Be ready to discover the Istanbul food culture! While the Turkish Cuisine is significantly rich, we listed the food that you need to taste before you leave the city. You can see some of the Istanbul food names below and easily decide where to eat in Istanbul.
Traditional Turkish Breakfast
If you would like to know more about Turkish culture, you can start with the traditional Turkish breakfast which will be an unforgettable meal in your life. You can prefer to have breakfast in the districts which are located in the Bosphorus. There are some of the food which are included in the traditional Turkish breakfast below:
- Turkish Tea
- Menemen or Boiled Eggs
- Sucuk
- Borek
- White Cheese
- Olives
- Butter
- Honey
- Omelet
- Cream
- Jams
- Old Cheese
- Cucumbers and tomatoes
Iskender Kebab
Iskender Kebab is one of the unique traditional food in Turkey. While the Bursa Province of Turkey is famous for the Iskender Kebab, you will be able to taste Iskender Kebab in almost every district in Istanbul. You can directly check the restaurants online which are near to your location.
Doner & Durum & Pide
Turkish Cuisine is also famous for Doner all over the world. You will be able to find many different Doner restaurants in the popular districts in Istanbul. In some of the restaurants, you will be able to order Durum or Pide at the same time. If you would like to try various tastes, you can prefer to eat in the famous restaurants in Istanbul.
Best of Turkish Cuisine: Lahmacun
If you would like to learn more about Turkish cuisine, you shouldn’t leave the city before you taste Lahmacun in Istanbul. You can put tomatoes, onions, and vegetables in the Lahmacun. There are many famous restaurants that you will be able to find on both continents of Istanbul.
Manti
Manti will be one of the most unique tastes that you will be able to taste in Istanbul. If you would like to taste Manti, you can prefer restaurants that are located in the Besiktas, Beyoglu, or Kadikoy districts of Istanbul.
Turkish Yogurt
While you will be able to try yogurt with some food like Manti and Iskender Kebab, you can also prefer to taste Turkish yogurt with other meals at the same time. You can prefer to order yogurt at the traditional restaurants or you can directly buy it in the traditional and known stores of Istanbul.
Balik Ekmek (Fish Sandwich)
The Fish Sandwich is also popular food in Istanbul. Usually, people prefer to eat Fish Sandwich in the Eminonu district of Istanbul which is famous for Fish sandwiches.
Midye Dolma (Stuffed Mussels)
While you will be able to order in the seafood restaurants, Stuffed Mussels are the street food in Istanbul at the same time. You will be able to taste the stuffed mussel in the popular streets of Istanbul. You can taste the stuffed mussels in Besiktas or Taksim.
Kokorec
Kokorec is also a street food in Istanbul that people prefer to eat in the evening or at night. You can directly find places where you can eat Kokorec in the Taksim and Besiktas districts of Istanbul.
Yaprak Sarma
If you prefer to have dinner at a famous restaurant, you can order Yaprak Sarma to taste during your meal. There is no special place for Yaprak Sarma but you will be able to do it in various restaurants in Istanbul.
Turkish Desserts
After you finish your dinner or breakfast, don’t forget to order a traditional Turkish dessert! All Turkish desserts are more delicious than each other. You can find some of them below:
- Firin Sutlac (Baked Rice Pudding)
- Kunefe
- Baklava
- Tulumba Tatlisi
- Turkish Cotton Candy
- Ice-Cream
- Tavuk Gogsu (Turkish Chicken Breast Pudding)
- Turkish Delight
Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is one of the most common traditions in Turkey. You can see many people at cafes and restaurants who drink Turkish coffee in the afternoon or the evening. You can prefer to taste Turkish coffee with sugar or without sugar as well.
Ayran
You can drink ayran with almost all the traditional food in Istanbul. Usually, people prefer to drink ayran when they eat Iskender Kebab, Lahmacun, Durum, Pide, Cigkofte, Balik Ekmek and Kokorec.
See More: What to eat in Istanbul
