10 Istanbul street foods to try on your first trip

Some of the best food in Istanbul is eaten standing up. Street food here isn’t only from carts: much of it comes from small bakeries and shops with a counter and a few stools. The easiest way to try it is along routes you’re already walking. Grab a simit before the ferry, a fish sandwich by the water, and save room for ice cream after dinner.

Here are ten to look for, with a few Turkish words to help you order.

1. Simit: the sesame bread ring

Simit is a ring of bread dipped in grape molasses and covered in sesame seeds. It’s crisp on the outside and chewy inside. You’ll find carts selling it all over the city, especially in the morning around Sirkeci, Eminönü and Kadıköy. Look for a deep golden-brown crust, and if you want to know whether it’s fresh, ask Taze mi? (“Is it fresh?”).

Eat it as it is, with a piece of white cheese, or with a glass of çay if there’s somewhere to sit.

2. Balık ekmek: the grilled fish sandwich

Balık ekmek means “fish bread”: grilled fish in a half loaf, usually with onion and salad leaves. The classic place to try it is the Eminönü waterfront, next to the Galata Bridge. In Karaköy and elsewhere you’ll also see balık dürüm, the same idea in a wrap.

Squeeze lemon over it and take a careful first bite, in case of small bones. Check the price before you order, especially if you’re choosing between a takeaway sandwich and a sit-down plate of fish.

3. Midye dolma: mussels stuffed with rice

Midye dolma are mussels filled with spiced rice and served in the shell. Sellers usually open one for you, squeeze lemon over it and hand it over. Use the empty top half of the shell as a spoon to scoop out the filling. They’re sold by the piece, so ask Tanesi ne kadar? (“How much for one?”), and say when you’ve had enough, or the seller will keep opening more.

Buy them from a busy shop or stall where they’re kept cold and sell quickly, for example around Kadıköy market or Beşiktaş. If you can’t tell how they’ve been stored, choose something cooked to order instead.

4. Kokoreç: grilled lamb intestines

Kokoreç is lamb intestines wrapped around a skewer and slowly roasted over charcoal. It’s then chopped finely on the grill with spices such as oregano and red pepper flakes, and served in bread. It’s rich and much stronger in flavour than döner, so share a portion the first time.

Look for a kokoreç shop in Beyoğlu or around Kadıköy market, and ask for yarım ekmek kokoreç, a half-loaf sandwich. If you don’t like spicy food, say acısız, lütfen (“not spicy, please”).

5. Kumpir: the loaded baked potato

Kumpir starts with a huge baked potato. The seller splits it open and mashes the inside with butter and grated kaşar cheese, then asks which toppings you want: olives, corn, pickles, sausage, or Rus salatası, a mayonnaise-based vegetable salad.

Ortaköy, by the Bosphorus, is the place to try it. Look for the row of stalls near the waterfront, and ask what the price includes before you choose your toppings. One potato is easily a meal.

6. Döner: meat from the rotating spit

Ask for et döner if you want beef or lamb, or tavuk döner for chicken. Then choose how you want it: ekmek arası in bread, dürüm in a thin wrap, or pilav üstü on a plate of rice.

Choose a busy shop where the meat is being sliced fresh and served hot. If you’re eating on the move, a wrap is easier to handle than a plate.

7. Lahmacun: the thin, crisp flatbread

Lahmacun is a very thin flatbread baked with a topping of spiced minced meat, tomato and peppers. It should be thin enough to roll up. Squeeze lemon over it, add parsley and onion if they come on the side, roll it up and eat it with your hands.

Order it straight from the oven at a lahmacuncu, a lahmacun shop. There are several good ones around Kadıköy market. One makes a light snack, so start with one and see whether you want another. A cold ayran, a salty yoghurt drink, goes perfectly with it.

8. Börek: layered pastry

Börek is pastry made from thin layers of dough with a filling. At a börekçi (börek shop), look for peynirli (cheese), ıspanaklı (spinach) or kıymalı (minced meat). Su böreği is a softer kind, made with boiled sheets of dough, while other types are flaky and crisp.

It’s a classic breakfast with tea, and you’ll find good börek shops around Sirkeci and Karaköy. Point to the tray you want and ask for bir porsiyon, one portion. If it’s sold by weight, ask the price before they cut it.

9. Kestane and mısır: chestnuts and corn

In the colder months, you’ll smell kestane kebap, roasted chestnuts, along İstiklal Avenue and around Galata. Ask the price of a bag before you buy. Let them cool a little, then peel off the shell and the thin skin underneath.

Corn carts sell közde mısır, grilled corn, and haşlanmış mısır, boiled corn. Go for grilled if you like a smoky taste. Both make an easy snack while walking down İstiklal, which is part of my Taksim & Beyoğlu walk.

10. Dondurma: Turkish ice cream

Dondurma simply means ice cream. For the famously dense, stretchy kind, ask for Maraş dondurması, named after the city of Kahramanmaraş. Start with sade, the plain milk flavour, to really taste the texture. Order bir top for one scoop or iki top for two.

You’ll find ice cream shops along İstiklal and in Moda. Some vendors do tricks with the cone before letting you have it. It’s part of the show, so play along. If you’d rather skip the performance, ask for a cup.

My tip

If you only have one afternoon, start with a fish sandwich in Eminönü, take the ferry to Kadıköy, then choose between lahmacun near the market and ice cream in Moda. My post on the Bosphorus by public ferry explains the crossing, and What to Do in İstanbul has more places to eat on both shores.