Istanbul has always been known to have a vibrant food scene. There are so many food options at every corner, but there are also a lot of “tourist traps” around. To help you discover the best food Istanbul has to offer, we have put together a bucket list of must-try food places, featuring everything from kebabs to baklavas, and local street food to fine-dining establishments.
Planning a trip to Istanbul? Check these out too:
What to Eat in Istanbul: Your Foodie Bucket List
- Baklava Ice Cream Sandwich at Hafiz Mustafa
- Turkish Coffee at Mandabatmaz
- Turkish Breakfast & Bazlama Bread at Yigit Sofram
- Turkish Mezze at Ciya Sofrasi
- Balik Ekmek (Mackerel Sandwich/Wrap) at Meshur Balikci Eyyup
- Stuffed Mussels at Midyeci Ahmet
- Turkish Breakfast at Van Kahvalti Evi
- San Sebastian Cheesecake at Viyana Kahvesi Galata
- Horizontal Kebab at Sehzade Cag Kebap
- The Original Turkish Kofte at Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi
- Tantuni Wrap at Kadikoy Tantuni
- Baklava at Karaköy Güllüoğlu
- Rooftop Dining at Seven Hills Restaurant
- Fine Dining at Mikla Restaurant
- Pistachio Irmik Helva at Haci Serif
- Sahlep at Galleria Vita Vien
- Wet Burger (Islak Hamburger) at Kizilkayalar
Baklava Ice Cream Sandwich at Hafiz Mustafa
Ahead of our trip, we have heard raving reviews for Hafiz Mustafa where some may even say it’s the best dessert place ever. With shops dotted all across the city, there’s always at least a shop nearby. The menu is extensive, and we’re most impressed with the Baklava Ice Cream Sandwich. We’ve heard plenty of praise for the Caramel Milk Cake, which we thought was okay, but certainly not the best milk cake that people are claiming to be. The Kunefe was decent and made a nice sweet treat too. All in all, it’s a fantastic dessert spot to check out in Istanbul and definitely a convenient one to pop by any time.
Turkish Coffee at Mandabatmaz
A visit to Turkey has to, of course, include at least a cup of Turkish coffee! For the best place for Turkish coffee, a visit to Mandabatmaz is a must. The name Mandabatmaz roughly translates as “so thick even a water buffalo wouldn’t sink in”. Yes, their coffee is super thick, but it is also impressively smooth to taste. At first glance, we could’ve been fooled if someone said to us it’s hot chocolate. They claim that the secret lies in the gentle flick and swirl of the wrist to create that unrivalled coffee texture. Without a doubt, it’s rich in flavour but doesn’t leave any harsh or bitter aftertaste.
Location: Istiklal Street
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Turkish Breakfast & Bazlama Bread at Yigit Sofram
Looking for a hearty breakfast spot? Definitely go check out Yigit Sofram in Beyoğlu, as it’s undoubtedly the best breakfast I had during our 10-day trip in Istanbul. Go hungry, as they offer you a nice spread of food. Whatever you order, it comes with small dishes of olives, fresh tomatoes, cheese, Bazlama bread, jam, and Turkish tea. The homemade Bazlama bread, in particular, was excellent, and I thoroughly enjoyed my eggs with sujuk as well.
Location: Beyoğlu
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Turkish Mezze at Ciya Sofrasi
Ciya Sofrasi is a popular home-style Anatolian Turkish restaurant in Kadikoy. For a taste of traditional Turkish cuisine, it’s the place to be. The restaurant focuses on preserving nearly forgotten traditional recipes and features seasonal, regional speciality dishes.
Location: Kadikoy
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Balik Ekmek (Mackerel Sandwich/Wrap) at Meshur Balikci Eyyup
Here’s the interesting thing we discovered about the food scene in Istanbul – the traditional Turkish meat grills are rather mediocre all around, but somehow, fish options are better! Balik Ekmek, i.e. mackerel sandwich, is a very popular street food item in Istanbul. We haven’t tried many stalls, but we’ve enjoyed our Mackerel Wrap from this little stall by the Karakoy pier, Meshur Balikci Eyyup. Instead of the traditional sandwich bread, it comes in the form of a wrap, and we particularly enjoyed the sprinkle of seasoning on the wrap itself to add another layer of flavour.
Location: Karakoy
Stuffed Mussels at Midyeci Ahmet
Another popular street food in Istanbul is stuffed mussels. You will find plenty of shops all across the city, with massive pans of mussels of different flavours. Typically, you can get either regular or spicy flavour, while some shops may offer more flavour options. We’ve tried a few around town, and they’re more or less quite similar, but Midyeci Ahmet is quite a well-known one. With a big squeeze of fresh lemon, the flavours really popped and were refreshing to taste. We visited the branch at the Karakoy pier, and they also have shops in Besiktas and Çengelköy.
Turkish Breakfast at Van Kahvalti Evi
Another highly recommended Turkish breakfast spot is Van Kahvalti Evi in Beyoğlu. Their traditional Turkish breakfast spread includes fresh cheese, tomato, cucumber, and their homemade sweet bread. I’ve opted for their sujuk menemen and they’ve kindly offered me to try their sweet bread as well – both I’ve enjoyed thoroughly.
Location: Beyoğlu
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San Sebastian Cheesecake at Viyana Kahvesi Galata
This is the viral San Sebastian Cheesecake in Istanbul. Viyana Kahvesi took social media by storm with its drool-worthy cheesecake slices topped with rich chocolate sauce. Order it with the hot chocolate ganache as well
Location: Galata
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Horizontal Kebab at Sehzade Cag Kebap
You’ve seen vertical kebab everywhere, but have you tried a horizontal kebab? Sehzade Cag Kebap is renowned for its Erzurum-style horizontal lamb kebab. Cooking the meat on a horizontal spit allows the fat to drip down onto the layers below, keeping the meat juicy to taste. It also imparts a smoky flavour throughout, giving an extra edge of flavour that makes the place so popular amongst locals.
Location: Fatih
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The Original Turkish Kofte at Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi
Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi is a long-standing Turkish kofte restaurant in Istanbul since 1920 and is one of the most historic eateries in the city. Their menu is very simple and only offers two main dish options – their famous kofte or the lamb shish. Located in Sultanahmet near major sights, this is the spot to go after sightseeing and avoid the tourist traps in the area.
Location: Sultanahmet
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Tantuni Wrap at Kadikoy Tantuni
Instead of typical kebab wraps, a Tantuni Wrap uses thin lavash flatbread and is filled with pan-fried cubed beef or lamb. It’s a traditional street food originating from the Mersin region, and the best place to try it in Istanbul is at Kadikoy Tantuni.
Location: Kadikoy
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Baklava at Karaköy Güllüoğlu
There are no shortages of baklava shops in Istanbul, but the best spot in town ought to be Karaköy Güllüoğlu. The baklava emporium has been feeding Istanbul’s sweet tooth since 1949 and still keeps its original production operation today. It’s a bit of a canteen-style in there, with different stations of various treats (baklavas, ice cream, drinks, etc.). You simply go get what you want from each station, gather them all on a tray and pay at the till before sitting down. The baklava was so unbelievably crispy and oozed syrupy sweetness at every bite. For the baklava ice cream sandwich, I find it a little bit too sweet and think Hafiz Mustafa’s was better overall. But for the baklava alone, Karaköy Güllüoğlu has definitely nailed it.
Location: Karakoy
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Rooftop Dining at Seven Hills Restaurant
Seven Hills Restaurant has to be one of the most popular Instagram spots in Istanbul, all thanks to its rooftop dining area overlooking the historical Sultanahmet area. Whether it’s for a leisure breakfast or a romantic dinner, it’s definitely a photo-worthy spot to pop by.
Location: Sultanahmet
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Fine Dining at Mikla Restaurant
Making it to the top 50 of the World’s Best Restaurants, you are going in for an absolute treat at Mikla Restaurant. Perched at the top of the Marmara Pera Hotel, Mikla offers an exquisite rooftop fine dining experience. Each table faces the panoramic views of the city, with impeccable service and perfectly executed food. We had the 3-course menu, which also came with a range of small tasting dishes that stole the show. Interestingly, the actual 3-course wasn’t as outstanding as those small tasting dishes, but overall, it’s good food.
Location: Beyoğlu
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Pistachio Irmik Helva at Haci Serif
Haci Serif is one of the more famous brands for Turkish confectionery. In particular, it’s most renowned for its Irmik Helva, i.e. semolina halwa, with ice cream. Seatings are very limited, but it’s a lovely sweet treat to grab on the go.
Sahlep at Galleria Vita Vien
If you’re travelling to Istanbul in the winter, you must try out Sahlep, a thick and warming milky drink made from the powdered tubers of wild orchids. We found them widely sold at cafes and shops during winter, but some places do it a little bit better than others. One consistently good place is Vita Vien, a cafe with multiple branches across the city.
Locatoin: Various
Instagram: vitavienistanbul / galleriavitavien
Wet Burger (Islak Hamburger) at Kizilkayalar
Yes, you read that right – a wet burger. This isn’t your ordinary burger spot. Kizilkayalar became a popular street food spot in Taksim Square for its wet burger, i.e. burgers drenched in a special garlic tomato sauce and steamed.
Location: Taksim
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