Day-by-day eating plans for Istanbul. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Istanbul weekend: two continents in two days ★ 4.6

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend built around the dishes Istanbul invented, the meyhane that wrote the rakı rulebook, and one Bosphorus-view fine-dining dinner. Both continents, one Bosphorus ferry crossing.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: European-side classics, Beyoğlu meyhane

    Morning
    Breakfast at Van Kahvaltı Evi in Cihangir at 09:00. Order the serpme spread. Walk down to Mandabatmaz in Olivya Geçidi for a Turkish coffee orta-şekerli.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Tarihi Hocapaşa Pidecisi in Sirkeci, two pides shared. Then the Spice Bazaar at Eminönü for pistachios and saffron. Walk over Galata Bridge for a balık ekmek at Tarihi Eminönü Balık Ekmek at the moored boats.
    Evening
    Aperitivo at Solera Winery on Yeni Çarşı. Dinner at Yakup 2 on Asmalı Mescit Sokak from 20:00. Rakı, hot and cold mezze, grilled lamb chops. Walk down to Karaköy Güllüoğlu before midnight for the pistachio baklava counter.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: ferry to Kadıköy, Anatolian regional

    Morning
    Ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy at 09:30. Browse the Kadıköy Çarşısı market on Güneşlibahçe, sea bass on ice, Aegean cheeses, sumac in open sacks.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Çiya Sofrası, point at three dishes from the steam table. Cross the street for a kebap at Çiya Kebap, then a lahmacun at Borsam Taşfırın around the corner on Serasker Caddesi.
    Evening
    Cocktail at Viktor Levi Moda from 18:30, then ferry back and dinner at Yeni Lokanta in Beyoğlu, Civan Er's Kumbaracı Yokuşu room serving modern Anatolian plates on Sundays from 13:00-22:00. End with a coffee at Karabatak Karaköy.

Istanbul long weekend: deep into the kitchens ★ 4.7

Repeat visitor, three days3 days

Three days for repeat visitors. Asian-side breakfast, Ottoman palace lunch, two Michelin-listed dinners, plus a serious half-day in the Kadıköy market.

  1. Day 1: Friday: Ottoman and southeastern

    Morning
    Breakfast at Privato Cafe in Galata at 10:00 with Galata Tower views. Coffee at Kronotrop Cihangir after.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Matbah in Sultanahmet for Ottoman palace recipes inside the Ottoman Hotel Imperial, then walk the Hagia Sophia courtyard around the corner. Return to Beyoğlu for a baklava break at Karaköy Güllüoğlu.
    Evening
    Dinner at Antiochia in Asmalımescit from 20:00 for Antakya kebabs and southeastern mezze. Nightcap at Pano Şarap Evi on Hamalbaşı.

  2. Day 2: Saturday: Kadıköy market day

    Morning
    Ferry to Kadıköy at 09:00. Three hours through Kadıköy Çarşısı with stops at the cheese stalls and the bonito fishmongers. Mid-morning lahmacun at Borsam Taşfırın.
    Afternoon
    Long lunch at Çiya Sofrası, two visits, one for the steam table and one for the kebap shop opposite. Coffee on a Moda bench.
    Evening
    Ferry back. Aperitivo at Foxy Nişantaşı for natural Turkish wines from 19:00. Dinner at Turk Fatih Tutak, two stars, twelve courses. Book three weeks ahead.

  3. Day 3: Sunday: Bosphorus brunch, little-known places

    Morning
    Brunch at Sade Kahve below the Rumeli Hisarı walls at 10:30. Full Turkish breakfast on the Bosphorus terrace.
    Afternoon
    Taxi south to Karaköy. Lunch at Mükellef Karaköy on Maliye Caddesi, a Bosphorus-terrace Turkish room that serves Sunday menemen and the Karaköy kahvaltı tabağı. Walk through the Karaköy fish market afterwards.
    Evening
    Dinner at Aheste in Asmalımescit from 19:00, a Michelin-listed Modern Turkish and Levantine mezze room that runs Sundays from 18:00. End with a late Turkish coffee at Mandabatmaz in Olivya Geçidi.

Istanbul on a budget: under 400 lira a meal ★ 4.3

Budget traveller, two days2 days

Two days of Istanbul eating where no meal goes over 400 lira a head. Counter food, esnaf lokantas, market lahmacun and a meyhane night that still leaves change.

  1. Day 1: Day one: European-side counters

    Morning
    Bread and tea at Hafız Mustafa 1864 on Hamidiye Caddesi by 09:00. Walk to the Spice Bazaar for a free wander.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Bahar Restaurant inside the Grand Bazaar's Yağcı Han, stewed lamb, kuru fasulye and pilav for under 200 lira. Balık ekmek at Tarihi Eminönü Balık Ekmek for an afternoon snack.
    Evening
    Dinner at Hayvore in Beyoğlu, Black Sea steam table, under 300 lira a head. Nightcap kahve at Mandabatmaz.

  2. Day 2: Day two: Kadıköy stalls and a meyhane

    Morning
    Ferry to Kadıköy, breakfast simit from a market cart. Lahmacun and pide at Borsam Taşfırın on Serasker Caddesi, three to two people.
    Afternoon
    Half a steam-table plate at Çiya Sofrası in Kadıköy, then Maraş dondurma at Mado on Bağdat Caddesi.
    Evening
    Ferry back. Wet burger at Kızılkayalar in Taksim before dinner. Then mezze and rakı at Tarihi Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi in Beyoğlu's Balık Pazarı; the fixed-price menu lands well under 700 lira a head.

Istanbul kahvalti and Bosphorus day ★ 4.7

Breakfast pilgrim, single day1 day

A long-form Turkish breakfast on the Bosphorus then a ferry-crossing afternoon on the Asian side.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Bebek breakfast to Kadıköy dinner

    Morning
    Long breakfast at Van Kahvalti Evi in Cihangir at 09:30 for the Van-style kahvalti table: kavurma, cheeses, olives, otlu peynir, jams.
    Afternoon
    Ferry from Karakoy to Kadıköy at 13:30; walk the Kadıköy Çarşısı for the fish stalls, Turkish coffee at Kronotrop and a Kadıköy Salı Pazarı tour if the day matches.
    Evening
    Dinner at Çiya Sofrası from 19:30 for the Anatolian regional menu, then a glass of raki at one of the Kadıköy meyhanes.

Istanbul meyhane evening: raki, mezze, slow Turkish dinner ★ 4.6

Single long evening1 evening

A slow Istanbul meyhane night: cold mezze parade, fish course, the long raki ritual.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Mezze to fish to last raki

    Morning
    Skip; the meyhane evening starts at sunset.
    Afternoon
    Pre-dinner stop at Mikla Sky Bar at 18:00 for the Pera-roof sunset view.
    Evening
    Dinner at Asmalı Cavit in Beyoglu from 20:00, the canonical Istanbul meyhane: the cold-mezze parade, hot mezze, a grilled fish, raki on ice with melon. Walk for a nightcap at Yeni Lokanta on Kumbaracı Yokuşu.

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