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How to eat like a local in Istanbul

From street food waiting for you after a night out through to haute cuisine hotspots, it’s easy to find a place to please every palate in Istanbul. Finding the best of the best, on the other hand, requires research and local knowledge. Read on for a selection of places frequented by Istanbulites.

Breakfast

A typical breakfast in Turkey usually includes several small dishes of jam, olives, cheese, tomato and cucumber devoured with an endless supply of black tea. You can find plenty of options at almost every cafe to start your day right.

Dogaciyiz Gourmet is a breakfast restaurant and deli that serves an eclectic breakfast menu from Antakya, a southeastern city recognized for its exceptional cuisine with UNESCO’s City of Gastronomy award in 2017. The completely organic menu is composed of delicacies such as za’atar in olive oil, nutty jam made from green walnuts, and eggplant and thyme salads.

Dip your spicy cheese-topped flatbread in organic olive oil and take your time to savour all the flavours (Doğacıyız Gourmet, Cihangir)

Dip your spicy cheese-topped flatbread in organic olive oil and take your time to savour all the flavours (Doğacıyız Gourmet, Cihangir)

Van Kahvaltı Evi is a well-known restaurant with a rich breakfast menu from Van, another southeastern city known for its cuisine enriched with Kurdish and Armenian influences over the centuries. The selection includes otlu peyniri (herb cheese), cevizli çemen (a spicy spread with walnuts) and kavut (a dessert made with flour, ground walnuts and honey or molasses).

Stay within easy reach of this delectable selection by checking into the MySuite Istanbul Cihangir Square apartments.

Lunch

The best way to discover Istanbul is on foot and wandering through the city’s winding streets will soon have you looking around for a hearty lunch, or a quick bite to eat.

Kuzguncuk Bostan Café is at an ideal location for travellers on a quest to discover Istanbul’s authentic neighbourhoods. Set in Kuzguncuk on the Asian Side, this café provides a view of the community garden that has become a labour of love for the residents. Admire their hard work while sampling crunchy cookies or spinach cake with freshly brewed black tea.

Don't forget to order freshly brewed black tea to go with your cake or cookie (Bostan Cafe, Kuzguncuk)

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image-desc">Don't forget to order freshly brewed black tea to go with your cake or cookie (Bostan Cafe, Kuzguncuk)

If you are overwhelmed by the sheer number of historical sights in the Üsküdar district, take a seat at the Kanaat Lokantasi for a filling lunch. Originally founded in 1933, this restaurant is part of a long tradition of restaurants called esnaf lokantası (tradesman’s restaurant).

Simply decorated and reasonably priced, Kanaat Lokantası has a daily changing menu and a wide variety of traditional, local dishes such as elbasan tava (baked lamb and vegetables with béchamel) and ekmek kadayıfı (syrup-soaked bread pudding with clotted cream).

Dinner

Another well-known esnaf lokantası is Ficcin. Taking over an entire street off the busy Istiklal Street over years, this restaurant serves up scrumptious Circassian cuisine in generous portions. You’ll love the Circassian cousin of the Turkish manti, which is slightly bigger with a cushiony dough in thick garlic yoghurt, drizzled with red pepper infused oil.

Exploring the historic peninsula is a must and when you are done exploring thousands of shops of the Grand Bazaar or gazing at the Blue Mosque’s grandeur, head to Namli Köfteci.

Take a stroll in the historic and newly renovated Tünel district after your meal (Nostalgic Tram, Istiklal Street)

Take a stroll in the historic and newly renovated Tünel district after your meal (Nostalgic Tram, Istiklal Street)

This unassuming restaurant has been serving perfectly seared, succulent köfte (Turkish meatballs) for 30 years. Order a portion with some piyaz (salad made with beans, onion, tomato and cucumber) and top it off with their famous halva made from semolina and pine nuts.

Stay at 10 Karaköy Istanbul in the trendy Karaköy neighbourhood for easy access to great food spots, chic interiors and an amazing breakfast.

Source: booking