The independent guide to Istanbul's best food tours.
Honest reviews of Istanbul's food tours, a real-world guide to the city's dishes, and neighborhood-by-neighborhood maps of where to eat. Written by people who live here.
Four Istanbul food tours worth the time
Well-reviewed, well-paced, fairly priced. Full-day crossings, a compact Kadıköy evening, a Taksim night walk. Pick the one that fits your trip.
Taste of Two Continents Food Tour
Turkish breakfast on the European side, a ferry across the Bosphorus, then Kadıköy's market and backstreets. Five and a half hours, eight to nine stops, capped at ten people.
- 5.5 hours
- 8-9 food stops
- Bosphorus ferry
- Max 10 people
Two Markets, Two Continents with Culinary Backstreets
Starts in Karaköy with seasonal breakfast at Perşembe Pazarı, crosses the Bosphorus by public ferry, and finishes with Turkish coffee in Kadıköy. Nine to twelve stops over a full day of eating, with tantuni, lahmacun and Aegean meze along the way.
- 6.5 hours
- 9-12 stops
- Bosphorus ferry
- Max 7 people
Kadıköy Street Food Tour
An evening walk through Kadıköy market and into Moda, eating your way through midye dolma, kokoreç and crispy pide. Finishes with baklava and goat's milk ice cream. Three hours, ten or more tastings.
- 3 hours
- 10+ tastings
- Kadıköy & Moda
- Max 10 people
Taksim & Karaköy Evening Food Tour
Starts at Taksim Square, weaves down the backstreets around İstiklal, and ends with late-night sweets. Eight or more specialties along the way: tantuni, kebabs, stuffed mussels, pilav with kuru fasulye, baklava.
- 3 hours
- 8+ tastings
- Taksim & Beyoğlu
- Max 10 people
Prefer to wander at your own pace?
Three free walking routes, one per neighborhood. Each one maps out the best streets, markets and food stops with specific times, prices and what to order at every stop. Pick the one that fits your day.
- Kadıköy: five stops across the Asian-side market and Moda.
- Sultanahmet & Eminönü: five stops from the old city to the Galata Bridge.
- Karaköy & Taksim: six stops covering Cihangir breakfast to late-night İstiklal.
New to Turkish food? Start with the Istanbul food guide for the dishes worth ordering and the ones to skip.
See the full walking tour
Pick a part of the city
Each one eats differently. Here's a starting point.
Kadıköy
The Asian-side food district. Markets, meyhanes on Kadife Sokak, strong coffee culture.
Eat here →
Eminönü & Sultanahmet
The historic peninsula. Balık ekmek boats, the Spice Bazaar, Hamdi, Pandeli, Ottoman palace dining, and the tourist-trap rules to navigate it.
Eat here →
Karaköy & Taksim
Modern Turkish dining, classic meyhanes on Asmalımescit and Nevizade, late-night islak burgers, and Istanbul's most respected baklava.
Eat here →What you will actually eat
A few of the dishes and scenes you run into on almost any food-focused day in Istanbul.
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