highlighted an emphasis on recipes that remain unchanged, drawing diners who seek authentic regional comfort cuisine paired with high-altitude maritime views.

Patrons make the trip up Çamlıca Hill primarily for the venue's distinctive combination of panoramic scenery and Anatolian cooking. Positioned among fragrant pine woods on one of Istanbul's highest elevations, the restaurant provides clear vantage points overlooking the Prince Islands and the wider Sea of Marmara. Today, it operates as an established dining stop for local neighborhood residents, visiting travelers, and multi-generational family gatherings seeking a leisurely meal high above the bustling city center.

Cuisine and Menu

The culinary program at Çömlek Kuru Fasulye revolves around regional Anatolian recipes, headlined by its flagship Kuru Fasulye (410 ₺). Using organic İspir beans grown on high-altitude plateaus, the kitchen prepares this dish with chunks of beef and dairy butter, slow-simmering it in clay vessels placed inside stone hearths. Patrons seeking a balanced sampler frequently select the Şef Tabağı (890 ₺), which pairs a portion of the bean stew with 100 grams of braised beef roast (Kavurma, also priced separately at 860 ₺ for 180 grams) alongside buttered rice (Pirinç Pilavı, 160 ₺). Complements include earthenware yogurt (Yoğurt, 260 ₺) and mixed pickled vegetables (Turşu, 130 ₺).

The kitchen draws heavily on the Black Sea culinary corridor. Starter broths range from Balık Çorbası (230 ₺), made with whiting fillet and vegetables, to Kara Lahana Çorbası (180 ₺), which incorporates collard greens, kidney beans, cracked corn, and rich tallow. Regional hot plates include Tereyağlı Muhlama (350 ₺), whipped from melted kolot and string cheeses in butter, meat-filled collard wraps (Kara Lahana Sarması, 340 ₺), pan-fried anchovies (Hamsi Tava, 500 ₺), and baked anchovy rice (Hamsili Pilav, 360 ₺).

Morning visitors can choose between a standard Tabak Kahvaltı (400 ₺) and the communal Karadeniz Serpme Kahvaltı (850 ₺ per person, two-guest minimum). This banquet spread provides measured portions of hot muhlama, Rize kavurma (50 grams), bean hummus (100 grams), walnut muhammara (85 grams), Giresun hazelnut spread (60 grams), regional cheeses, pastries, and bread from Trabzon's Vakfıkebir bakeries served with copper kettle tea.

From the grill section, highlights include garlic-seasoned Akçaabat Köfte (640 ₺ for 180 grams), tender lamb chops (Kuzu Pirzola, 1300 ₺), and a lavish Karışık Izgara (1020 ₺). To finish, traditional sweets like flaky Laz Böreği (210 ₺), caramelized Fırın Sütlaç (200 ₺), and syrupy Kabak Tatlısı (290 ₺) accompany fresh glasses of brewed Turkish tea (30 ₺) or Turkish coffee (100 ₺).

Atmosphere and Who It Suits

The interior and architectural environment of Çömlek Kuru Fasulye is defined by its setting upon the summit ridges of Çamlıca Hill. Situated amid fragrant pine groves, the establishment provides a tranquil, scenic escape from the urban density of metropolitan Istanbul. The dining room is engineered around a central rotating mechanical platform, giving patrons seated at window-facing tables a slowly shifting perspective of the Marmara Sea, the Prince Islands, and the sprawling contours of the city below. For open-air observation, an expansive viewing terrace allows guests to step out and look across the horizon under natural pine-scented air.

The indoor mood is peaceful and unpretentious, emphasizing warmth and leisurely hospitality. Because the rotating platform moves smoothly while diners eat, the room maintains a quiet sense of motion where guests spend extended periods conversing over shared dishes and warm copper tea carafes. The spatial layout is structured to accommodate varied party configurations, balancing quiet window corners with broad seating zones that can comfortably handle large gatherings.

In terms of guest profile, the venue serves a diverse spectrum of demographics. It is especially frequented by multi-generational families who assemble during mornings and weekend afternoons for elaborate regional breakfasts. Couples visit the dining room for romantic evening meals positioned against the glittering lights of the Prince Islands, while groups of close friends routinely gather for hearty comfort food dinners after exploring the hill's outdoor parks.

Furthermore, the facility is equipped with the floor capacity and culinary infrastructure to handle organized group functions. The restaurant regularly hosts scheduled event banquets, formally catering wedding dinners, engagement celebrations, and private milestone gatherings. Corporate organizations and executive teams also utilize the space for business dinners and corporate breakfast sessions, taking advantage of the quiet hilltop ambiance and expansive dining arrangements to conduct discussions away from busy commercial hubs.

Location and Practical Details

Çömlek Kuru Fasulye is perched at the crest of Büyük Çamlıca, recognized as one of the highest scenic elevations within Istanbul. Situated along Turistik Cad. No:50 in the Büyük Çamlıca neighborhood of Üsküdar, the restaurant occupies a vantage point embedded directly within evergreen pine woodlands. This hillside placement provides an immediate overview of the southern waterways leading out to the Sea of Marmara and the Prince Islands, positioning the property as both an observation terrace and an elevated dining room.

The facility welcomes visitors seven days a week across continuous morning, afternoon, and evening hours. On weekdays (Monday through Friday), the restaurant opens its doors at 09:00 and operates continuously until closing at 23:00. To accommodate earlier morning breakfast crowds on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), doors open thirty minutes earlier at 08:30, maintaining service until 23:00 each evening. These comprehensive hours make the venue equally accessible for early highland breakfasts, midday business lunches, sunset banquets, or late-night dinners after dusk.

Guests wishing to contact the establishment directly or arrange details for private group functions, engagement meals, or corporate breakfast gatherings can reach out through official communication channels. Inquiries may be directed by telephone to the main landline at (0216) 316 29 53. For written inquiries, event specifications, or administrative correspondence, the management can be contacted via email at [email protected].

When planning a visit to this Üsküdar branch, travelers will find that the surrounding area on the summit offers pleasant walking trails through the pine trees and dedicated outdoor terraces. Because the venue combines expansive indoor dining with broad outdoor viewpoints across Istanbul, patrons can explore the natural environment of the hill before or after enjoying their meal.

The Mio Angle: As a Meeting Spot

Within the Mio social community, where users constantly exchange recommendations for authentic dining destinations, Çömlek Kuru Fasulye answers a very specific recurring question: where in Istanbul can one experience traditional, heritage comfort cooking while enjoying iconic aerial views of the city? The venue succeeds primarily because it merges unpretentious Anatolian clay pot cooking with a genuinely memorable physical setting. It serves as an optimal gathering point when hosting out-of-town guests who want to see the Marmara Sea and Prince Islands from above while experiencing time-honored Turkish hospitality without formal fine-dining stiffness.

Financially, the restaurant sits comfortably in a mid-tier price bracket, offering flexible budgetary entry points depending on the dining occasion. Diners dropping in for an economical solo lunch can pair the signature slow-cooked İspir kuru fasulye (410 ₺) with buttered rice pilaf (160 ₺) and traditional pickles (130 ₺) for a focused comfort meal. Larger parties and celebratory groups can opt for higher-ticket offerings, such as the comprehensive Şef Tabağı (890 ₺) featuring braised kavurma and beans, or charcoal-grilled Kuzu Pirzola (1300 ₺). For morning social calls, parties can select between a modest 400 ₺ breakfast plate or invest in the expansive 850 ₺ per person Black Sea spread.

From a content and social sharing viewpoint, the venue offers compelling visual moments. The rotating floor platform produces continuous slow-panning video opportunities showing changing panoramic vistas of the southern Istanbul waters through wide windows. Culinary presentation also photographs well on social feeds: bubbling copper pans of stretchy cheese muhlama, glistening clay pots filled with butter-glazed white beans, miniature copper teapots, and table-spanning breakfast assortments accented by fresh baked Vakfıkebir loaves. Whether meeting friends for a weekend brunch or dining with family at sunset, it offers a tangible culinary narrative rooted on Çamlıca's historic hillside.