8 street food places in Istanbul we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Istanbul | Street Food across every city.

Istanbul's street food is inseparable from its quaysides and squares, where the balik ekmek fish sandwich, kokorec and grilled kofte are eaten standing up. The Eminönü waterfront is the spiritual home of the form, with Tarihi Eminönü Balık Ekmek by the ferry piers and Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi just inland. Around Taksim in Beyoğlu, Kızılkayalar and Şampiyon Kokoreç keep the late-night crowd fed, while Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi serves the grilled-meatball tradition in the old city.

Tarihi Eminönü Balık Ekmek ★ 4.5

Street food · ₺

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

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

Kızılkayalar ★ 4.0

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

Kızılkayalar at Taksim Square, the 1978 originator of the ıslak burger, a beef patty soaked in garlicky tomato sauce and steamed inside a soft white bun.

Şampiyon Kokoreç ★ 4.3

Street food · ₺

beyoğlu · Hüseyinağa Mah., Sahne Sokak No:21, 34435 Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Şampiyon Kokoreç on Sahne Sokak, the 1962 Beyoğlu kokoreççi shaving spiced grilled lamb intestine into sandwich bread for the late-night Balık Pazarı crowd.

Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi ★ 4.2

Street food · ₺

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

Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi on a Sirkeci side-alley, a wood-oven counter feeding office workers kıymalı pide and lahmacun for under 100 lira at the weekday.

Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi ★ 4.1

Street food · ₺

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

Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi on Divanyolu, the 1920 charcoal-grill counter still building the canonical Istanbul köfte plate of flat patties.

Borsam Taşfırın Kadıköy ★ 4.2

Street food · ₺

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

Borsam Taşfırın in Kadıköy, the 1968 stone-oven lahmacun counter that turns a single 15-minute bake into the city's most reliable lahmacun under 80 lira.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu Counter ★ 4.6

Street food · ₺

karaköy · Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mah., Rıhtım Caddesi No:3-4, 34425 Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Karaköy Güllüoğlu's takeout counter on Rıhtım, where the Güllü family has cut pistachio baklava by the half kilo since 1949 for a queue that moves fast.

Bambi Cafe Taksim ★ 3.6

Street food · ₺

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

Bambi Cafe at Taksim, an almost-all-night counter doing döner wraps with melted cheese, kumpir baked potatoes and Turkish hamburgers to the post-Beyoğlu.

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