Istanbul is a paradise for street food. Every corner, every bridge and every square has its vendors and tiny counters serving delicious food at prices that are hard to beat. This is my guide to the 10 street foods you have to try in Istanbul, and where to find them.
1. Balık ekmek (fish sandwich)
The king of Istanbul street food: a grilled mackerel fillet tucked into half a loaf of bread with lettuce, onion and a squeeze of lemon. The classic place to eat it is by the Galata Bridge in Eminönü, where boats moored along the quay grill the fish on board and hand the sandwiches ashore, with the water right in front of you.
2. Simit
The Turkish sesame bread ring, crisp on the outside and soft inside. Street vendors sell it from red carts all over the city. The best time to have one is in the morning, fresh from the oven. Pair it with a glass of çay (Turkish tea) for a quick breakfast that could not be more Turkish.
3. Döner kebab
Not the döner you may know from fast-food chains back home, but the real Turkish döner: beef or chicken slow-roasted on a vertical spit, shaved into thin slices and served in bread (ekmek arası) or on a plate (porsiyon). Some of the best are in neighbourhoods such as Karaköy and Beşiktaş.
4. Kumpir (stuffed baked potato)
A giant baked potato, its fluffy inside mixed with butter and cheese, then loaded with whatever toppings you choose: sweetcorn, olives, Russian salad, sliced sausage, chilli sauce… The place to have one is Ortaköy, next to the mosque and looking out over the Bosphorus.
5. Kokoreç
The boldest dish on this list: spiced lamb intestines, grilled on a horizontal spit, then chopped into small pieces and packed into half a crusty loaf. It sounds like a gamble, but it is addictive. Try it with an open mind.
6. Midye dolma (stuffed mussels)
Mussels stuffed with spiced rice, pine nuts, cinnamon and pepper. Vendors carry them on large trays and open them in front of you, finishing each one with a squeeze of lemon. Locals use the loose half of the shell as a spoon and eat them one after another.
7. Lahmacun
The "Turkish pizza": a thin, crisp round of dough topped with minced meat, tomato, pepper and parsley. You roll it up with fresh salad, extra parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Quick, cheap and delicious.
8. Tantuni
Originally from Mersin, on Türkiye's south coast, tantuni is very finely chopped beef stir-fried quickly with spices in a sac, a wide steel pan. It comes wrapped in a dürüm (thin flatbread) or stuffed into ekmek (bread). Spicy and full of flavour.
9. Mısır (grilled corn on the cob)
Corn sellers are on every corner in Istanbul, especially near the water. A cob fresh off the coals, hot and slightly smoky, is the perfect snack for a stroll along the Bosphorus.
10. Dondurma (Turkish ice cream)
The Turkish ice cream of Kahramanmaraş, in south-eastern Türkiye, is famous for its stretchy, chewy texture. The key ingredient is salep, a flour made from the tubers of wild orchids. The vendors turn serving you into a show, teasing you with the cone before they finally let you have it. Pistachio is the favourite flavour.
Where to eat street food in Istanbul
- Eminönü / Galata Bridge: balık ekmek, stuffed mussels, corn on the cob.
- Ortaköy: kumpir by the Bosphorus.
- Taksim / İstiklal Avenue: döner, kokoreç, dondurma.
- Karaköy: lahmacun, tantuni and cult-favourite döner.
- Kadıköy: on the Asian side, stalls of every kind in and around the market.
If you would rather not work it out on your own, the Istanbul food tour with an English-speaking guide takes in Eminönü, Karaköy and the Kadıköy market in a single day.