Bay Ridge Welcomes New Turkish Eatery, Istanbul Bay, To The Neighborhood

A ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday welcomed Bay Ridge’s new Istanbul Bay Turkish eatery to the neighborhood.

The family-owned restaurant at 8002 5th Avenue opened at the beginning of July, but was officially celebrated by local officials last week.

The new restaurant is the sister to Istanbul Turkish Cafe, which has been serving up tasty Turkish cuisine in Bath Beach for 14 years.

Both spots are run by Bensonhurst local Seyran Say, who grew up in Turkey.

Everything at Istanbul Bay is homemade daily, according to Say. While Say loves everything on the menu, sthe gyros and adana kababs are the crowd favorite.

Istanbul Bay does not accept reservations due to their small size — only 35 seats — but the Bath Beach location — which is much larger and capable of seating 70 people outside, 70 people in the dining room, and 25 people in the “fast food” side, as Say calls it — does accept reservations. The Bay Ridge location does, however, do take out (with free delivery).

So far, Say says, business has been booming, with Istanbul Bay often packed around lunch and dinnertimes.

According to Councilman Gentile, who attended the ribbon cutting, Istanbul Bay has, “mastered the Turkish cuisine with out-of-this-world food, a great ambiance and wonderful ownership. Istanbul Bay is a welcome addition to the neighborhood and a go-to for lunch any day of the week.”

Istanbul Bay
Where: 8002 5th Avenue
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 7 days a week
Phone: (929) 292-2353
Reservations: No
Kid Friendly? Yes