These are the best and tastiest tips for a weekend in Istanbul

Istanbul is an amazing city where you can wander for hours through narrow streets, along the imposing Bosporus and (luxury) shopping streets. Modern and traditional blend together effortlessly here. And above all, you can eat and drink ABSOLUTELY AMAZINGLY here. Because, as everywhere in Turkey, everything here revolves around food. From super-cheap street food to Michelin-starred dining, Istanbul has it all. 

Lunch at Hamdi restaurant

Another perfect place to experience Turkish cuisine, with a beautiful view over the Haliç River (also known as the Golden Horn), is Hamdi restaurant. Hamdi is centrally located in Eminönü, the oldest part of the city near the Galata Bridge and around the Yeni Mosque. As with so many places in Istanbul, it’s incredibly lively. You can eat on several floors, but the top floor offers the best view.

Your meal traditionally begins with hot and cold meze (or mezze), Yayla Corbasi (hot yoghurt soup) and various salads. Yoghurt is a widely used ingredient in Turkish cuisine (we also love dipping chips in Turkish yoghurt) and originated among the nomadic Turkish peoples of Central Asia. In Europe, people discovered yoghurt in 1542, when King Francis I of France became seriously ill and grew weaker and weaker. Nothing helped, until Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I sent a doctor and some yoghurt to the sick statesman. It worked wonders and the king recovered.

Meze is derived from the Persian word maza, meaning tasting or enjoying, and it is the most important course in Turkish cuisine. A table full of small dishes with vegetables, Turkish pizza (lahmacun), sucuk pide, legumes, sigara börek, yoghurt and cheese…; you won’t be the first to really get stuck in at this point, but be warned, because a main course follows, served with rice and bread. Such as Çöp şiş (lamb skewers), one of Turkey’s many grill specialities. And then comes dessert.

Turkish dessert

Künefe is considered one of Turkey’s tastiest desserts, but baklava also appears on the table as standard, accompanied by Turkish coffee to aid digestion. Turkey has one of the best-known coffee cultures in the world; it first appeared in Constantinople at the beginning of the 16th century, where the first cafés soon opened. Turkish coffee is incredibly strong, and you should wait until the coffee grounds have sunk to the bottom of your cup, as they are served along with the coffee. Traditionally, you can have your future told from the coffee grounds. Turkish tea, served in small tulip-shaped glasses, is at least as well known. And if you see kabak tatlisi on the menu, be sure to order it, because this sweet Turkish pumpkin is incredibly delicious.

Spice Bazaar

Fancy taking a walk through the city after such an abundant meal? Good idea! One place you definitely want to visit is the Spice Bazaar. It’s the place to buy fresh herbs, tea, baklava, Turkish delight, as well as beautiful soaps and dishes, for example. And, of course, dried spices such as pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes), nane (dried mint), sumac (the sour ground fruit of the smoke tree) and çörek otu (nigella seeds).

Street food in Istanbul

Street food is an important part of Turkish culture. In some cases, the street food is specific to a particular place; from kumpir (giant stuffed potatoes) in Ortaköy to the tastiest döner in Beşiktaş. All over the city you’ll find special simit carts selling the famous round sesame breads, carts where you can buy corn on the cob with butter and chestnuts, and carts selling Turkish ice cream: dondurma. The most popular street snack is a smoked fish sandwich (balik ekmek). The best ones can be found in the Karaköy district, by the water at the foot of the Galata Bridge.

Michelin restaurants in Istanbul

In addition to traditional Turkish food and street food, Istanbul also has several fine-dining establishments. Michelin first visited Istanbul in 2022. Of the 53 selected restaurants, ten received a Bib Gourmand (Bib Gourmands are awarded to restaurants that offer high quality at a reasonable price), and restaurants Mikla, Araka, Nicole and Neolokal received their first star. Neolokal was awarded an ordinary Michelin star as well as a Green Michelin Star—the Green Michelin Star recognises gastronomy combined with sustainability. The big winner was TURK Fatih Tutak, which opened in 2019. Chef Fatih Tutak, who previously worked at three-Michelin-starred restaurants Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo and Noma in Copenhagen, was immediately awarded two stars. Restaurant Nicole has since also received two Michelin stars, and two Michelin restaurants have been added: Arkestra and Sankai by Nagaya.

Dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant

The beautiful Arkestra is located in the lovely Etiler district and is spread over several floors, with a beautiful bar as its eye-catching feature. Chef Cenk Debensason creates small works of art here, mainly using seasonal produce. We ate amazing snow peas with mint, cheese curd and crispy walnut, as well as delicious potato bread with whipped brown butter and spring onion oil. The Arkestra Katsu Sando is famous: panko-fried beef with homemade shokupan (Japanese milk bread) and tonkatsu sauce. Two large pieces cost the equivalent of 31 euros. Be sure to enjoy the delicious Turkish Chardonnay from Kavaklıdere Château, Serie Cotes d’Avanos Narince with it.

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The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia

Around 600 mosques were built in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire; the mega-city now has around 3,000 mosques. Sultanahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, is free to enter and definitely worth visiting. Another must-see is Ayasofya-i Kebîr Cami-i Şerîfi, or Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. This is an enchanting place with an endless history; the building dates back to 537!

Drinking boza at İstanbul Vefa Bozacısı

Ayran, the extremely refreshing yoghurt drink, may be something you’ve tasted before. But do you know the fermented sweet drink boza? This traditional drink made from fermented grains is one of the oldest drinks in Turkey and is also consumed in surrounding countries such as Bulgaria and Romania. We buy boza at Vefa Bozacısı; the shop has been there since 1876 and nothing has changed! The flavour of boza, a thick substance topped with cinnamon, is unlike anything we’ve drunk before. Traditionally, you drink it with roasted chickpeas, which you can buy at Vefa Leblebicisi, which has been there since 1922. It’s as if time has stood still—so charming. Sevda Gazozcusu is also nearby, a quirky little bar with all kinds of homemade lemonades and sodas. A perfect spot if you want to sample some local things!

Dining at Izaka terrace (that view!)

You can dine with an amazing view in several places in Istanbul. One favourite is Izaka terrace, at the CVK Bosporus Hotel. The restaurant has large windows running the entire length of the restaurant that can be opened in good weather. A truly dream location where you can also eat well.

The hummus with Turkish pastrami (pastırma), sarma (stuffed vine leaves) and octopus with mung beans are delicious. But be sure to save room for the Turkish desserts! Soğuk Baklava, or wet baklava, is lighter than regular baklava and very soggy. In appearance, with a cocoa topping, it resembles tiramisu. Very tasty! Also be sure to try the sweet Kazandibi. When you cut it, it looks like warm cheese, but it’s made from… chicken breast! Hence the name ‘chicken fillet pudding’. Surprising and incredibly delicious.

Boat trip on the Bosporus

And of course, you can’t go to Istanbul without sailing the Bosporus. You can take a ferry, as the locals do every day, but you can also cross the Bosporus on a somewhat more luxurious boat. We take the boat in the chic Bebek district. From the water, you can see even better how vast and beautiful Istanbul is. Everywhere around you, you see hills covered with mosques, towers and countless buildings. On the European side, you can see many palaces, such as Dolmabahçe Palace. From 1856 to 1923, this palace served as the administrative centre of the Ottoman sultans. The palace was also where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey (in 1923) and its first president, gave a speech to the city. He died at Dolmabahçe Palace in 1938, so it is a place of immense historical importance. On the Asian side, you’ll see many Ottoman wooden houses (the yali): a perfect mix of European and Asian architecture.

Lunch at Kiva

Another lovely place for breakfast, lunch or dinner is Kiva on the Bosporus, near Galataport. This is also where the cruise ships dock. The restaurant has several floors, and black-and-white photos of the famous Turkish photographer Ara Güler hang everywhere. Here too, you start with a table full of meze, eat tender köfte—in Turkey there are almost three hundred different kinds!—and finish with Turkish coffee and halva. Don’t expect the halva you find in Turkish supermarkets in the Netherlands. The halva served here is soft and somewhat soggy, and is made from ghee (clarified butter), flour (often semolina) and sugar. And you guessed it: sweet and divinely delicious!

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