Eat in Istanbul
As Turkey is culturally diverse in its cuisine, it is well known for its Kebabs. The secret to their recipes is love and passion, with a hint of fresh ingredients relying on the seasonings. Eating in Istanbul has gotten easier now since it offers various budget and fine dining options.
Turkish Breakfast
Kahvalti (breakfast) is the most important meal of the day for Turks. It is routine the same way on Tuesday as Wednesday, served with eggs, cheese, jams, olives, and bread with a side of Turkish tea.
Some of the famous foods in Turkish breakfast dishes are:
Menemen
Eggs, tomatoes, spices, and black pepper, are garnished with cheese and served on a metal plate with bread. Simultaneously, some people also prefer to eat Menemen with a spoon, but bread is most preferred.

Borek (Pastry)
Invented in the era of the Ottoman Empire, Borek is prepared with sweet, spinach, potatoes, or cheese baked in wrapped thin pastry sheets, served with Greek yogurt mixed with cucumber and mint, and flavored with other seasonings like thyme oregano, etc.

Simit (Bagel)
You can have Simit with a side of chocolate or cream cheese. Simit is sold all over the city in cafes, restaurants, street vendors, bakeries around trams, the subway, and ferries.

Balik Ekmek (Fish Sandwich)
Fresh local fish are served on bread by the sea in Eminonu and Kadikoy, mostly in winters.

Meat Lovers
The famous must-try meat dishes are Kavurma (fried meat), Adana Kebab, and cig kofte (steak tartar a la Turca).

Mediterranean - Aegean Cuisine
Salads and vegetables are served in various ways. Zeytinyagli is a type of dish in which fresh vegetables are in olive oil. ‘Dolma’ vegetables served with rice or meat filling. Shepherd salad mix of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and peppers. They are also called meze (appetizers) with a wide range of cooking of various vegetables, very fresh and tasty.

Corba (Soup)
Lentils, tomatoes, cream, and mushroom soups are served with a side of bread.

Desserts
The local sweets you must try in Istanbul are:
- Firin Sutlac (Baked Rice Pudding)
- Baklava
- Trilece
- Kunefe (Kunefah) served with ice cream
- Dondurma (Ice Cream)
- Lokum (Turkish Delight)
