Istanbul Food Tour: Two Continents, Two Markets, One Long Lunch

Highlights

1. Simit and tea, the classic Istanbul breakfast on the go
2. The Spice Bazaar, Turkish delight and freshly ground coffee
3. A fish sandwich by the Galata Bridge
4. The ferry to Asia and the food market of Kadıköy
5. A long lunch of Anatolian dishes and a sweet to finish

Program

1. Morning

   Eminönü

   Simit and tea by the water, with the ferries coming and going.

   Opening hours & dress code ↓

2. Mid-morning

   The Spice Bazaar

   Spices, dried fruit, cheeses and Turkish delight, then fresh coffee behind the bazaar.

   Opening hours & dress code ↓

3. Late morning

   A fish sandwich

   Grilled mackerel in bread, eaten by the Golden Horn.

   Opening hours & dress code ↓

4. Midday

   The ferry to Kadıköy

   Across the Bosphorus with the commuters, tea in hand.

   Opening hours & dress code ↓

5. Lunch

   Kadıköy market

   Tastings at the stalls, then a long lunch of Anatolian dishes.

   Opening hours & dress code ↓

6. End

   Something sweet

   Baklava or an old-fashioned ice cream sundae to finish.

In depth

Istanbul eats all day: a simit from a street cart at seven, tea on every corner, a fish sandwich by the water at noon and a long table of meze in the evening. Our Istanbul food tour follows that rhythm across two continents, with a guide who knows the cooks, the stall owners and the stories behind each dish. So you taste the real city, not a tourist menu. To cook the dishes yourself, book our Istanbul cooking class.

The Istanbul Food Tour Starts in Eminönü

We meet by the water in Eminönü, where the ferries come and go.

A short walk away in Sirkeci, the small Régie Ottoman Hotel serves Anatolian cooking at Ocak. To start, a warm simit, the sesame bread ring, and a glass of tea from a street seller. A few steps away, we walk into the Spice Bazaar, completed in 1660, where shops sell sumac, pul biber, saffron, dried apricots, cheeses and Turkish delight. Just behind it, Istanbul has bought freshly ground Turkish coffee at Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi since 1871.

A Fish Sandwich by the Golden Horn

Down by the water, we stop for one of the city’s classic street foods. Right by the Galata Bridge, mackerel is grilled and served in bread with onion and lettuce. With a pickle juice from a cart nearby, you eat it on a low stool by the Golden Horn, exactly as Istanbul does.

Across the Bosphorus to Kadıköy

We take the public ferry to the Asian side. On the way, tea sellers walk the deck, and the gulls follow the boat for pieces of simit. About 20 minutes later, you land in Kadıköy, home of a lively food market.

Kadıköy Market, Heart of the Istanbul Food Tour

In Kadıköy, your guide introduces you to the market: fishmongers calling out the catch, pickle shops with jars of every color, cheese and olive sellers, and coffee roasters. Along the way, we taste as we go. Then we sit down for lunch in a restaurant famous for dishes from every corner of Anatolia, from southeastern kebabs to Black Sea greens.

Finally, the Istanbul food tour ends with something sweet: baklava, or a famous old ice cream sundae from a patisserie that has served Kadıköy since 1961. One of our guides here is Kardelen Uyar, who maps Istanbul by flavor.

From our guides

• Pul biberBuy a bag of Turkish red pepper flakes at the Spice Bazaar. It is the most useful souvenir you can bring home.
• Pickle juiceThe sour, red pickle juice sold from carts is an Istanbul favorite with a fish sandwich.
• Tuesday marketKadıköy’s big neighborhood bazaar fills the streets on Tuesdays and Fridays.
• CoffeeAt Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, the coffee is ground fresh. Ask for it ground for Turkish coffee.

Our suggestion Skip breakfast at your hotel. The tastings start early, and you will want room for lunch in Kadıköy. Keep a little space in your bag too, for a packet of Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi coffee from Eminönü.

After the Istanbul Food Tour

For evenings, our Istanbul by night tour ends with a meyhane dinner, and our cooking classes teach you to make the dishes at home. Our Grand Bazaar tour ends at the same Spice Bazaar, down by the water, so the two make a full day of markets.

Before you go

• 

  Eminönü

  Entry

  No ticket needed

• 

  Spice Bazaar

  Open

  Open every day, with shorter hours on Sundays

  Closed

  Religious holidays

  Entry

  No ticket needed

• 

  Golden Horn

  Entry

  Open waterfront; ferries and tram

• 

  Kadıköy

  Open

  The streets are open at all times; market stalls during the day

  Closed

  Never

  Entry

  No ticket needed

Hours can change on religious holidays. Your guide confirms them the day before.

What’s included

Practical

Updated: October 23, 2026

Starts

Around 9:30. You can also choose your own time.

Ends

Kadıköy, on the Asian side

Meeting point

Your hotel, or Eminönü pier

Walking

Overall, easy: short walks between tastings and a ferry ride.

Accessibility

Tell us your needs. The route is mostly flat, but the markets are lively.

Not suitable for

Guests with severe food allergies, unless we plan the tastings together in advance

Cancellation

On public holidays, some shops close, so we adjust the route.

Frequently asked questions