Istanbul feeds its 15 million residents and millions of visitors through a food culture of extraordinary variety and depth. From the humblest simit cart to a Bosphorus fish restaurant, eating well in Istanbul requires only knowing where to look and what to order.
The city’s culinary geography divides roughly between the historic European side (Ottoman and traditional), the modern Beyoğlu (meyhane taverna culture) and the Asian side’s Kadıköy (markets, bohemian cafés, excellent street food).
- Best food areas
- Kapalıçarşı, Kadıköy, Beyoğlu
- Must-try
- Simit, balık-ekmek, mezze
- Best market
- Kadıköy Çarşı
- Budget meal
- ₺80–150 for börek + çay
Istanbul street food — the classics
Simit— the sesame-crusted bread ring — is Istanbul’s most iconic street food, sold from carts everywhere for breakfast or a snack. The best are freshly baked and still warm; eat with ayran (yoghurt drink) or çay.
Balık-ekmek(fish sandwich) from the bobbing boats at Eminönü is an Istanbul ritual — grilled mackerel, onion and parsley in fresh bread on the water’s edge. Midye dolma (stuffed mussels with rice) are sold by street vendors in Karaköy and Kadıköy.
Börek in all forms — flaky pastry filled with spinach and cheese, or minced meat — is sold from neighbourhood bakeries and börekçi shops all day.
Food markets and bazaars
The Mısır Çarşısı (Spice Bazaar/Egyptian Bazaar) in Eminönü is the most atmospheric food market in Istanbul — stalls piled with Turkish spices, dried fruits, nuts, cheeses and Turkish delight under a 17th-century vaulted ceiling.
On the Asian side, the Kadıköy Çarşı(market quarter) is the city’s best produce market — fishmongers, cheese shops, fresh bread, pickles and the most vivid street food street in Istanbul (Güneşlibahçe Sokak).
Meyhane — the Ottoman taverna
The meyhaneis Istanbul’s great social institution — a traditional taverna where raki (anise spirit) is drunk with endless rounds of cold and hot mezze. The ritual is slow, communal and delicious: start with white cheese, melon and tarama; move through hot fried mussels, calamari and arnavut ciğeri (Albanian-style liver); finish with grilled fish or lamb.
The best meyhane streets are in Asmalımescit (Beyoğlu) and Çiçek Pasajı. On the Asian side, Kadıköy and Moda have excellent options.
Sweets and desserts
Istanbul’s dessert culture draws from Ottoman palace kitchens and centuries of pastry tradition. Baklava (best from specialist shops, not restaurants), künefe (hot cheese pastry with syrup, best in Karaköy), kazandibi (caramelised milk pudding) and the extraordinary range of milk-based desserts at specialist muhallebici shops are all essential.
Turkish coffee (türk kahvesi) — thick, unfiltered, served with water and lokum — is best drunk in traditional coffeehouses in the old city or on the Asian side.
Istanbul food culture
Frequently asked questions
Istanbul Food
3Don't miss: simit (sesame bread rings) for breakfast, balık-ekmek fish sandwiches at Eminönü, mezze with raki at a meyhane, and a full Turkish breakfast spread on a weekend morning.
Kadıköy (Asian side) for markets and street food, Beyoğlu/Asmalımescit for meyhane culture, and the Spice Bazaar area for traditional Turkish grocery shopping.
A proper Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) includes bread, white cheese (beyaz peynir), olives, tomatoes, cucumber, honey, clotted cream (kaymak), eggs and many small dishes. Weekend brunch spots in Kadıköy and Bebek are excellent.