What to Eat in Istanbul: Food Guide

Istanbul has a sandwich that is cooked on a boat that rocks in the Golden Horn, sold from a floating kitchen decorated like a pirate ship, and eaten on a wooden barrel stool next to a stranger. It is called balık ekmek (fish bread), it costs less than a museum coffee, and it is the most honest introduction to how this city eats. Here is what to order, where, and what to skip.

Start with kahvaltı: the Turkish breakfast

Turkish breakfast is not a quick bite, it is a ceremony. A proper kahvaltı arrives as a spread of small plates: white cheese (beyaz peynir), olives, tomatoes and cucumbers, honey with kaymak (clotted cream), jams, menemen (eggs scrambled with tomatoes and peppers), sucuk (spiced sausage), simit (sesame bread ring) and endless glasses of çay, the tulip-shaped tea served everywhere.

Where: the Kadıköy side (Asian side) and the streets around Cihangir and Karaköy are the classic breakfast districts. Look for places with a long table of small dishes instead of a laminated menu.
Budget: a shared "serpme kahvaltı" (the big spread) is usually priced per person and varies a lot, from affordable neighborhood spots to tourist-priced terraces with Bosphorus views. Prices have been rising fast, so check the menu before sitting.
Tip: share one spread between two people. The portions are made for a family.

Balık ekmek at Eminönü

The famous version is grilled mackerel (uskumru) in half a loaf of bread with onion, lettuce and lemon, sold from boats moored beside the Galata Bridge in Eminönü. You eat it standing or on barrel stools, with a cup of şalgam (fermented turnip and carrot juice, sour and salty) or pickles on the side.

Price: it varies a lot depending on whether you buy from the boats or from the shops behind. Recent sources suggest roughly 100 to 150 TL at the boats and 250 to 400 TL at pricier spots, but prices change fast, so ask before you order.
Timing: go at lunchtime, when the grill is busy and the fish is fresh. Avoid the exact tourist rush at sunset.
Skip: the restaurants on the upper deck of the Galata Bridge look scenic but are usually the most expensive way to eat fish in the city.

Kebab, but the right kind

In Istanbul the word kebab covers a lot more than the doner you know from home.

İskender: thin sliced doner over pide bread, drowned in tomato sauce and melted butter, with yogurt on the side. Heavy and wonderful.
Adana and Urfa: minced lamb grilled on a skewer, spicy (Adana) or mild (Urfa), served with flatbread and grilled vegetables.
Döner in durum: the street version, wrapped in thin bread. It is the cheapest filling meal in the center.
Tip: a restaurant that fills at lunchtime with office workers is almost always a safe choice.

Street food to try between sights

Simit: a sesame bread ring sold from red carts. The classic breakfast on the go, for pocket change.
Midye dolma: stuffed mussels with spiced rice. Eat them only from busy, reputable stands and in cooler months if you have a sensitive stomach.
Kumpir: a baked potato loaded with toppings, popular in Ortaköy.
Islak burger: a soft, steamed small burger with garlic tomato sauce, found around Taksim.
Kestane: roasted chestnuts in autumn and winter.

Sweets and coffee

Baklava: try it at a specialist shop, not at a souvenir stand. Pistachio versions are the best.
Turkish delight (lokum): buy it by weight in the Spice Bazaar area and ask to taste first.
Dondurma: stretchy ice cream sold by vendors who like to play with you and the cone. Fun once, pricey if you do not ask the price first.
Turkish coffee: thick, served in a small cup with the grounds at the bottom. Do not drink the last sip.

Practical tips

Cash and cards: cards work in most restaurants, but have some Turkish lira for boats, carts and small stands.
Alcohol: rakı, the anise spirit, is the traditional drink with fish and meze. It is served with water, which turns it milky white.
Tipping: around 10 percent is normal in restaurants if service is not already included. Check the bill.
Prices: inflation in Turkey is high, so any number in a guide can be out of date. Always check a menu before ordering.
Water: drink bottled water.

A one-day eating route

Start with a kahvaltı in Karaköy or Cihangir, walk down to the Galata Bridge, eat balık ekmek at Eminönü, cross to the Spice Bazaar for lokum and spices, then take the ferry to Kadıköy for dinner and street snacks. It is a walkable route and crosses the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus without a taxi.

Explore Istanbul with Trevurs

Eating in Istanbul is better when you know the stories behind the places. The Trevurs app has free, self-guided audio tours that work offline, so you can walk between meals and listen on the way: Hagia Sophia: 1500 Years of Empires takes you through the city's most famous building, and Dark Istanbul: The Harem, the Eunuchs and the Strangled Brothers covers the Ottoman palace world that created much of the cuisine you are about to eat. Download the app, pick a tour and walk.