Food&Drinks

Turkey is rightly famous for its cuisine, which is rich and hearty, not particularly spicy, with plenty of vegetables (much to the delight of vegetarians).

If you have food allergies, read this article.

Although based on lamb and mutton, Turkish cuisine includes beef and chicken (no pork, of course) as well as a variety of seafood.

The most common preparations are grilling and grilling, which produce famous Turkish kebabs, including doner kebab, a national dish, and kofte, a workers’ favorite. But Turkish food is much more than grilled meat.

You can get help and guidance from our website to choose food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in any city in Turkey.

Typical Turkish Food

Keep our top picks of Istanbul’s typical dishes handy, dishes you’ll be able to try as you wander around this exotic super city’s top sights.

1-Have a kebab in Istanbul

Give in to the pleasure of trying as many roasted beef, lamb and chicken kebabs as there are on offer.

2-Street food in Istanbul

Yes, the kebab is the king of the street, but there is even more Turkish street food scattered around hundreds of spots all over the city, infusing it with spicy and roasted notes.

What street food should you try?

Something as simple as fried rice-stuffed mussels with lemon, called midye dolma or midye tava.

You’ll also find other classics in the little red carts, such as chestnuts, toasted breads, corn on the cob, and simits, a savoury circular sesame-encrusted bread.

However, if you’d like something more consistent, look no further than boreks, tart-like puff pastries stuffed with greens or meat, the kumpir, baked potatoes with the filling of your choice, or even a lahmacun, commonly known as Turkish pizza.

3-Drinks and appetisers

Just like we couldn’t even imagine the idea of going out without a few appetisers to make our drink that little bit better, snacks in Istanbul are also very important. Known as meze, the dishes are brought to your table so that you can choose your favourites and enjoy them with a drink.

Which ones should you choose?

You can’t turn down hummus, nor the dolma with its vine leaves or tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice and meat. You also won’t be able to resist the delicious variety of aubergine preparations, or seasoned beef pastrami, known as pastýrma in Turkish.

Enjoy them with a raki, an aniseed-based drink which is more common than beer, or even a strong çay tea or Turkish kahve coffee. But if it’s really hot, the perfect choice is an ayran yoghurt drink.