The Kumkapı district is centered on a small plaza where six streets meet. It’s surrounded by seafood restaurants, and restaurants line many of the streets radiating from the plaza.

Restaurants are open all year, but in the warmer months (usually April through October) tables are set outside, and every night is a lively, sometimes boisterous dining scene with smiling customers, scurrying waiters and itinerant peddlars and entertainers.