Istanbul Street Food Guide

Must-try culinary specialties in Istanbul: The best addresses for gourmet explorers!

When I travel, exploring the culinary heritage and diversity of local recipes is an integral part of my experience. During my 3-day stay in Istanbul , I had the chance to participate in a guided culinary excursion, revealing the richness of Turkish specialties, especially those of Istanbul. In this article, I want to share my taste discoveries. If we are familiar with kebab and baklava, Turkey is full of many other delights to taste.

For your next trip to Turkey, don't forget to stock up on good street food addresses in Istanbul !

This cuisine is known to be one of the richest in the world . And I can only confirm it! If you follow our tips, you will never eat the same thing twice during your stay in Istanbul. Imagine: simple, effective and above all incredibly delicious flavors await you on every street corner!

Between European and Asian influences, and the nuances of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, you will be amazed by the diversity of Turkish dishes . Don't hesitate to order food from the street corner stand like the locals! We often make the best discoveries in these places that don't pay much attention.

Always follow the locals and definitely don't stop at a restaurant with a tout at the entrance...

Lacking energy between two visits? How about nibbling on a Turkish specialty on the go between visiting Hagia Sophia and a cruise on the Bosphorus? Opt for a comforting treat that will satisfy your taste buds!

Specialties on the go in Istanbul:

Gözleme

Let's start with my favorite! These savory crepes are hand-filled and cooked on a hot dome. The very thin dough is usually filled with a mixture of potatoes, mushrooms, minced meat, spinach or cheese. Once folded in 4, they have a rectangular shape and are grilled on a hot dome-shaped plate. These crepes are prepared by women, as a breakfast in the Turkish tradition. But I loved eating them at all hours of the day.

Midye Dolma

The translation of Midye Dolma is “stuffed mussels”. Generally, you find these large mussels stuffed with rice seasoned with garlic, cinnamon, or even peppers and other chilies. You eat them individually, you pay according to the number of empty shells. They are served with lemon to season them or not according to your desires.

Simit

You will see them everywhere in small trailers around the Hagia Sophia. Simit is the Turkish pretzel. This soft round bread is covered with sesame seeds. Simit is really cheap and some people eat it with tea or with a slice of ham or cheese. I tasted one in one of the red carts, it was rather dry and I think you can find much better in the bakeries of the city. But the atmosphere of these carts carried me away.

The most eaten sandwiches in Istanbul:

Balik Ekmek

The most typical sandwich in the city! You have to go and taste it at the water's edge near the Galata Köprüsü bridge. This grilled fish sandwich is one of the most popular specialties of Istanbulites. On the riverbank, you will see boats equipped with large barbecues on which men grill the fish.

Doner kebab and dürüm

This is the most eaten specialty in terms of street food in Istanbul. And if you thought you were going to eat a kebab like in France, in a bun, well, you're wrong. In Turkey, the döner kebab is a meat skewer. The meat is cooked like at home on a spit. If you are at a restaurant, opt for a simple filling: tomatoes, onions, and marinated cucumbers. The dürüm is the wrap version, which generally contains cheese in addition. A delight to taste and share without hunger.

Kokoreç

Sensitive souls beware... Kokoreç is an offal sandwich. We warned you! More precisely, the bread is stuffed with grilled and seasoned sheep intestines. Often served as a sandwich with tomatoes and peppers. The taste is not strong at all and I can tell you that I loved this culinary specialty.

Pizzas Revisited the Turkish Way: Why Are Turks Trying to Compete with the Italians?

In terms of variety of culinary specialties, Turkey has nothing to envy them...

Pide

It really does look like pizza. The dough, at least, is very similar. Pide is boat-shaped. The ends are pointed and the middle is wider. You can find many with minced meat but there are vegetarian versions with grilled vegetables.

Lahmacun

Lahmacun, which literally means “meat with dough,” is a very old dish from Levantine cuisine consisting of bread filled with minced meat. We really enjoy these super simple street food dishes. To do like the locals, fill your lahmacun with parsley, pour lemon juice, then roll it up like a wrap. Istanbul-style hearty dishes Now that I’ve introduced you to the specialties to nibble on the go, let’s move on to the more traditional and hearty dishes.

Kumpir

This specialty is actually a baked and stuffed potato. There are countless combinations for the filling. This hot potato is a legendary street food dish in Istanbul. The Ortaköy district is the most popular area to taste kumpir.

Also read on the Istanbul guide:

An unforgettable weekend in Istanbul in 3 days

Borek

After Turkish pizza with pide, I present to you Turkish lasagna. Börek is a kind of phyllo dough mille-feuille, a local specialty to try in Istanbul. There are many recipes to fill böreks and they are served all day long, even for breakfast.

It is impossible to talk about Istanbul cuisine without paying tribute to its sweet delights!

Lokma

Lokmas are small fried doughnuts. Historically, they were ordered by the family at a funeral, to be enjoyed as a snack after mass. In Istanbul, you can find lokmas at street vendors or in tea shops, to be enjoyed hot or cold.

Baklava

This oriental sweet is prepared in Turkey with pistachios or hazelnuts. This rather sweet dessert is recognizable by its diamond shape. You will find beautiful stalls at the Grand Bazaar or the Egyptian Bazaar. It is everyone's favorite little treat along with Turkish delight.

Turkish Delight

Turkish delight is more of a candy than a dessert... But it's so good! They come in thousands of flavors. The texture of this little cube is both soft and elastic. They are cut and then rolled in icing sugar. Don't start, it's completely addictive.

The 3 typical drinks of Istanbul:

There

Tea, locally called "çay", is an integral part of everyday life in Istanbul! It is the local drink par excellence. This black tea is an integral part of the lives of the Turks. They drink it all the time. The merchants of the Grand Bazaar always have a cup in hand. Take the time to drink a cup or two on the terrace, in addition to being pleasant it costs nothing.

Coffee

Although you might think that this coffee is nothing special, it is not. Real Turkish coffee is prepared in a special way. Drink it like a real Turk, without milk and piping hot.

How do you make real Turkish coffee?

Start by pouring water into the cezve (a copper cup with a long wooden handle). Add sugar to taste and stir to dissolve. Heat until boiling, then remove the cezve from the heat. Then add a teaspoon of coffee per person, stir again, serve hot.

Tursu

Tursu is very common in Turkish cuisine. These are vegetables marinated in vinegar. On the river bank, they sell tursu suyu with Balik Ekmek, in plastic cups. The neon pink color attracted us and all the locals were drinking it. We obviously tried it, but it is so vinegary that we couldn't drink it.

This pickled gherkin juice is a drink that people consume in Turkey regardless of the time, it has a sour and salty taste, and gives energy while being healthy.

Ayran

Ayran is a kind of salty liquid yogurt served in a glass. It's super tasty and softens the palate when you eat too spicy food.

Discover the culinary richness of Istanbul: an unforgettable taste adventure!

As you can see, this trip to Istanbul was much more than just an exploration of the city ; it was an immersion into its culinary soul . Over the course of these three days spent in this metropolis of a thousand flavors, I discovered the very essence of Turkish cuisine through an unforgettable guided culinary experience. Through this article, I tried to capture and share with you the wonderful taste discoveries of Istanbul.

While kebab and baklava are staples, I was amazed by the diversity and depth of Istanbul’s culinary specialties. Whether you’re a seasoned foodie or simply looking for new taste experiences, I encourage you to dive into this gourmet universe that is sure to amaze you.