1. Sultan Ahmet
We recommend getting breakfast included with your hotel room. Most, if not all, hotels in Istanbul offer rooftop terraces with meditarranean style breakfasts including a variety of cheeses, breads, fresh fruit as well as eggs, sausages etc. There are also plenty of cafes that offer breakfast (kahvalti). Another option is to grab a simit (sesame seed covered bagel) from a street vendor and eat it on the go.
Turkiye is famous for its kebabs including the kofte [minced meatball] and the famous doner kebab. Nobody should leave Turkiye without trying this indulgent dish of grilled meat atop fresh bread, served with a delicious sauce and yoghurt and covered in melted butter.
There are plenty of street vendors offering everything from freshly squeezed fruit juices, to roasted chestnuts (in the colder seasons) and corn on the cob. Also local eateries, called lokantasi, are available throughout Sultan Ahmet. However if you are looking for a more refined option, we highly recommend Faruk Gulluoglu located right next to the Cemberlitas tram station, which features a comprehensive menu including kebabs as well as delicious pastas, burgers, and pizzas. They also do an amazing range of Baklava and Lokum.
A more famous, and so slightly more expensive option is Nusr-et steak and burger restaurant run by Salt Bae and located inside the Grand Bazaar. If you’re a meat lover you won’t be disappointed here.
2. Üsküdar
Take the ferry from Eminonu waterfront across the Bosphorus to Uskudar. This is a must-do journey for the views and fresh air alone.
Located on the Asian side, Üsküdar offers a more authentic, local dining experience with fewer tourist-focused restaurants. It is known for its traditional eateries and scenic spots along the Bosphorus. As soon as you disembark the ferry you will notice many places to eat from small kiosks at the ferry station to restaurants along the waterfront and up the high street. Here the variety is so great you may find it hard to decide where to eat. Larger brands such as Mado and international burger joints sit alongside smaller lokantasi frequented by the locals offering freshly made dishes both meat based and vegetarian.
If you dont mind walking then about a kilometer to the north from the ferry station is Fethi Pasa Korusu or park which is an historic location with great views across the Bosphorus and also housing a good restaurant.
Further up the road, although difficult to get to on foot alone, is the area of Beylerbeyi which is known for its great seafood restaurants.
3. Desserts
As a first-time visitor, you absolutely must indulge in three of Turkiye’s most iconic desserts: baklava, lokum, and dondurma. Baklava is an amazing layered pastry, made with dozens of paper-thin sheets of phyllo dough, filled with chopped nuts (most often pistachio or walnut), and drenched in sweet syrup. For a truly authentic experience, try Karaköy Güllüoğlu, in business since 1949, renowned for its perfectly crispy, buttery baklava. Another excellent option is Hafiz Mustafa 1864, which has multiple locations and offers a wide variety of baklava alongside other traditional sweets. We find Karaköy Güllüoğlu’s products to be slightly more syrupy (our favourite) and Hafiz Mustafa’s to be a little drier but more packed with pistachios. Try them both and decide for yourself!
Complementing the rich baklava, you’ll find lokum, or Turkish Delight, a soft, chewy confection made from a gel of starch and sugar. While traditional varieties are flavored with rosewater or lemon, you can find a dazzling array of modern flavours, often filled with pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts. The oldest and arguably most famous purveyor of lokum is Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, founded in 1777, with its original shop near the Spice Bazaar. Colourful packed Lokum makes for a perfect souvenir or gift.
Finally, don’t miss dondurma, the unique Turkish ice cream. Known for its sticky texture and resistance to melting, dondurma is made from a combination of cream, mastic gum, and salep (a flour made from orchid tubers). You can find it at street carts, where vendors perform playful tricks enjoyed by all, or at renowned shops like Mado, which serves the famous “Maraş” style dondurma that you eat with a fork and knife!
