Start with Turkish breakfast, simit or bakery snacks, kebab or pide, fish or meyhane-style evenings, street foods, baklava or other sweets, Turkish coffee, tea, and one market or neighborhood food walk.
Food formats to plan
A useful Istanbul food guide should help with formats first. Decide where breakfast fits, whether you want a market route, which night gets a longer dinner, and how much street food belongs in the day.
Restaurant names can come later; the first layer is knowing what kind of meal you are looking for and which neighborhood already fits your route.
Planning Choices
- Breakfast
- Plan one slow Turkish breakfast. It can be a main experience, not just a meal.
- Casual meals
- Bakeries, lokantas, kebab, pide, street snacks. Choose busy places with good turnover.
- Evening
- Meyhane, fish, grills, or neighborhood dining. Book ahead for popular places.