Turkish breakfast in Istanbul: what to order and where

Breakfast is taken seriously in Istanbul. The first time you look at a breakfast menu here, start by deciding how hungry you are and how much time you have. You can sit down to a table covered in small dishes, order a pan of eggs with fresh bread, or grab a simit and a glass of tea on the go. All three are a proper Turkish breakfast.

What comes with a Turkish breakfast?

The Turkish word for breakfast is kahvaltı. It literally means “before coffee”, from the days when coffee came after the meal. A typical breakfast table might include:

• white cheese (beyaz peynir) and other cheeses
• black and green olives
• sliced tomatoes and cucumbers
• fresh bread
• jam and honey
• a glass of black tea

There may also be eggs, börek (savoury pastry), or bal kaymak, honey with thick clotted cream.

To start, have bread with white cheese and a slice of tomato. Then try honey and kaymak on a separate piece. If you see tahin pekmez, that’s sesame paste mixed with grape molasses. It’s rich and sweet, so try a little on bread first. Every café does it a bit differently, which is a good reason to read the menu before you order.

When to order serpme kahvaltı

Serpme kahvaltı is the breakfast spread you’ve probably seen in photos: the kitchen fills the table with small plates for everyone to share. Hot dishes might include pişi (pieces of fried dough) or a pan of eggs. It’s best when you’re with someone and have time for a second glass of tea.

Before ordering, check three things:

• whether the price is per person and whether there’s a minimum of two
• whether tea is included
• which hot dishes are included, because eggs are sometimes listed separately even when they appear in the menu photo

If the server says kişi başı, that means “per person.”

If you’re eating alone or heading straight to a museum, look for a kahvaltı tabağı, a breakfast plate with a smaller selection served on one plate. Or simply order the egg dish you want, add tea, and ask whether bread comes with it.

For two people, I’d order the spread and add one pan of menemen if it isn’t included. You can always order more once you see how much arrives.

Menemen or sucuklu yumurta?

Menemen: eggs with tomatoes and peppers

Menemen is eggs cooked with tomatoes and green peppers, served in a small pan. Eat it by scooping it up with bread. It’s softer and juicier than the scrambled eggs you might be used to.

Some cooks add onion and some don’t. It’s a favourite debate in Türkiye. If you care, ask Soğanlı mı? (“Does it have onion?”). Menemen is normally meat-free, but some menus also offer sucuklu menemen, made with spicy sausage, so check which one you’re ordering if you don’t eat meat.

Sucuklu yumurta: eggs with spiced sausage

Sucuk is a cured, spicy sausage, usually made from beef. In sucuklu yumurta, slices of sucuk are fried in a small pan and eggs are cracked over them. Dip your bread into the yolk and pick up a slice of sucuk in the same bite. Order it if you want something saltier and richer than menemen.

If you’re sharing a big spread, start with one hot dish and add another if you’re still hungry. If you have a food allergy or dietary restriction, ask about the ingredients before you order.

A quick breakfast: simit and tea

Simit is a ring of bread covered in sesame seeds, crisp outside and chewy inside. Buy one from a bakery or one of the street carts you’ll see all over the city, and look for a deep golden crust. For a little more, add a piece of white cheese, or swap the simit for a slice of cheese börek.

Order a glass of çay with it. Turkish black tea comes in small, tulip-shaped glasses, with sugar cubes on the side. If you prefer it weaker, ask for açık çay (“light tea”). At a sit-down breakfast, ask Çay dahil mi? (“Is tea included?”) before ordering another glass.

Where to go for breakfast

Beşiktaş for a full spread

For a morning built around breakfast, go to Beşiktaş. Near the market, the streets around Çelebioğlu Sokak and Şair Veysi Sokak are lined with breakfast cafés, and locals call the area Kahvaltıcılar Sokağı, “Breakfast Street”. Walk past a few menus, compare what each spread includes, and pick one that serves something you particularly want to try, such as fresh pişi.

At weekends it gets busy, so go early or be ready to wait. Check the café’s opening time before making it your first stop.

Kadıköy and Moda for breakfast and a walk

On the Asian side, have a quick breakfast near Kadıköy market, close to the ferry, then walk on to Moda. If breakfast is the main event, go straight to Moda and find a café where you can take your time. The ferry over from Eminönü or Karaköy makes a lovely start to the day. For what to do afterwards, see What to Do in İstanbul.

Karaköy for an early start near Galata

If you’re staying near Karaköy, have börek and tea before walking up to Galata. The climb is steep in places, so keep breakfast light if you have a long morning ahead. My Taksim & Beyoğlu walk goes the other way, down from İstiklal Avenue through Galata to Karaköy, which makes Karaköy a good place to stop for tea at the end.

My tip

If you have several mornings in Istanbul, make one of them a long, slow breakfast in Beşiktaş or Moda. On sightseeing days, order menemen and tea, or pick up a simit on your way. And before you order, check what’s included so you know exactly what’s coming to the table. If you want more food ideas for the rest of the day, read my list of Istanbul street foods to try.