Food destinations within easy reach of Istanbul, worth the early start.
Food destinations within easy reach of Istanbul, worth the train, the rental car or the early start.
Famous for Iskender kebap at its 1860s birthplace, plus Koza Han silk-market lunch
Bursa, the southern Marmara city across the sea from Istanbul, is the birthplace of iskender kebap, thinly sliced lamb over pita with tomato butter.
Fast ferry from Yenikapı to Mudanya, 1 hour 45 minutes, then bus or taxi to Bursa city centre
Famous for Tava ciğer (crispy fried liver) at Aydın or Niyazi Usta
Edirne, the old Ottoman capital near the Bulgarian-Greek border, fries paper-thin liver with peppers and onions; the city is famous enough that day-trips.
Bus from Esenler Otogar, about 3 hours each way
Make a night of it
Hotels in Edirne (Tava Ciğer)
Famous for Bosphorus fish lunches at Eskibağ Teras and seafood at the old quay
Büyükada, the largest of the Princes' Islands, runs car-free with horse-cart food deliveries; its quay restaurants do the day's catch from the surrounding.
Ferry from Eminönü or Kabataş, 75 to 90 minutes
Famous for Polish-Turkish breakfast and grill at Leonardo or Maşukiye-style pansiyon kitchens
Polonezköy, a Polish émigré village founded in the 1840s on the Asian-side forest fringe, runs a weekend brunch culture famous across Istanbul for its garden.
Taxi or rental car from Beykoz, about 45 minutes
Famous for Black Sea fish lunch at the Şile harbour, especially bluefish in autumn
Şile, the small Black Sea harbour town an hour and a half from Istanbul, runs a working fish fleet whose quayside lokantas serve the catch within hours.
Bus or car from Üsküdar, 90 minutes via Şile Yolu
