Antiochia ★ 4.5
Antiochia in Asmalımescit cooks the kebabs and mezze of Antakya, Turkey's Levant border city, on a tight Beyoğlu side-street menu of southeastern grills.
OrderCiğer kebap, Künefe, Hatay-style hummus
Long flat skewer of hand-minced lamb, mutton tail-fat and red pepper, grilled over charcoal and served on lavash with grilled tomato, sumac onion and ayran.
Named for the southern Turkish city that perfected it, Adana kebap was registered as a Turkish protected designation in 2005, defining its hand-minced texture and minimum fat ratio. Istanbul lamb-kebab houses have served the dish for a century; the city's Adana-immigrant families keep the southern recipe close to canonical.
3 editor picks for Adana kebap in Istanbul, ranked by editorial score. All Istanbul signature dishes · Adana kebap across every city.
Siirt Şeref Büryan ★ 4.5
Siirt Şeref Büryan on İtfaiye Caddesi, a Kadınlar Pazarı corner pulling lamb büryan from a tandır pit oven that fires through the night, the Avcı family.
TipOrder büryan around 11:00 before the lunch crowd; the perde pilavı and a tas kebabı round out a full table.
Develi1912 Samatya ★ 4.4
Develi has fired Gaziantep kebabs at its Samatya address for decades, the canonical Istanbul pistachio kebap stop behind the old Marmara walls.
OrderFıstıklı kebap, Içli köfte, Antep katmer
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Adana kebap makes more sense with someone from Istanbul explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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