Top Budget Eating in Turkey

Metanet Lokantası ★ 4.7 · Gaziantep

sahinbey · Kozluca Mah, Kozluca Cd. No:11, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep

Metanet Lokantası charges soup money for the dish Gaziantep is proudest of, and a beyran with bread is a full breakfast for one very modest price.

Tip: Order half a portion if you plan on katmer afterwards. The broth is richer than it looks.

Tarihi Eminönü Balık Ekmek ★ 4.4 · Istanbul

eminönü · Galata Köprüsü No:28, Eminönü, 34421 Fatih, İstanbul

Tarihi Eminönü Balık Ekmek at the Galata Bridge, the red-and-gold fish boats grilling mackerel into half-loaves with lettuce and lemon for around 100 lira.

Hayvore ★ 4.3 · Istanbul

beyoğlu · Turnacıbaşı Sokak No:4, 34433 Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Hayvore off Istiklal, a Black Sea steam-table cooking hamsi pilav, muhlama and bean stews where a full lunch with pide and ayran lands under 300 lira.

Dürümcü Recep Usta ★ 4.2 · Gaziantep

sehitkamil · İncili Pınar, 36001. Sk. No:4, 27090 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep

Dürümcü Recep Usta fills you up on chickpeas and flatbread in Gaziantep for the price of a coffee elsewhere, which is why the queue never thins.

Tip: One wrap is a light lunch, two is a full meal. Add ayran rather than a second wrap.

Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi ★ 4.2 · Istanbul

eminönü · Hocapaşa Sokak No:19, Sirkeci, 34112 Fatih, İstanbul

Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi in Sirkeci, where a kıymalı pide costs under 180 lira and beats every tourist trap on the historic peninsula for the same money.

Borsam Taşfırın ★ 4.2 · Istanbul

kadıköy · Caferağa Mah., Serasker Caddesi No:78, 34710 Kadıköy, İstanbul

Borsam Taşfırın in Kadıköy, an 80-lira lahmacun from a stone oven, three to a person at the lunch peak, in a market-edge counter open since 1968.

Muhsinzade Türk Şiş Kebap ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep

sahinbey · Boyacı, Külekçi Çarşısı Sk., 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep

Muhsinzade sells charcoal-grilled dürüm in the Gaziantep bazaar at trader prices, which is what keeps the benches full from six in the morning.

Tip: Order the mixed liver and mince wrap for the best value on the board.

Üçler Kebap Lahmacun ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep

sehitkamil · Sarıgüllük, Zübeyde Hanım Blv. NO: 16/C, 27060 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep

Üçler Kebap Lahmacun keeps lahmacun cheap on Zübeyde Hanım Bulvarı, so a Gaziantep lunch of two pieces and an ayran barely dents a day's budget.

Tip: Lahmacun is priced per piece. Skip the şiş if you are keeping the bill down.

İmamoğlu Baklava ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep

sahinbey · Karatarla, Eski Saray Cd. No:6, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep

İmamoğlu Baklava undercuts the big Gaziantep names from a small shop on Eski Saray Caddesi, and the trays turn over fast enough to stay fresh.

Tip: Buy a quarter kilo. At these prices the temptation to over-buy is the real risk.

Akşam Simit ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep

ibrahimli · Batıkent, Adnan İnanıcı Cd. No:13/L, 27470 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep

Akşam Simit runs the cheapest sit-down breakfast in İbrahimli, a Gaziantep bakery counter where the teapot arrives full and then gets refilled.

Tip: The pastry counter restocks through the morning. Later batches are as good as the first.

Çiğ Köfteci Yuşa Usta ★ 4.1 · Gaziantep

sehitkamil · Değirmiçem, İmam Hüseyin İncioğlu Cd. No:3 D:b, 27000 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep

Çiğ Köfteci Yuşa Usta sells meat-free çiğ köfte wraps in Değirmiçem at student prices, and the portions run to twice the usual Gaziantep size.

Tip: The bulgur is kneaded without meat, so the wrap is plant-based before anything is added to it.

Bahar Restaurant ★ 4.1 · Istanbul

fatih · Beyazıt Mah., Çarşıkapı Nuruosmaniye Caddesi, Yağcı Han No:13, 34126 Fatih, İstanbul

Bahar Restaurant inside a Grand Bazaar han, an esnaf lokanta where merchants line up by 12:30 for stewed lamb, kuru fasulye and pilav for around 200 lira.

Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi ★ 4.1 · Istanbul

sultanahmet · Alemdar Mah., Divanyolu Caddesi No:12, 34110 Fatih, İstanbul

Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi on Divanyolu, the 1920 charcoal-grill bench where four köfte, a piyaz, a soup and an ayran still come in under 280 lira.

Ciğerci Mustafa ★ 4.0 · Gaziantep

sahinbey · Çukur Mah. Bayramoğlu Sok. No:1/B Şahinbey, 27400 Gaziantep

Ciğerci Mustafa charges bazaar prices for lamb liver skewers in Gaziantep, and a skewer with bread and salad lands well under most kebab bills.

Tip: Liver runs out by early afternoon. Go at breakfast when it is freshest and cheapest.

Katmerci Murat ★ 4.0 · Gaziantep

sahinbey · Bey, Atatürk Blv. No:11, 27000 Şahinbey/Gaziantep

Katmerci Murat prices its katmer below the famous Gaziantep names on Atatürk Bulvarı while still loading the pastry with kaymak and pistachio.

Tip: Split one katmer between two, the portion is bigger than it looks.

Özcanlar Pide & Lahmacun Fırını ★ 3.9 · Gaziantep

sehitkamil · Kayaönü, Hamidiye Cd., 27500 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep

Özcanlar Pide & Lahmacun Fırını is a neighbourhood oven in Kayaönü where a metre of Gaziantep pide costs less than a single kebab plate downtown.

Tip: Order by the metre for a group. It is cheaper than buying individual portions.

Kızılkayalar ★ 3.9 · Istanbul

beyoğlu · Katip Mustafa Çelebi Mah., Sıraselviler Caddesi No:2/C, 34433 Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Kızılkayalar at Taksim, the 1978 ıslak hamburger counter still selling under 80 lira for a steamed bun in garlicky tomato sauce, three for a meal.

Tostçu Kadir Usta ★ 3.8 · Gaziantep

sehitkamil · Sanayi, 60003. Cd. No:28, 27110 Şehitkamil/Gaziantep

Tostçu Kadir Usta opens at half past five in Sanayi and grills toasted sandwiches for the Gaziantep workshop shift before most cafes have opened.

Tip: Closed Sundays and shut by half past one. This is a morning counter, not a lunch stop.

Evirgeç Mantı Evi ★ 3.8 · Gaziantep

alleben · Alleben, Atatürk Blv. 58/B, 27010 Şahinbey/Gaziantep

Evirgeç Mantı Evi plates home cooking on Atatürk Bulvarı, and Gaziantep mantı with yoghurt is one of the cheaper sit-down meals in the centre.

Tip: Check the daily board before ordering. The listed menu runs wider than the day's cooking.