Knowing where to eat in Istanbul makes a real difference to a trip. Some dishes taste best in the places that have specialised in them for generations, from stone-baked lahmacun in Kadikoy to bean stew beside the Suleymaniye Mosque. Below are long-established addresses for six Istanbul classics, plus a list of food experiences worth adding to your plan.
Restaurants change, so check the current address and opening times before you go. If you are not sure what to order, start with our list of top things to eat in Istanbul.
Where to eat lahmacun in Istanbul: Borsam Tasfirin
Lahmacun is a thin, crisp flatbread topped with spiced minced meat, baked quickly in a very hot oven. You add parsley, rocket and tomato, squeeze plenty of lemon over it, roll it up and eat it with sliced onion and a glass of frothy ayran.
You can find lahmacun all over the city, but Borsam Tasfirin in Kadikoy is one of the most respected names. It has been baking in a traditional stone oven (tas firin) since 1968 and is one of the oldest stone-oven restaurants on the Asian side of Istanbul.
- Address: Guneslibahce Sokak No: 26/A, Kadikoy
- Getting there: take a city ferry from Eminonu, Karakoy or Besiktas to Kadikoy, then walk into the market streets.
Where to eat kebab in Istanbul: Hamdi in Eminonu
Many visitors come to Istanbul as much for Turkish cuisine as for its monuments, and kebab is at the top of most lists. Hamdi is one of the city's best-known kebab restaurants, close to the Spice Bazaar in Eminonu.
Its story began with Hamdi Usta, who worked for years as a street vendor with a small grill and a mobile counter by the car park next to the New Mosque in Eminonu. His approach has stayed the same since: cook in the tradition of south-eastern Turkey and keep the flavour consistent. Try a pistachio kebab or an Adana kebab, and ask for a table with a view over the Golden Horn.
- Address: Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Kalcin Sokak No: 17, Fatih (Eminonu)
- Nearby: the Spice Bazaar, the New Mosque and the Galata Bridge
Where to eat Sultanahmet kofte: Selim Usta
Sultanahmet is full of historic monuments and is one of the busiest areas for both locals and tourists. It also has its own dish: Sultanahmet kofte, small grilled meatballs served with piyaz (a white bean salad) and chilli sauce.
The place to try them is Selim Usta's Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi, serving kofte on Divan Yolu since 1920. The menu is short, which is exactly the point. It makes an easy lunch between Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar.
- Address: Alemdar Mahallesi, Divan Yolu Caddesi No: 12, Fatih
- Getting there: a short walk from the Sultanahmet tram stop
Where to eat doner near the Grand Bazaar
Doner is the city's favourite fast lunch: meat cooked on a vertical spit, sliced thin and served in bread or on a plate. One of Istanbul's most popular doner counters is on Mahmutpasa Yokusu, the busy shopping street that runs down from the Grand Bazaar towards Eminonu.
Expect a long queue at lunchtime; it moves quickly. A half bread doner with a cold ayran is the classic order. It fits naturally into a walk from the Grand Bazaar to the Spice Bazaar.
- Address: Mahmutpasa Yokusu Sokak No: 9, Fatih
Where to eat kuru fasulye (bean stew): Ali Baba in Suleymaniye
Kuru fasulye, white beans slow-cooked in a tomato sauce, sometimes with meat or sucuk sausage, is one of the most loved dishes of Turkish home cooking. It always comes with rice pilaf or bulgur pilaf, plus pickles.
The street beside the Suleymaniye Mosque is famous for its bean restaurants, and Ali Baba has been serving here since 1939. Order beans with rice and a glass of ayran, then visit the mosque and its terrace views over the Golden Horn.
- Address: Suleymaniye Mahallesi, Siddik Sami Onar Caddesi No: 7, Fatih
Where to eat baklava in Istanbul: Karakoy Gulluoglu
Baklava is made from paper-thin layers of pastry filled with pistachios or walnuts and soaked in syrup. Good baklava is crisp, not soggy, and not overly sweet.
Karakoy Gulluoglu is one of the most famous baklava shops in Istanbul and has been in Karakoy for decades. Besides classic baklava, try sobiyet (with a cream filling), burma, kadayif and sutlu nuriye, a lighter baklava made with milk. Read more about Turkish desserts and sweets.
- Address: Kemankes Karamustafa Pasa Mahallesi, Rihtim Caddesi No: 4 (in the multi-storey car park building), Beyoglu (Karakoy)
More Istanbul food experiences and eating-out tips
Some of the best things to eat in Istanbul are not tied to a single restaurant. Add a few of these to your days:
- A long Turkish breakfast on the Bosphorus in Emirgan
- Stretchy Maras ice cream on a hot afternoon
- Seafood in the fish restaurants of Samatya
- A walk from Karakoy to Eminonu with a simit and a bottle of mineral water
- Black Sea-style pide in the side streets of Fatih
- A fish sandwich (balik ekmek) by the water in Eminonu
- Yoghurt in Kanlica, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus
- Stuffed mussels (midye dolma) in Ortakoy
- A "wet burger" (islak hamburger) in Taksim
- Tea with a view of the Golden Horn on Pierre Loti Hill
- Turkish delight from Haci Bekir, one of the city's oldest confectioners
For more ideas, see our guide to the best Istanbul street foods. If you prefer a local to lead the way, the Istanbul food tour covers several of these dishes in one walk. And for a special evening, a private dinner cruise on the Bosphorus brings the meal to the water.
Tips for eating out in Istanbul
- Lunch is often the best time to visit traditional lokantas, when the dishes of the day are freshest.
- Check the prices on the menu before ordering, especially on the main tourist streets.
- Follow the locals: a busy restaurant with a fast turnover is usually a good sign.
- Many traditional restaurants do not serve alcohol; meyhanes (taverns) and fish restaurants usually do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous food in Istanbul?
Kebabs, doner, lahmacun, Sultanahmet kofte and baklava are the dishes visitors most associate with Istanbul. Street foods such as simit and balik ekmek are just as typical.
Where do locals eat in Istanbul?
Locals eat in lokantas (traditional restaurants with dishes of the day), neighbourhood kebab houses and meyhanes. Kadikoy, Besiktas and the streets around Eminonu are good areas to find them.
Is it expensive to eat in Istanbul?
It depends where you eat. Restaurants on the main tourist streets cost more, while lokantas and street food are much cheaper. Always check the prices on the menu before ordering.
Where can I eat with a view of the Bosphorus?
Areas such as Ortakoy, Bebek, Arnavutkoy and Emirgan have restaurants and cafes by the water. You can also eat on the water itself on a dinner cruise or a private yacht.
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.