Karaköy Lokantası ★ 4.5
The teal-tiled Karaköy Lokantası, Bib Gourmand listed in the Michelin Guide, runs an Ottoman-leaning lunch lokanta downstairs and a meyhane upstairs at night.
OrderLakerda, Hünkar beğendi, Lamb shank
Istanbul's circular sesame-encrusted bread ring, dipped in pekmez (grape molasses) before being baked to a deep crust. Sold from vendor poles across the city; the universal Istanbul breakfast snack with cay.
Simit has been baked in Istanbul since at least the 16th century, with documented Ottoman bakery records of the ring-shaped sesame bread. The pekmez (grape molasses) dip before baking is the canonical Istanbul technique, giving the distinctive deep brown crust and slight sweetness. Today simit is sold across the city from the red wooden poles of street vendors and at Borsam Taşfırın, Karaköy bakeries and the morning counters of every meyhane and breakfast room. The ring is the affordable everyday Istanbul snack.
4 editor picks for Simit in Istanbul, ranked by editorial score. All Istanbul signature dishes · Simit across every city.
Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi ★ 4.3
Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi off the Sirkeci side-streets, pulling kıymalı and kuşbaşılı pide from a wood oven since the 1960s for the lunchtime suit crowd.
OrderKıymalı pide, Kuşbaşılı pide, Lahmacun
Borsam Taşfırın ★ 4.2
Borsam Taşfırın in Kadıköy, a stone-oven lahmacun and pide salon running since 1968 with a counter line that turns over every five minutes at lunch.
OrderLahmacun, Kıymalı pide, Yumurta pide
Borsam Taşfırın Kadıköy ★ 4.2
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.
OrderLahmacun and pide
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Simit makes more sense with someone from Istanbul explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Taste Simit with a local in Istanbul
This dish
3 hours
Istanbul: Turkish Simit & Breakfast Cooking Class w/ Chef
Join a cooking class in Istanbul and learn to make traditional Turkish simit and a classic breakfast dish. Enjoy your creations with unlimited Turkish tea and take hom...
from$68 Check dates
This dish
2 hours
Istanbul: Traditional Simit & Breakfast Cooking Class
Learn to bake simit and cook authentic menemen and muhammara with a professional chef! For the price of a standard breakfast, get a hands-on culinary class and enjoy a...
from$59 Check dates
Guided tour · 3 hours
Istanbul: Kadikoy Food Tour with 12+ Delicacies Tastings
Savor authentic Turkish dishes in vibrant Kadıköy. From lahmacun to menemen, coffee, and wine, discover the flavors, history, and traditions that make Istanbul a true ...
from$108 Check dates