Many pizza lovers consider Miss Pizza the best in town. A big success with the foreigners and expats living in Istanbul's Cihangir neighborhood, the cozy brick-oven pizzeria has now opened another branch in the happening Şişhane area. With selections such as truffle pizza, the food remains as good as ever, but the new venue also becomes a lively bar in the late hours of the weekend

Many pizza lovers consider Miss Pizza the best in town. A big success with the foreigners and expats living in Istanbul’s Cihangir neighborhood, the cozy brick-oven pizzeria has now opened another branch nearby in the happening Şişhane area.

With selections such as truffle pizza – topped with gorgonzola cheese, truffles and truffle oil – the food remains as good as ever, but the new venue also becomes a lively bar in the late hours of the weekend.

Back in 2004, the original, much-loved pizzeria was established by two women on a small street in Cihangir. Owners Elif Tokatlıoğlu and Selen Akınal Balcıoğlu, who were both involved in the textile industry in Italy, had a fascination with pizza-making. When they came back to Istanbul, they envisioned starting up a tasty, relaxed and affordable pizzeria – just like the ones they had enjoyed in Italy.

An Italian chef taught the two partners how to make brick-oven pizzas and they enhanced their skills back in Turkey while establishing Miss Pizza. Good friend Giancarlo Gottardo, a chef at The Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul, consulted with Tokatlıoğlu and Balcıoğlu on the menu and helped the owners establish a range of 30 different pizza selections. Since then, the cozy and reasonably priced eatery – where pizzas range between 12 and 28 Turkish Liras – has become a favorite among residents, particularly foreigners, in the Taksim area.

Staying close to home

The choice of where to open another branch is always a tough one for emerging restaurants. With Şişhane’s star rising, and its proximity to the metro stop in Beyoğlu, the area boasts several outstanding qualities. Yet what really made this neighborhood the right fit was its proximity to Cihangir and Miss Pizza’s original location. This allows the owners to easily go from one restaurant to the other and make sure the standards of food quality and service remain the same at both pizzerias. With the opening of the new branch, the owners also brought in a new partner, Tokatlıoğlu’s sister Esra. The three women now go from one end of Beyoğlu to the other to make sure things are running smoothly in both eateries.

The interior décor at the new branch is more modern compared to the Italian-pizzeria design of the Cihangir branch, with its red-and-white-checkered tablecloths. At both locations, the highlight and focal point is a giant brick oven with pizza chefs wielding long, wooden pizza boards to take the freshly cooked pies in and out of the heat. The Şişhane branch has a small bar inside as well as a pleasant outdoor eating area in the front, near the entrance, which is great for summertime and of course for smokers too.

Besides the wide selection of pizzas, Miss Pizza also offers green salads and cheese platters. The restaurant’s fairly large, thin-crusted pies, loaded with cheese and other fresh toppings, are better shared by two or even three people rather than eaten alone. Some of the most popular and recommended choices include the pizza fungi with truffle oil, chestnut and porcini mushrooms and both gorgonzola and mozzarella cheese; the Margherita, which is simple, basic and done just right; and the pizza capricciosa for pork lovers. Another sought-after pie is the Mr. Pizza, topped with Turkish sausages, ham, black olives and mozzarella cheese. For those with a sweet tooth, the original pizza honey is a sweet selection filled with mozzarella, honey and baked pine nuts.

Desserts and alcohol

In addition to a few new pizza selections, the Şişhane branch of Miss Pizza has introduced desserts and alcoholic beverages to its menu. Desserts include chocolate cake, orange and lemon tarts and biscotti, while the beverage menu offers a list of wines as well as cocktails and beer.

Prices are fair; expect to pay around 20 liras for a pizza. Miss Pizza also delivers to patrons in the area. As the tables are fairly limited in this informal and cozy establishment, reservations are recommended for lunch time and particularly for weekend evenings.

Miss Pizza Şişhane

Meşrutiyet Cad. No.86A, Şişhane, Beyoğlu

Tel: 0212 251 32 34



Article & Photo from: Daily News - www.hurriyetdailynews.com