Food · Istanbul · Turkey
What to eat in Istanbul
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Istanbul, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Simit, Turkish breakfast and Fish sandwich. A long evening of meze, fish and rakı in a Beyoğlu or Kadıköy meyhane is the classic Istanbul night out. Bread and sometimes water are brought to the table automatically; small cover charges are common in restaurants, so check the menu.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Simit
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- In restaurants, leaving about 5–10% in cash for good service is normal if service is not…
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Bakery · Vegetarian
1.Simit
A ring of bread dipped in grape molasses and coated in sesame seeds, baked crisp outside and soft inside. It is the city's default breakfast on the move, often eaten with a glass of tea or a wedge of white cheese.
Where: Red street carts on every busy corner, ferry piers and on board ferries; bakeries sell warmer ones in the early morning.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
2.Turkish breakfast (Kahvaltı)
A spread of white cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, honey with clotted cream (bal kaymak), jams, eggs with sucuk or menemen (eggs scrambled with tomato and peppers), bread and endless tea. Weekend breakfasts last for hours.
Where: The breakfast street behind Beşiktaş market, cafés in Cihangir and Moda, and places on the Bosphorus shore at Rumeli Hisarı.
Street food
3.Fish sandwich (Balık ekmek)
Grilled mackerel fillet in half a loaf with onion, lettuce and a squeeze of lemon, eaten by the water with a cup of pickle juice (turşu suyu). It is one of the city's most famous cheap meals.
Where: The boats and stalls at Eminönü beside the Galata Bridge, and the fish restaurants under the bridge's lower deck.
Dish
4.Meze and rakı
A meyhane meal is a long succession of small plates — white cheese and melon, ezme, stuffed vine leaves, aubergine purée, fava, calamari — followed by grilled fish, all washed down with aniseed-flavoured rakı diluted with water and ice.
Where: Meyhanes in Beyoğlu's Asmalımescit and Nevizade lanes, and on the Asian side in Kadıköy; book ahead on Friday and Saturday nights.
Dish
5.İskender kebab
Thin slices of döner lamb laid over cubes of pide bread, topped with tomato sauce and sizzling brown butter, with yoghurt on the side. The dish comes from Bursa but is served across Istanbul.
Where: Kebab restaurants throughout the city; for the original, take the day trip to Bursa.
Dish
6.Lahmacun and pide
Lahmacun is a thin, crisp flatbread spread with spiced minced meat, rolled up with parsley, onion and lemon. Pide is a boat-shaped flatbread baked with cheese, egg, minced meat or sucuk.
Where: Pide salonu and kebab shops in every neighbourhood, especially around Fatih and Kadıköy.
Street food
7.Stuffed mussels (Midye dolma)
Mussels stuffed with spiced rice, pine nuts and currants, sold by the piece with a squeeze of lemon. Vendors keep opening them until you say stop.
Where: Street vendors in Beyoğlu, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş, especially late at night; choose busy stalls with fast turnover.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Baklava
Layers of paper-thin pastry filled with pistachios or walnuts and soaked in syrup. Istanbul's best is usually made with Antep pistachios; the kaymaklı version adds clotted cream.
Where: Long-established baklava shops in Karaköy and Gaziantep-style bakeries across the city; buy by weight and ask for a mix.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Turkish delight (Lokum)
Soft cubes of starch and sugar gel flavoured with rose, lemon or mastic, or packed with pistachios and hazelnuts, dusted in powdered sugar. Istanbul confectioners have made it since the 18th century.
Where: Historic confectioners around Eminönü and the Spice Bazaar; freshly cut lokum is far better than pre-packed boxes.
Dish
10.Köfte
Grilled meatballs of minced beef or lamb, served with piyaz (white bean salad), grilled peppers and bread. Simple köfte restaurants are a quick, filling lunch near the big sights.
Where: Köfte restaurants on Divanyolu in Sultanahmet, and grill houses in every district.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Turkish tea and coffee (Çay ve Türk kahvesi)
Black tea in tulip-shaped glasses is drunk all day, often offered by shopkeepers. Turkish coffee is boiled in a small cezve with the grounds and served thick and strong, with the sugar decided when you order: sade (none), orta (medium) or şekerli (sweet).
Where: Tea gardens in Gülhane Park, Moda and Üsküdar, and traditional coffee houses near the Grand Bazaar.
Street food · Vegetarian
12.Kumpir
A huge baked potato mashed with butter and cheese inside its skin and loaded with toppings such as corn, olives, pickles, sausage and Russian salad.
Where: The row of kumpir stalls beside Ortaköy Mosque on the Bosphorus.
Food experiences
Meyhane night
A long evening of meze, fish and rakı in a Beyoğlu or Kadıköy meyhane is the classic Istanbul night out. Order a few cold meze from the tray brought to your table, then hot dishes and fish; expect to stay for three hours.
Esnaf lokantası lunch
Tradesmen's canteens display trays of home-style dishes — beans in olive oil, stuffed peppers, stews and pilaf — and you point at what you want. They are fast, good value and close to the Grand Bazaar, Eminönü and every business district.
Weekend breakfast
Locals spend weekend mornings over a full kahvaltı spread. Try the breakfast street near Beşiktaş market or the Bosphorus-side cafés at Rumeli Hisarı for a long late-morning meal.
Kadıköy market grazing
Take the ferry to Kadıköy and work through the market streets: pickles and pickle juice, cheese and olives, stuffed mussels, a fish lunch and a Turkish coffee or baklava to finish.
Quick bites and street food
- Simit — Red street carts on every busy corner, ferry piers and on board ferries; bakeries sell warmer ones in the early morning.
- Turkish breakfast — The breakfast street behind Beşiktaş market, cafés in Cihangir and Moda, and places on the Bosphorus shore at Rumeli Hisarı.
- Fish sandwich — The boats and stalls at Eminönü beside the Galata Bridge, and the fish restaurants under the bridge's lower deck.
- Stuffed mussels — Street vendors in Beyoğlu, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş, especially late at night; choose busy stalls with fast turnover.
- Kumpir — The row of kumpir stalls beside Ortaköy Mosque on the Bosphorus.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Simit, Turkish breakfast, Baklava, Turkish delight, Turkish tea and coffee and Kumpir. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Bread and sometimes water are brought to the table automatically; small cover charges are common in restaurants, so check the menu.
- Restaurants in Sultanahmet's main squares cater to tourists; walk ten minutes towards Cağaloğlu, Kumkapı or Süleymaniye for better value.
- Many traditional lokantas and kebab houses do not serve alcohol; meyhanes and most restaurants in Beyoğlu, Karaköy and Kadıköy do.
- During Ramadan many restaurants still open by day in central districts, but eat discreetly, and expect busy iftar meals at sunset.
- Ask for prices before ordering fish, which is often charged by weight.
Tipping
In restaurants, leaving about 5–10% in cash for good service is normal if service is not already added. Round up taxi fares, and tip hammam attendants a little directly at the end of the treatment.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Merhaba | Hello |
| Teşekkür ederim | Thank you |
| Lütfen | Please |
| Hesap, lütfen | The bill, please |
| Ne kadar? | How much? |
| Afiyet olsun | Enjoy your meal |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Istanbul famous for?
Simit, Turkish breakfast, Fish sandwich and Meze and rakı. A ring of bread dipped in grape molasses and coated in sesame seeds, baked crisp outside and soft inside.
+Is Istanbul good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Simit, Turkish breakfast and Baklava.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Istanbul?
In restaurants, leaving about 5–10% in cash for good service is normal if service is not already added. Round up taxi fares, and tip hammam attendants a little directly at the end of the treatment.