Lüfer satisfies with flavor and entertainment.

Milliyet Newspaper / Lezzet - VASFİ PAKMAN

The owners of LÜFER BOATS, who never compromise on the quality of their service and vessels, closely follow innovations in their sector, and improve every year, come from a great seafaring/fishing family that has been living in Istanbul’s Anadolu Hisarı district for nearly 100 years. Their grandfather, the late KADİR EFENDİ, who had worked in the old ferry company Şirket-i Hayriye, started boating to earn extra income for his family; he both fished and sold fish, and carried the Bosphorus residents from mansion to mansion, to Üsküdar and to Beşiktaş. His son Kemal Captain began doing the same work in 1979 with a small motorboat, taking businessmen, guests, and families around the Bosphorus and the Marmara. Later, together with his sons Cem, Cenk, and Can, who completed their education, he founded the LÜFER Boats Group in 1989.

Today, the LÜFER company, established with the capital Kemal Captain earned by selling the bluefish he caught while at the helm of LÜFER 4, is under the management of his sons and is among the successful businesses that have developed and grown together with Istanbul and tourism; Today, operating on the Bosphorus and the Marmara, LÜFER, with its fleet of 10 sightseeing boats, “tourism-certified,” ranging in length from 49 to 19 meters and with a capacity of 20 to 1,000 people, serves the nation’s tourism and has the distinction of being the largest organization in its sector.

LÜFER Boats has a menu of 30 meat- and fish-based dishes featuring Turkish and international cuisine, and the group also includes fishing and catering companies. Anyone who wishes can join LÜFER sightseeing boats, which run scheduled trips every day, by making an individual reservation; during the trip, new friendships are formed, people meet, and the night and entertainment become even more delightful. Moreover, with this quality, this flavor, and this magnificence, the PRICES ARE VERY ATTRACTIVE! You can enjoy a lively dinner for 49 TL or a brunch for 29 TL. In addition, these beautiful boats can be rented entirely for weddings, engagements, business dinners, and other celebration ceremonies, and you can organize cocktail cruises with or without alcohol. “We also have special programs and menus for special days, holidays, and Ramadan days,” says younger brother Can Captain, describing the cleanliness of their boats, the beauty of their decor, and the deliciousness of their food, and adds: “We are waiting for everyone living in Istanbul or passing through here; they will become addicted to LÜFER.” LÜFER, where à la carte and open buffet are offered as desired, is strong in olive-oil dishes, iftar foods, salads, and mezes, and for barbecue, according to the weather or general preference, fish, meat, sucuk, etc. are prepared. In addition, every night, again as desired, live music in the style of fasıl, Greek, Turkish, and foreign music is performed. Also famous for its moonlight cruises, LÜFER’s experienced staff picks up its passengers from the Bebek, Karaköy, and Beşiktaş piers, welcomes them with a cocktail, the captain meets them personally, and the journey is completed in a warm, friendly atmosphere. Just be careful: LÜFER boats can be addictive; you may find yourself always wanting to be on LÜFER.