Istanbul is one of the world's great food cities. From street food stalls beside the Bosphorus to Michelin-starred restaurants, it offers a culinary experience for every palate and every budget.
Dishes you have to try in Istanbul
- İskender kebab: thin slices of lamb on pide bread, with tomato sauce, yoghurt and melted butter. The king of kebabs.
- Balık ekmek: the iconic fish sandwich sold from the boats at Eminönü. Cheap and delicious.
- Lahmacun: the "Turkish pizza": a thin, crisp base topped with minced meat, tomato and parsley, finished with lemon.
- Mantı: Turkish dumplings filled with meat, served with yoghurt and a paprika butter sauce. A dish with centuries of history.
- Pide: Türkiye's answer to pizza, boat-shaped and filled with cheese, meat or egg.
The best restaurants by area
Sultanahmet and around
Matbah: authentic Ottoman cooking right in the historic centre. Recipes from the sultans' kitchens with modern ingredients.
Karaköy / Beyoğlu
Karaköy Lokantası: home-style Turkish cooking in an industrial-chic setting; the lunch menu is a bargain. Neolokal: contemporary Turkish cuisine with views over the Golden Horn from SALT Galata.
Kadıköy (Asian side)
Çiya Sofrası: the restaurant Anthony Bourdain put on the world map. Age-old Anatolian recipes you won't find anywhere else. Not to be missed.
Beşiktaş / the Bosphorus
The meyhanes (rakı taverns) of Beşiktaş are Istanbul's most authentic food experience: meze after meze, rakı and conversation into the small hours.
Street food you must try
Istanbul is a world capital of street food: simit (sesame bread rings), kumpir (giant stuffed baked potatoes in Ortaköy), midye dolma (mussels stuffed with spiced rice), kokoreç (grilled lamb intestines), döner and tantuni.
Unique food experiences
I recommend a food tour through the markets and hidden eateries only locals know. It takes in the Spice Bazaar, baklava and lokum workshops and more than a dozen tastings, from simit to meze.
What to Eat in Istanbul: A Food Guide
Istanbul is a food lover's paradise that goes far beyond kebabs and baklava. The city's cooking reflects centuries of influences from across the old Ottoman Empire: palace recipes, street food, Black Sea traditions and Greek, Armenian and Arab touches.
Dishes You Can't Miss
- Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı): a table with 15–25 small plates: tomato, cucumber, olives, cheeses (beyaz peynir, kaşar), honey with kaymak (clotted cream), homemade jams, menemen (eggs scrambled with tomato and pepper), sucuk (spicy sausage), simit and endless çay. A true cultural institution.
- Balık ekmek: a grilled fish sandwich served from the boats at Eminönü. Simple, cheap (around €3–5 at the time of writing, 2026) and delicious. Pair it with a glass of tangy turnip juice (şalgam suyu).
- Lahmacun: an ultra-thin base with spiced minced meat, parsley and lemon — the "Turkish pizza". You roll it up and eat it with your hands. A perfect lahmacun is crisp and juicy at the same time.
- Pide: boat-shaped bread with various fillings: cheese, minced meat, egg. The Trabzon version (karadeniz pidesi) has a closed crust and is spectacular.
- Meze: cold starters for sharing: hummus, baba ganoush, stuffed vine leaves (sarma), ezme (spicy tomato relish), haydari (yoghurt with herbs) and çiğ köfte (spiced bulgur patties).
- Baklava: pistachio baklava from Gaziantep is the king. Layers of filo pastry, clarified butter and sugar syrup. Istanbul's best: Karaköy Güllüoğlu and Hafız Mustafa.
- Turkish coffee: ground as fine as powder and brewed in a copper cezve. Served with a piece of lokum (Turkish delight) and a glass of water. It's on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Where to Eat in Istanbul
Avoid the restaurants right next to the big monuments (poor value for money). The best areas to eat like a local: Kadıköy (the fish market and Güneşlibahçe Street), Balat (characterful cafés), Karaköy (modern places) and Beyoğlu (meyhanes on Nevizade Sokak). Ask me and I'll put together a personalised food route for you.