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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 06 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Turkish cuisine is one of the world’s finest, and Istanbul has always been the best place to eat it. Today it’s the epicentre of the slow-food-style New Anatolian Kitchen movement, led by celebrity chef Mehmet Gurs – discovering, reviving and riffing off thousands of nearly-forgotten dishes and ingredients from across Turkey.

Dishes are fresh and unfussy, served with the local olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes. Expect plenty of seafood, especially golden fried anchovies, and cured hams and lamb dishes.

Turkish food is ideal for vegetarians, with many of the meze dishes (cold and hot starters) based around yoghurt, aubergine and vegetables, with lots of fresh herbs, including mint, dill and parsley. The traditional accompaniment to a meal is raki, an aniseed-flavoured drink, rather like ouzo, which should be mixed with water and ice.

What to try

Look out for local specialties: kebabs, ciq kofte (spicy bulgur patties), balik ekmek (mackerel sandwiches), lahmacun (flatbread with minced lamb), and – for the brave – kokorec (spicy lamb offal in intestines). Sweets and pastries are traditional, from pistachio-stuffed baklava to hot syrup-doused lokma (doughnut balls) and pogaca (savoury layered pastries).

Also try freshly made cherry or pomegranate juice, and salep – a hot, creamy drink made from orchids and available all over town.

Also see our round-up of traditional Turkish foods you must try in Turkey.

The dining scene

Istanbul dining ranges from internationally famous restaurants to meyhanes (traditional bar-restaurants with live music) and simple lokantas (‘tradesmen’s restaurants’ serving simple home-cooked food).

It’s also a street-food capital: street vendors sell delicious snacks such as sesame rolls, lamb pizza, roasted corn and meatballs. Street food tours are highly recommended here, but you can simply wander through the markets and bazaars sampling as you go.

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Price from: £5
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: +
When: All year around
Duration: -

Getting there & doing it

You can eat like a sultan anywhere in Istanbul, especially in Beyoglu: rooftop restaurants, bars and clubs overlooking the city are all the rage. Try the open-air seafood places in the Bosphorus villages – but avoid the rip-off Galata Bridge restaurants.

Beyoglu is also the centre for bars and nightlife, especially around Nevizade Sokak and Asmalimescit Sokak (or simply ‘Asmali’). Or join the elite in the glamorous nightclubs along the Bosphorus in exclusive Kurucesme.

When to do it

Chic society dines quite late in Istanbul especially in the summer, heading to a restaurant at 10pm and even later to a meyhane (tavern), especially if you intend on going clubbing. On Sundays, many families gather at 5pm or 6pm for a big meal, usually seafood.

Aerial view down onto a table full of Turkish meze plates
Experience

Ciya Sofrasi

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey

Chef Musa Dagdeviren’s temple of traditional Anatolian cuisine in Kadikoy is a must – he has been collecting recipes for over 25 years, and the daily-changing menu offers the chance to try dishes from all over Turkey.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Grand Bazaar

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey

The oldest, biggest market in the world that glitters like an Aladdin’s cave. Over 5,000 shops on 66 covered streets.

Best for ages: 8+ | Free

View down a covered market with tourists and locals shopping at stalls
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Kadikoy Market

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey

Located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, Kadikoy Market is Istanbul’s foodie central, a gastro-riot of local produce including seafood, fruit and vegetable stalls, herbs, spices and cheeses.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

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Istanbul Culinary Tour: Local Tavern and Gourmet Street Foods

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey

Dating back to the 1860s, this was the last palace to be built in Istanbul for the Ottoman royals – it’s now an opulent 5-star hotel and celeb favourite, set away from the cacophony of central Istanbul.

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Four Seasons Istanbul Sultanahmet

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey

Superbly staffed, relaxing oasis in an unbeatable location – the luxury choice in central Sultanahmet.

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Hotel Bankerhan

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey

A cool, art-filled boutique hotel near the heart of modern Istanbul’s most fashionable shopping and nightlife district. 

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Georges Hotel Galata

Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey

In the heart of Istanbul’s hip Beyoglu district, this boutique hotel combines understated luxury with a glam rooftop restaurant. One of the best hotels in town for a romantic city break. 

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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Istanbul

Marmara Region, Turkey

Exotic, inexhaustible and dynamic – East meets West head-on in this mesmerising city metropolis, famed for its extraordinarily rich history, superb food and shopping, and mind-blowingly magnificent, over-sized mosques.

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