Knowing what to eat in Istanbul is half the pleasure of a trip. Turkish cuisine is the heir of Ottoman palace cooking, shaped by the produce of very different regions, and it has both influenced and borrowed from the kitchens of the Balkans and the Middle East. In Istanbul you can taste dishes from every corner of the country in a single day.
Below are fifteen classic dishes to look for, from breakfast to coffee. Alongside restaurant food, the city also has a rich tradition of Istanbul street food, from simit and fish sandwiches to kokoreç and baked potatoes.
Breakfast and light dishes
1. Menemen
Eggs gently scrambled with tomatoes, green peppers and olive oil, served in the pan it was cooked in with fresh bread to mop it up. It is a breakfast favourite, but Istanbul people happily eat it at any time of day. Whether to add onion is a long-running national debate.
2. Su böreği
A breakfast classic. Thin sheets of dough are briefly boiled, layered with crumbled white cheese and butter, then baked until golden on top and soft inside. Look for it in börek shops in the morning, served with a glass of tea.
Meat dishes and kebabs
3. Köfte
Grilled meatballs of minced meat, onion and spices, usually eaten with piyaz (white bean salad), fresh salad and a glass of ayran. In the old city, try the famous Sultanahmet köftesi, served in the area since the early twentieth century.
4. Kebab
Kebab is a whole family of dishes rather than one. Adana kebab is hand-minced meat, traditionally chopped with a wide knife, pressed onto a flat skewer and grilled over charcoal; Urfa kebab is the milder version. Şiş kebab is cubes of marinated meat on a skewer.
5. Döner
Thin slices of marinated meat are stacked on a large vertical spit and roasted slowly in front of the heat, then shaved off as they cook. Eat it on a plate, in bread or wrapped in lavaş as a dürüm.
6. İskender kebab
Originally from Bursa, İskender is döner served on cubes of pide bread, covered with tomato sauce and sizzling melted butter, with yoghurt on the side. It is rich, so come hungry.
7. Kuzu tandır
Lamb marinated with onions and spices and slow-roasted for hours until it falls off the bone. Traditionally it was cooked in a pit oven (tandır); today many restaurants use stone ovens.
8. İçli köfte
A shell of fine bulgur wheat filled with minced meat, onion, walnuts and spices, then fried until crisp. Shaping them well takes skill, and they are a favourite at family gatherings and meze tables.
Pide, lahmacun and mantı
9. Lahmacun
A very thin, crisp flatbread spread with minced meat, tomato, peppers and herbs and baked in a stone oven. Squeeze lemon over it, add parsley and onion, roll it up and eat it with your hands.
10. Pide
Often called Black Sea pide because of where it is most famous. It looks a little like lahmacun, but the dough is thicker and softer and shaped like a boat. Try the mixed version with cheese and minced meat.
11. Mantı
Tiny dumplings filled with minced meat, grated onion and spices, topped with garlic yoghurt and a drizzle of butter with red pepper and dried mint. A plate of mantı is pure comfort food.
Mezes and olive oil dishes
12. Yaprak sarma
Vine leaves wrapped tightly around a filling. The olive oil version (zeytinyağlı) is filled with rice, pine nuts, currants and herbs and served cold; the meat version is served warm, often with yoghurt.
13. Turkish mezes
A meze table is how many evenings begin, especially with rakı or wine. Look for spicy ezme, haydari (thick yoghurt with herbs), walnut and red pepper muhammara, Circassian chicken, babagannuş (smoky aubergine), fava bean purée, çiğ köfte and sea beans with olive oil.
The most popular Turkish dishes guide covers more regional specialities.
Desserts and Turkish coffee
14. Baklava
When people think of Turkish desserts, baklava comes first. Dozens of paper-thin sheets of hand-rolled dough are layered with pistachios or walnuts and butter, baked until crisp, then soaked in syrup. Pistachio baklava from Gaziantep is the most prized. For more sweets, see our guide to Turkish desserts.
15. Turkish coffee
Finely ground coffee is boiled slowly with water (and sugar if you like) in a small pot called a cezve, and served unfiltered with a glass of water and often a piece of Turkish delight. Turkish coffee culture is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Let the grounds settle before you sip.
Where to try these dishes
Many of these dishes are best in small, specialised places: a köfte shop, a börek bakery, a kebab grill or a meyhane for mezes. Our guide on where to eat in Istanbul helps you choose by neighbourhood. If you would like a local to take you to the right places, join the Istanbul food tour; or enjoy a Turkish dinner with a view on a private dinner cruise on the Bosphorus.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous food in Istanbul?
Kebabs, döner, köfte, lahmacun and baklava are among the best known. In the old city, Sultanahmet köfte is a local classic.
What is a typical Turkish breakfast in Istanbul?
A typical breakfast includes cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs or menemen, bread, honey and jam, with plenty of tea. Börek such as su böreği is also popular in the morning.
Is there vegetarian food in Istanbul?
Yes. Olive oil dishes, stuffed vine leaves with rice, mezes, lentil soup, cheese pide and börek are all widely available vegetarian options.
What is the difference between pide and lahmacun?
Lahmacun is a very thin, crisp flatbread with a minced meat topping that you roll up and eat. Pide has a thicker, softer, boat-shaped dough and comes with toppings such as cheese, meat or egg.
Dinner on the Bosphorus
Enjoy Turkish mezes and a chef's dinner on a private yacht, with the palaces and bridges lit up around you.