Istanbul, like so many cities worldwide, is inundated with fast food chains and multinational coffee shops. While these might provide a moment of comforting familiarity for many expats, they’re usually pretty pricey, especially considering the quality of food you receive. A much better idea is to throw yourself into Turkish street food, which is hugely varied, widely available, often great quality and generally a lot cheaper. Here’s a selection of my favourite cheap eats in Istanbul that should come in under 10 TL (and are often much cheaper).
Tantuni
A recent(ish) import to Istanbul from the city of Mersin on the south coast, tantuni is one of the tastiest kebab meats you can find (in my opinion at least). It’s a ground or finely cut beef which is cooked in spices on a large hot plate. It’s spicy and succulent, and served with parsley either in bread or a dürüm-style wrap.
Balık Ekmek
These fish sandwiches are an absolute must-try in Istanbul. A delicious mix of grilled fish, salad and onion, seasoned with peppers on warmed bread. You’ll find balık ekmek being sold all along the coast in Istanbul but the best are sold around Galata Bridge. If you’ve ever wondered what the slightly Disney-esque, gold boats are in Eminönü, they’re actually floating balık ekmek stalls. However, if you can’t face the throng of people in Eminönü there are some excellent carts that station themselves across the water near the Karaköy dock.
Lahmacun
So simple and yet so perfectly formed. Lahmacun is a pizza-esque base topped with a thin layer of tomato, herbs and meat. You then fill it with salad, top with lemon juice and roll it up like a wrap. At around 3 TL it’s a cheap and tasty dish although I’ve never managed to stop at one…
Simit
The king of all cheap eats in Istanbul is appropriately shaped like a golden crown. You can’t walk for more than a few minutes in Istanbul without seeing a simit cart, and you’ll also find them on sale at numerous bakeries around the city. As a general rule the bakeries sell a softer version than the carts. From a street cart these mighty snacks will set you back just 1 TL, even in the most touristy areas. Pair with ayran and you can have a pretty decent park-bench-lunch for only 2 TL. And if you’re dining in a bakery they also go very well with çay.
Çiğ Köfte
Hugely popular, you’ll find this dish in shops and stalls all over the place. Çiğ köfte translates as ‘raw meatballs’ and traditionally these köfte are made by adding raw ground beef to the main base of a spicy bulgur mix. However, the use of raw meat was outlawed for retailers some time ago and now the köfte are bulgur only (so also a good option for vegetarians and vegans). It’s wise to purchase an ayran as these small treats pack a spicy punch!
Kokoreç
Now bear with me, because I know the idea of grilled sheep intestines isn’t immediately appealing. However, I challenge you to spend 10 seconds standing by a kokoreç grill and tell me your mouth isn’t watering. This succulent meat is cooked with an abundance of herbs and served in bread that soaks up all the juices.
Now I know what you’re probably thinking and I freely admit that there are some major omissions (no döner?) but I had to stop somewhere. I’d love to hear any recommendations you have in the comments as well as suggestions of the best places to find the dishes above.
Kokorec rules this list 🙂
You’ve got me curious, I’ll try those Kokoreç !!
Tantuni is my personal favorite, as it is the closest thing to Mexican food I’ve found in Turkey. The best place I’ve found near Taksim is Suat Usta 33 Mersin Tantuni (https://plus.google.com/114169516617689184990/about?gl=tr&hl=en), whereas if you ever find yourself in Ortakoy, Memo Tantuni is out of this world (http://www.mekanist.net/istanbul/restoran/memo-tantuni)
I had great “doner” with Yener, near the “important places” in Istanbul. I bet he could give great advice on this subject
Ask me:))
[…] Street food. I give street food a different section because it deserves all my praise. I am convinced that you can take the pulse of a city by looking at the amount and diversity of street food on offer and how late you can get it. In Barcelona, street food is limited – curiously enough, a lot of kebab places are run by Indians – and these places usually close long before midnight. In Istanbul there are tons of different types of street food – kokoreç, midye dolma, ıslak hamburger, etc. – and they are available 24/7. You’ll never go hungry in Istanbul, and you will never return home after partying on an empty stomach. […]
[…] to other places in the region, very cheap food costs overall. Some of the most delicious and the most Turkish of all foods are actually the most affordable as well! By simply walking down the street, you’ll find a […]