Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best
Food
İstanbullus love to eat. Meals are joyful, boisterous and almost inevitably com-
munal. Food is used to celebrate milestones, cement friendships and add cohe-
sion to family life. The idea of eating in front of a TV or out of a freezer is ana-
thema to restaurant chefs and home cooks alike - this is a cuisine that is social,
slow and seasonal.
Traditional Eateries
Popular venues for lunch, which is often eaten out, include
lokantas
(eateries serving
ready-made food),
pidecis
(Turkish pizza parlours),
kebapçıs
(kebap restaurants) and
köfte-
cis
(meatball restaurants). When not eating dinner at home, locals flock to
meyhanes
(tav-
erns), where an array of hot and cold mezes are served. Fresh fish is enjoyed in
balık
restorans
(fish restaurants) and meat in
ocakbaşıs
(fireside kebap restaurants).
Contemporary Cuisine
İstanbul has an ever-growing number of eateries serving Modern Turkish cuisine. Many of
these showcase food by chefs who draw inspiration from Turkey's diverse regional cuisines
but do so with a European sensibility.
Street Food
Street vendors pound pavements across İstanbul, pushing carts laden with artfully arranged
snacks. Look out for
simits
(sesame-encrusted bread rings),
mısır
(corn on the cob),
midye
dolma
(stuffed mussels),
çığ köfte
(raw spiced meatballs) and
kokoreç
(skewered lamb or
mutton intestines seasoned and grilled over charcoal). The most famous street snack of all
is the
balık ekmek
(fish sandwich;
Click here
)
.
