On my first visit to Istanbul, my host Doğan asked me what I'd like for my first meal. We were meeting up with his girlfriend, so I jumped on the chance for a group meal at a meyhane, where we could share mezes (small dishes). Seated outdoors in a lovely narrow lane, Doğan and his girlfriend treated me to a gorgeous feast of small plates and raki at Imroz. I hadn't been able to get it out of my mind since.

I dreamed of returning to Imroz with my friends—twice as many people meant twice as many dishes to try! I was admittedly pleased it only warranted a brief mention in our range of guidebooks, verifying that Doğan took me to a locals-only place, but worried that it would be harder to strongarm my group without a guidebook review. Luckily everyone's pretty easygoing.

Nevizade Street is a narrow, nearly hidden alleyway in Beyoğlu, filled with smoky meyhanes and bars. Our hotel's staff had to help give direction to the taxi drivers—Nevizade is tiny on a map and does not have car access, so not all drivers know where to stop. While mid-March was too cold for us to take advantage of the outdoor seating, raki-bolstered locals toughed it out.
Imroz caters mainly to locals, so the staff shuffled to locate the English-speaking waiter. Patiently he stood with a giant tray filled with cold mezes while we eagerly pointed out everything interesting. Many times on this trip I would be extremely thankful everyone wanted to eat everything. Pile on the garlic, pile on the sardines, dolmas, artichokes, we wanted it all. My favorite dish of the night was an incredibly garlicky creamy eggplant dip—we didn't catch the name, the waiter just said that it was "special." So special we ordered it twice.

For those concerned about eating delectable snacks such as stuffed mussels or fried mussels from street vendors, Imroz also has hot mezes available to order off a menu. As much as I adored cheap street eats last time, this time it was easier to get the scrumptious Imroz versions.

The packed restaurant was smoky enough to impede breathing, but what's a little cancer when the experience of mezes is so good? The hospitality was as unreal as every other place we'd been in Istanbul. Imroz, and Nevizade Street in general, is an amazing local experience that I almost hate to share—but it's just too good to keep secret.

Cost: 15YTL each.

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