As anyone who has been reading my blog for more than 12 minutes has probably noticed, I really love food. To me food and travel are inextricably linked, and I can’t explore a new country without getting lost in the scents and flavors of its national cuisine.
And Istanbul was one destination that didn’t disappoint: I savored everything from the grilled lamb heart to all the dark greens I don’t get enough of in Paris. Turkish food seemed like a mix of Greek and Arabic food, and with the heavy use of olive oil, honey, herbs and garlic, was decidedly Mediterranean.
So here is my guide on the best food in Istanbul, and all of the traditional Turkish dishes I recommend you try . And please, go slow- don’t go gobbling it all down immediately like yours truly.
Table of Contents
Red Lentil Soup –Mercimek çorbası
Meals in Turkey often start with light soups- and there was none I found more delicious than red lentil soup with lemon, or Mercimek çorbası.
Köfte
Turkey is undoubtedly a meat-centric country, so the köfte, which are essentially Turkish meatballs, were very tasty. These minced beef or lamb meat patties are often served plain but these ones came packed with melted cheese.
Döner kebap
Turkey in so many ways reminded me of Greece, from the old men playing backgammon to the bright blue evil eyes hanging from shop windows. But in no way did it remind me more of Greece than the döner kebaps– they tasted exactly like gyros! Becausewho doesn’t lovemystery meat on a stick?
Ayran
Ayran is a watered down yogurt drink that is so popular in Turkey you can buy it at McDonalds and Burger King, but it is usually served cold and to accompany meat dishes. And though the Turks swear by it, it was too salty and watery for me.
Black Tea- Çay
Black tea, or in Turkish, Çay (pronounced exactly like “chai”) is Turkey’s most beloved beverage. It is always served in glass to best show off its beautiful, dark red color. And as my cousin’s Turkish boyfriend instructed me, you may add sugar to black tea but never milk.
Salep
Salep is a soul-warming cold-weather milk drink that tastes a lot like rice pudding, but is thickened with orchid root and dusted with cinnamon.
Mezze
Mezze are Turkish small plates that come before the meal- and while they’re different at every restaurant, you’ll see a lot of the same dishes popping up everywhere: red cabbage, dark greens, Russian salad, grape leaves and pickled everything. (Pickled vegetables are very popular in Turkey- I saw pickled green beans, garlic, cabbage and carrots to name a few.)
Meals in Turkey are long, un-hurried affairs, so try not to eat too much of the mezze- other delicacies await!
Spreads
In Turkey the meat comes with many choices of spreads- I tried a spicy tomato-based one, an eggplant dip that tasted just like baba ghanoush, and a creamy, garlic-flavored yogurt spread that was just like the Greek tsatsiki.
Olives
Being a Mediterranean country, Turkey is overflowing with succulent olives.
Brunch
Turkey specializes in brunch, a meal that I miss dearly in no-brunches-ever France. At brunch we noshed on lots of deli-cut meats including beef tongue, as well as lots of wonderful cheeses including a particularly tasty white sheep’s cheese that tastes just like feta (Turkish- Beyaz peynir).
The highlight was the homemade butter served in a little dish of honey- an addictive innovation I plan on waking up to wherever I am.
Menemen
Menemen is a popular brunch offering that is basically scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, green pepper and spices. It’s similar to the Arabic egg dish, Shakshouka.
Honey
Turkish honey is out of this world. Which makes sense- Turkey is one of the world’s top natural producers of honey. Make sure to taste some when you’re at breakfast or brunch, which is when it is most commonly served.
Simit
Simit are almost like sesame bagels, but are much denser in texture. They cost only cost around 50 cents USD, and are often eaten for breakfast or as on-the-go snacks between meals. They quickly became my new favorite carbohydrate.
Fresh-squeezed juice
In Istanbul you will see tons of fruit stands selling oranges and pomegranates on the street, as well as inexpensive and fresher-than-fresh fruit juice.
Pomegranates
Nearly every meal in Turkey ended with a small bowl of pomegranate seeds, a sweet yet refreshing way to end the meal.
Baklava
Another great (but not remotely light) way to end the meal? Baklava. My favorite was pistachio baklava, though I could hardly have more than one piece as it’s so rich and sweet!
Turkish Delight
Turkish Delight is a gel-based candy that is often served with tea and coffee.
Full disclosure- I didn’t taste this sugary confection, but it’s probably tasty, right?
And of course, thank you to my lovely cousin Suzy and her boyfriend Serkan for introducing me to all of this deliciousness!
Other incredible foods I tried that are not pictured: Şalgam (Turnip juice), lots of seafood especially the tiny fried fish from the Bosphorous, pide (almost like pizza on pita bread), Turkish coffee and many, many more!
Have you ever tried Turkish food before? What did you eat in Istanbul?
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About Ashley Fleckenstein
Ashley is a travel and lifestyle blogger who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since college she has au paired in Paris, backpacked the world solo, and lived in Uganda. Her work has been featured by Buzzfeed, Forbes, TripAdvisor, and Glamour Magazine.
30 thoughts on “The Best Food in Istanbul: 17 Insanely Delicious Dishes You Must Try”
Hang on, “no-brunches-ever France”? What France are you in? ;) I can definitely give you tons of brunch recommendations for Paris.
Great rundown though, I didn’t know much about Turkish food at all save the mezzes and tea (but only because that’s similar to Azerbaijani food). Would definitely like to try the honey and salep!
Haha I guess I should’ve specified! There are definitely no brunches here in Saint-Germain-en-Laye… we tried looking for one last Sunday and ended up buying eggs and sausage and making an English/American breakfast. Don’t you love the mezze by the way?
Oh YUM!!! I’m going to Turkey later this year and just got super excited.
How could you not try Turkish Delight? Perhaps I’m too much of a sweet tooth!
I have to admit I don’t really have a sweet tooth! But I’m sure I’ll be back and can give it a second chance.
This all looks just so good! And pomegranates are so photogenic! I love that they start every meal with a light vegetable soup!
But as much as I adore Turkish food I must admit that Turkish Delight was too sweet for me :)
I love starting meals with light soups too! I miss the gazpacho we had every day for lunch in Spain… so good.
Wow, I really should have taken you with me to Turkey as my food consultant! I didn’t have a huge amount of luck with food in Istanbul, probably because I kept ordering things that I could find at Turkish restaurants in Western Europe which aren’t quite the same in their home. I’m back in Turkey in a couple of months so I’m definitely taking your recommendations :)
That’s great to hear! Have an amazing time and eat well :)
Oh my, that pistachio baklava looks delicious! I’ve never had Turkish food, but I suppose I’ll have to try some now. I’m currently located in the Czech Republic and kebaps are everywhere, which surprised me.
Pistachio baklava is so, so good! Unfortunately it’s something like 200 calories a piece but who cares when you’re on vacation :)
What divine looking food! My mouth waters for the soup and almost everything else. How well you dine, and what variety from which to choose! i’m so glad you love the food and the culture–can’t have one without the other!
Love, Gamma
But I never dine better than when I’m at Point Lookout! Love, Ashley
Nice guide Ashley. The red lentil soup looks like a pumpkin soup I made last week :):)
Thanks, Agness! Don’t you love vegetable soups? They make you fee so healthy!
The baklava looks crazy good! I’m not usually big on meat, but I definitely make the exception for doner kebaps!
The meat in Turkey was absolutely delicious and cheap, so in 5 days I probably consumed a month’s worth!
Anytime I see a “____ for Foodies” post I’m on board! I’m heading to Turkey later this year and this did not disappoint :) What a great post! Thank you for the introduction to Turkish food!
You’re welcome, glad you liked it! And I definitely love looking at food pictures too, even if they leave me hungry after :)
The food looks absolutely mouthwatering! I’m not the hugest fan of Turkish Delight because it’s a bit to sweet for me, but I’d love to enjoy all the other wonderful things you’ve tried right now.
xx
Melanie
It truly was delicious!!
If you’d like to make any of these Turkish foods, you can find free recipes here. From pistachio baklava to simit.
Afiyet Olsun
Thanks for the link, Reyhan!
Fantastic post! After visiting Turkey, it immediately became one of my favorite cuisines. I love the variety of spreads and all the spices they use, particularly the very spicy ones! Then you always have the yogurt based sauces to to balance it out, just delicious! I believe döner kebap actually means spinning meat in Turkish, which is cool. It is SUCH a popular food here in Germany due to the large Turkish population. I always compare it to tacos and burritos in Texas. Also when I was there, I was overwhelmed by the tea offerings – you couldn’t speak to someone without being offered some warm apple tea, even at the busy grand bazaar! Such a neat culture!
Thanks, Alex! And I could see what you mean of Turkish food being the Mexican food of Germany- it’s cheap, delicious, technically foreign but sold everywhere. I never tried apple tea but I bet it was delicious!!
I want it all. now.
Me too- guess we’ll both have to go back!
Wow – you have put most of my food posts to shame. Glad to recognize all of them though. It is amazing how the Turkish eating habits rub off on us as well. When I first came to Turkey, I could not understand the concept of having soup for breakfast. Do it all the time now.
Aw thanks, Nicki! I love soup at any hour so I’m totally with you on that one. I can’t wait to go to Turkey again and try more great food!
Hi Ashley,
Came across you through Expat edna…
Beautiful food photos. Making me hungry!
I was in Istanbul in December and loved loved loved eating my heart out… and wrote a post with that title, similar to yours, in fact.
Hey, Lauren! Turkey’s certainly a great place to eat your heart out… I’m with you on that one.
Hang on, “no-brunches-ever France”? What France are you in? ;) I can definitely give you tons of brunch recommendations for Paris.
Great rundown though, I didn’t know much about Turkish food at all save the mezzes and tea (but only because that’s similar to Azerbaijani food). Would definitely like to try the honey and salep!
Haha I guess I should’ve specified! There are definitely no brunches here in Saint-Germain-en-Laye… we tried looking for one last Sunday and ended up buying eggs and sausage and making an English/American breakfast. Don’t you love the mezze by the way?
Oh YUM!!! I’m going to Turkey later this year and just got super excited.
How could you not try Turkish Delight? Perhaps I’m too much of a sweet tooth!
I have to admit I don’t really have a sweet tooth! But I’m sure I’ll be back and can give it a second chance.
This all looks just so good! And pomegranates are so photogenic! I love that they start every meal with a light vegetable soup!
But as much as I adore Turkish food I must admit that Turkish Delight was too sweet for me :)
I love starting meals with light soups too! I miss the gazpacho we had every day for lunch in Spain… so good.
Wow, I really should have taken you with me to Turkey as my food consultant! I didn’t have a huge amount of luck with food in Istanbul, probably because I kept ordering things that I could find at Turkish restaurants in Western Europe which aren’t quite the same in their home. I’m back in Turkey in a couple of months so I’m definitely taking your recommendations :)
That’s great to hear! Have an amazing time and eat well :)
Oh my, that pistachio baklava looks delicious! I’ve never had Turkish food, but I suppose I’ll have to try some now. I’m currently located in the Czech Republic and kebaps are everywhere, which surprised me.
Pistachio baklava is so, so good! Unfortunately it’s something like 200 calories a piece but who cares when you’re on vacation :)
What divine looking food! My mouth waters for the soup and almost everything else. How well you dine, and what variety from which to choose! i’m so glad you love the food and the culture–can’t have one without the other!
Love, Gamma
But I never dine better than when I’m at Point Lookout! Love, Ashley
Nice guide Ashley. The red lentil soup looks like a pumpkin soup I made last week :):)
Thanks, Agness! Don’t you love vegetable soups? They make you fee so healthy!
The baklava looks crazy good! I’m not usually big on meat, but I definitely make the exception for doner kebaps!
The meat in Turkey was absolutely delicious and cheap, so in 5 days I probably consumed a month’s worth!
Anytime I see a “____ for Foodies” post I’m on board! I’m heading to Turkey later this year and this did not disappoint :) What a great post! Thank you for the introduction to Turkish food!
You’re welcome, glad you liked it! And I definitely love looking at food pictures too, even if they leave me hungry after :)
The food looks absolutely mouthwatering! I’m not the hugest fan of Turkish Delight because it’s a bit to sweet for me, but I’d love to enjoy all the other wonderful things you’ve tried right now.
xx
Melanie
It truly was delicious!!
If you’d like to make any of these Turkish foods, you can find free recipes here. From pistachio baklava to simit.
Afiyet Olsun
Thanks for the link, Reyhan!
Fantastic post! After visiting Turkey, it immediately became one of my favorite cuisines. I love the variety of spreads and all the spices they use, particularly the very spicy ones! Then you always have the yogurt based sauces to to balance it out, just delicious! I believe döner kebap actually means spinning meat in Turkish, which is cool. It is SUCH a popular food here in Germany due to the large Turkish population. I always compare it to tacos and burritos in Texas. Also when I was there, I was overwhelmed by the tea offerings – you couldn’t speak to someone without being offered some warm apple tea, even at the busy grand bazaar! Such a neat culture!
Thanks, Alex! And I could see what you mean of Turkish food being the Mexican food of Germany- it’s cheap, delicious, technically foreign but sold everywhere. I never tried apple tea but I bet it was delicious!!
I want it all. now.
Me too- guess we’ll both have to go back!
Wow – you have put most of my food posts to shame. Glad to recognize all of them though. It is amazing how the Turkish eating habits rub off on us as well. When I first came to Turkey, I could not understand the concept of having soup for breakfast. Do it all the time now.
Aw thanks, Nicki! I love soup at any hour so I’m totally with you on that one. I can’t wait to go to Turkey again and try more great food!
Hi Ashley,
Came across you through Expat edna…
Beautiful food photos. Making me hungry!
I was in Istanbul in December and loved loved loved eating my heart out… and wrote a post with that title, similar to yours, in fact.
Hey, Lauren! Turkey’s certainly a great place to eat your heart out… I’m with you on that one.