Bonito fish costing 60 cents sold for $16 in Istanbul restaurants

Burak Coşan - ISTANBUL

A sharp difference in fish prices, particularly that of bonito fish, at the main fish markets, and the famous fish restaurants in Istanbul has sparked a public debate.

The price of the bonito fish has fallen to 5 Turkish Liras (60 cents) in the fish markets, however, the menu prices in famous restaurants are around 130 Turkish Liras ($16), according to a survey by daily Hürriyet.

“Fishmen returned from the sea with cases of bonito fish, and due to this copious harvest, the price in the fish market has decreased to 5 liras from 15 [$1.8],” the officials told the daily.

In local markets, people can buy a bonito fish between 8 and 12 liras ($1–1.5), but the restaurants and the luxury hotels’ prices remain the same despite the decrease in rates.

Asking two restaurants in the Arnavutköy and Anadolu Hisarı neighborhoods for the menu prices of the bonito fish, the daily revealed an enormous difference.

“The officials of the one in Arnavutköy said the price is 80 liras [$10], while those running the restaurant in Anadolu Hisarı said 125 liras [$15.7],” wrote the daily.

At another fish restaurant in the Cihangir neighborhood, a portion of bonito fish was being sold for 65 liras ($8) and one entire bonito’s price was 120 liras.

The meal price for one piece of bonito fish at a five-star restaurant in the Taksim neighborhood was even higher, 130 liras ($16).

“The prices in the western province of İzmir and the capital Ankara are not so different from Istanbul’s,” wrote the daily.

“Between 60 and 90 liras [$7.5 – 11.3] in İzmir. In Ankara, the starting price was 85 liras [$10.7].”