Where we ate in Istanbul
This is a collection of the best places we visited during our trip – there are even two spots we returned to a few days later because the food was that good.
As travellers, we’re obviously limited in how many places we can try, but I always research options in advance to check reviews and get a sense of their quality before visiting. We also stumbled upon some great spots and made a few mistakes along the way, but this list includes only the places I’d wholeheartedly recommend, along with what to order.
All of these restaurants are rated 4.6 or above on Google, and you’ll find them in the Fatih, Beyoğlu, and Kadıköy neighborhoods, which are all close to Istanbul’s main accommodation and tourist areas.
Kadıköy Midyecisi
Neighbourhood: Kadıköy
What to order: Midye Dolma (classic and with sauce)
Midye Dolma (rice-stuffed mussels) were something we kept spotting on street carts throughout Istanbul. While it’s a popular street food, we were a bit cautious about trying seafood that had been sitting out in the sun. Then we found this restaurant, which had great reviews on Google that seemed like a safer place to try them.
It’s on the Asian side of Istanbul, about a 10-minute walk from the Kadıköy ferry port. If you’re planning a day exploring this area, it’s perfect for lunch (that’s what we did) or dinner.
The restaurant has a bar out the front where you can enjoy them street food style, or a dining area inside where you can sit and order from their full menu – this is what we did.
We ordered the classic mussels and the mussels with sauce, plus a fried mussel burger to share. The burger was nice but completely over shone by the mussels. They were incredible and left us wanting more (but we were too full to order another round). They were tasty, fresh (with no fishy smell at all), and served within minutes of ordering. There are four options – classic, hot, spicy, and with sauce. The ones with sauce were more messy to eat but were my favourite.
If we had the chance to visit again, we’d just order a bigger serving of the mussels and skip the other dishes.
The staff were lovely with the typical Turkish hospitality – they even gave us complimentary çay and showed us how to properly open and eat the mussels.
Gülüm Pide Lahmacun Salonu
Neighbourhood: Fatih
What to order: Lahmacun and Künefe
I found this place on Google while we were looking for somewhere to eat after visiting the Grand Bazaar. I always try to avoid eating right near attractions to save money, and this was about a 10-minute walk away.
We ended up coming back twice during our trip – the food was that good.
If you can, sit on the left side of the shop, as we were able to watch them preparing the dough and using the wood fired oven.
I’d recommend ordering their Lahmacun – it’s what they specialise in, and it was the best we had in Türkiye. The base was thin and crispy, and the topping was nicely spiced (more flavourful than others we tried) and was served with fresh salad. For lunch, one Lahmacun and one Künefe was plenty for the two of us to share.
The Künefe here was the best we had on our entire trip. The shredded pastry was nice and crispy and the syrup wasn’t overly sweet like some of the others we tried which we preferred.
On our second visit, we ordered Sütlaç (Turkish rice pudding) for dessert, which was smooth and creamy.
When I think of food in Istanbul, this is honestly the first place that comes to mind.
Hazarfen Kebap
Neighbourhood: Beyoğlu
What to order: Adana kebap
This was actually the first restaurant we visited on our trip and turned out to be one of our favourites (hence it being on this list). We knew we wanted to try a Turkish kebap first, so we found this small shop on a quieter street down from Galata Tower. The place has limited seating – only a couple of tables inside and a couple on the pavement out front. We were eating mid-afternoon though, so we were able to grab a table outside without any issues.
We ordered a chicken durum and Adana kebap to share. Both were great, but I’d highly recommend the Adana – it was juicy with crispy, caramelised edges. The meat was tender and everything tasted really fresh. The real standout though was the diced salad – it was the most flavourful we had during our entire trip. The bulgur also added a nice nutty taste that went perfectly with the salad and meat.
You’ll also see pide and lahmacun on their menu, but they actually get these from the pide shop next door (Yöremiz Pide Lahmacun), so if you’re just after those, I’d go directly there instead.
Lokum Atölyesi
Neighbourhood: Fatih
What to order: Lokum (Turkish Delight)
Istanbul has no shortage of Turkish delight shops, and we visited quite a few (and ate way too much), but the best we tried was from Lokum Atölyesi. This is actually a franchise, which I don’t normally gravitate toward, but if you’re looking for fresh Turkish delight, I’d recommend it. The quality was excellent, and you could watch them stretching and rolling the Turkish delight behind the counter.
They let you sample the different flavors before buying, which you absolutely should do – there are so many options to choose from.
My favourite was the Sultan Cevizli Sarma Lokum, a rolled Turkish delight that’s soft and milky, filled with diced walnuts and coated in coconut. We also picked up a few different baklava flavours, which were all good, but the classic walnut one was still my favourite.
Because it’s a franchise, you’ll find Lokum Atölyesi locations across Istanbul. We visited their Fatih store.
1932 Cihangir Doyum Mantı
Neighbourhood: Beyoğlu
What to order: Classic Manti
This restaurant specializes in Manti (Turkish dumplings) – small pasta parcels filled with meat and topped with yogurt and butter sauce. We ordered both the fried and traditional versions to compare. While the fried ones looked appealing, they weren’t as good – frying seemed to dry out the dumplings and made them lose that soft, pillowy texture. I’d definitely recommend sticking to the classic boiled version.
These dumplings were soft and flavourful, smothered in a tangy yogurt sauce with melted butter drizzled on top. The combination was comforting and rich without being too heavy. They also provide extra yogurt and tomato sauce, and there are chili flakes and spice shakers on each table so you can adjust everything to your taste.
The food came out quickly and the portions were generous. The menu is pretty straightforward with different Manti variations and a few other traditional dishes. Nothing fancy, just good, hearty food done well.
The restaurant seemed really popular with locals, with a steady stream of delivery orders going out while we were eating. It had a cute, cozy ambiance – kind of like a casual neighborhood cafe or diner.
Eryilmaz Kardeşler
Neighbourhood: Beyoğlu
What to order: Simit
Nothing beats the smell of a fresh bakery, especially in the morning. We visited this bakery near our accommodation twice during our trip, and it became our go-to spot for a quick breakfast.
We ordered their simit – a ring-shaped bread covered in toasted sesame seeds. I’d say it’s a cross between a bagel and a pretzel. It was warm and crunchy on the outside while soft and fluffy inside. It’s commonly eaten with either tea or ayran (a salty yogurt drink) but we just ate ours as we walked to the tram station.
You’ll see simit carts all over the city, but visiting a bakery early in the morning means you get one that’s freshly made and still warm. We found that older ones from the carts were too hard and tougher to chew. When we stopped by around 9am one morning and they were perfect – fresh out of the oven.
We loved how simple this bakery was – just a small space with display shelves and an oven. You could watch the baker working right in front of you, and the staff were really friendly. They spoke limited English, but we didn’t have any trouble ordering.
