Food & Drink

Top Turkish Street Food in Istanbul You Must Try

I am eager to leave my comfort zone and push myself to try new things. The best way to do it is by traveling. So I keep exploring the world and myself.

We are here with Istanbul street food that will blow your mind with its flavor! Food vendors on the street are open around the clock and prepare great food for you. It is easy to find delicious food on the street. So, here are the best Street food places in Istanbul:

1. Kokorec

Kokorec - Street food in Istanbul
This delicious food is made with special meat: small intestine of sheep. This meat is cleaned by a special process. Then it is cooked on the grill. Don’t ask for intestines, first order a quarter of bread. Add tomatoes and salt and thyme as spices. The masters also add chili peppers into the kokorec.

If you like spicy, especially hot, you will not get enough of the taste of kokorec. Try drinking turnip juice while eating kokorec. For your information, a quarter-bread kokorec may not be enough. Maintain the flavor with half-bread kokorec. Highly recommended from us, do not eat too much at a time if you like. You can find vendors selling kokorec all over the city, but you may not get the same taste everywhere. We recommend

Comments and experience: Highly recommended from us, do not eat too much at a time if you like.

2. Cig Kofte (steak tartar a la Turca)

Cig kofte - Istanbul Street Food

Bulgur, onions, garlic, tomato and pepper paste, oil, salt and pepper are used in this delicious food, raw minced meat is also used. Raw ground beef is not cooked on fire, cooked with the effect of bitter spices and kneading. According to the law, raw beef is not allowed to be put in cig kofte sold by street vendors. It is also very tasty. However, if you want to eat meat cig kofte you need to buy from a restaurant.

In fact, it might even be one of the best Turkish street foods! You can continue your way by buying and eating wrap meat cig kofte from the restaurant. For meatless cig kofte, we recommend

in Sirkeci. You can buy meat cig kofte from restaurants that sell Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian dishes.

are some of the places we can recommend.

Comments and experience: If you want to eat a meat cig kofte, you need to buy it from a restaurant.

3. Balik Ekmek (Grilled Fish Sandwich)

Fish and Bread - Istanbul street food

Grilled fish is placed between bread and served with onions and greens. Your journey of magnificent flavor begins at the first bite of balik ekmek. The most beautiful places to eat balik ekmek are the seaside. Karaköy, Eminönü, Galata Bridge are ideal places to eat balik ekmek and enjoy the view.

Comments and experience: Karaköy, Eminönü, Galata Bridge are ideal places to have this street food especially Istanbul seafood restaurant options and enjoy the view.

4. Islak Hamburger (Steamed Burger)

Steamed Burger - Istanbul street food

The best street food to end a crazy night is steamed burger. Later in the night, you will see a crowd of people, especially in front of the small restaurants selling doner in Taksim. In this crowd, people are waiting in a queue to buy a steamed burger. Join the crowd and order a steamed burger and ayran. Enjoy yourself.

Important note: The steamed burger contains too much garlic. If you want to eliminate the smell of garlic after eating the hamburger, you can chew from the clove seeds on the plate next to the cash or buy peppermint gum.

Comments and experience: The steamed burger contains too much garlic. If you want to eliminate the smell of garlic after eating the hamburger, you can chew from the clove seeds on the plate next to the cash or buy peppermint gum.

Check out most loved Istanbul attractions by HeyTripster readers:

5. Pickle Juice

Pickle Juice - Istanbul street food

Here is another suggestion for Turkiye street food, or should I say street beverage? This beverage, which is not very suitable for the night, is one of the most preferred street delicacies in Istanbul. Pickle juice gives you energy in the middle of a particularly tiring day.

Comments and experience: Do not drink on an empty stomach.

6. Midye Dolma (Stuffed Mussels)

Stuffed Mussels - Istanbul street food

Another street food in Istanbul is midye dolma. You can see every street, a person sells a large metal tray and a lot of stuffed mussels inside. One, one more, and surprise! you’ll notice that you’ve eaten 20 at a time. Midyes are eaten in tavern in Istanbul options as a side meal! Check out the blog fore more local information!

Don’t forget to ream a lemon in it. Stuffed mussels have a special way of eating. The seller will show you how to do it. As a suggestion, don’t eat stuffed mussels from any mussel vendor you see, you can also eat stuffed mussels and midye tava (fried mussels) in places that usually sell kokorec. We recommend Mercan Midye and Midyeci Ahmet.

Comments and experience: Stuffed mussels have a special way of eating. The seller will show you how to do it.

7. Meat or chicken doner kebab rolls

Doner Kebab - Istanbul street food

Doner is probably one of the most popular Turkish street foods. If you want to eat doner kebab while walking on the road, you can buy takeaway from the restaurants selling doner kebab. Pickles, finely cut lettuce and onion are also put into doner kebab. Thus, fascinating flavor is revealed. We recommend you to drink buttermilk with doner kebab served with lavash or bread.

Comments and experience: We recommend you drink buttermilk with doner kebab served with lavash or bread, as a traditional Turkish food.

8. Simit, pastry

Simit - Istanbul street food

You woke up in the morning and went out to the street. To satisfy your hunger, we recommend simits (Turkish bagels) and tea. In addition, a variety of pastries with cheese, dill, olives and more are served in the morning.

Comments and experience: Simit is enjoyed the most on the ferry! It’s best to enjoy your food and feed the eagles with the sounds of waves.

9. Corn, chestnut kebab

Chestnut - Istanbul street food

There are two other great tastes that are all around Istanbul. Corn is boiled or sold in embers according to the season. You can eat it by pouring salt on it. Chestnut kebab is a panacea snack as Türkiye street food. In the afternoon, if you feel slightly hungry, take some chestnut kebabs, and snack.

Comments and experience: I personally have two favorites when it comes to have corn: Gülhane Parkı and Taksim.

10. Kumpir

Kumpir - Istanbul street food

Did someone say Türkiye street food? Then, it’s no wonder kumpir comes to mind!  The best places to eat Kumpir potato Istanbul are Ortaköy, Bebek or Beşiktaş. Kumpir masters serve butter, olives, sausages, pickled gherkins, corn, Russian salad, cheddar cheese, various sauces and more.

Comments and experience: The best places to eat Kumpir potato Istanbul are Ortaköy, Bebek or Beşiktaş.

11. Nohutlu Pilav (Chickpeas and pilaf)

Chickpeas and Pilaf - Istanbul street food

Here’s another best street food in Istanbul. Pilaf with chicken and boiled chickpeas. The secret of why the chickpea pilaf sold on the street is so delicious is unknown. Even people living in Istanbul often look for people selling chickpea pilaf for food. Unkapanı Pilavcısı is one of the most famous chickpea pilaf restaurants. Takeaway can also be found. Another master you should stop by is in Fatih. You buy chickpea pilaf and continue on your way. You can find the same flavor in the chickpea pilaf vendors you see on the street.

Comments and experience: Unkapanı Pilavcısı is one of the most famous chickpea pilaf restaurants. Another master you should stop by is in Fatih.

5/5 - (2 votes)

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button