Galata and Beyoglu, a Guide to our Temporary Home in Istanbul
The Galata and Beyoglu districts of Istanbul are a warren of beautiful streets filled with shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. Read our guide on what to eat, where to go and what to see in these historic and buzzing districts of Galata and Beyoglu.
When we were researching Istanbul and trying to decide where to stay, we were overwhelmed with options. A hundred people claimed their stay/home district was the best.
Istanbul’s Districts
Eminönü had the hostels and easiest access to the main sites (Hagia Sofia and the Grand Bazaar), the Asian side had loads of good looking food, views over the Bosphorus, and the Galata/Beyoğlu district was full of cobbled streets and pretty, narrow lanes. The choices were many and we were clueless. In this situation, we have a strategy to break out of choice paralysis. We resorted to Google Street view. We virtually wandered up and down around each of the districts, before cross referencing with the accommodation available. A combination of a small, but within budget, whole flat on AirBnB and a pretty virtual wander around, had us settling near the Galata Tower in the Istanbul district of Beyoğlu.
Our pretty (but steep) Street
We cannot comment if this was the “best” district as it was the only one we stayed in, but after seven days in Istanbul we had firmly fallen in love with Beyoğlu. Its charming cobbled streets, plethora of eating and drinking options, and its many cats won us over.
Getting to Beyoglu
We arrived via taxi from the airport (we know, not a great start to the budget backpacking) and were dropped off somewhere relatively near our AirBnB (our taxi driver had no idea where our AirBnB was, or at least had no intention of going any further than he had). A short, but very steep walk up a cobbled street, through an alleyway and then a courtyard brought us to our accommodation. We immediately liked the area, this may have been due to the large bundle of kittens that greeted us in the courtyard. Our AirBnB was very small and split over two floors. The bedroom on the bottom and the kitchen and bathroom on top. Although highly compact, this space proved to be perfect for our needs during our seven day stay. Bags unpacked, sweaty t-shirts changed and we headed out to explore.
Our cosy courtyard
Food and Drink in Beyoglu District
Over the course of our stay, we discovered the Beyoğlu district and neighbouring Galata (we can’t tell if Galata was a separate district or interchangeable with Beyoğlu) had everything close at hand we could ask for.
As you may have realised if you follow our stories on Instagram (if you don’t already please do), we very much enjoy our food. Beyoğlu did not disappoint on this front. Kebabs, wraps, stews, falafel, pide, you name it, you could quickly find it. Just up the (near vertical) street from our AirBnB, was Falafel Koy. This little hole in the wall joint was near comedically cheap, 60 Turkish Lira each (£2.82 or $3.38) for a main meal and bottle of water. We went for menu 1, which consisted of three falafel, tabouleh, humus, bakla (a salad of beans and tomatoes) and fatus (crispy shards of something or other) all served with a basket of fresh tissue thin bread. It was fresh, delicious and a welcome break from the heavier fare we had been enjoying. Falafel Koy really doesn’t look like much from the outside (or indeed the modest inside), but we really enjoyed our food there.
Another excellent restaurant we ate at was Tavanarasi. Directly opposite one end of the street we referred to as “Bar Street” (but was actually called Sofyali Sk), is a small door leading to the restaurant. Enter through the door, take the tiny lift to the top floor and you will find yourself in Tavanarasi. The views out of the open rooftop windows were spectacular, especially if you timed your dinner as the sun was setting. The food was hearty, generous, and very, very tasty. They serve all manner of Turkish fare from grilled meats through to salads and casseroles (also pasta for some reason). John really enjoyed the grilled chicken and Ellie loved her choice of a chicken and aubergine casserole which came slathered in cheese. We enjoyed our first meal there so much that we returned for a second sunset supper. The prices were very reasonable; for two mains, a salad and two beers we paid 255 Turkish Lira (£11.98 or $14.38).
The sunset view from Tavanarasi
Following most dinners, we would seek out frosty beverages in the form of beer. Istanbul’s most common (at least from what we saw) local lager was Efes. Whilst Efes will never dethrone our favourite lagers, the Beyoğlu locations in which we enjoyed it were excellent. Near our accommodation, on the other side of the main street between Taksim Square and the Galata Tower, was a little warren of pubs, bars, live music venues and cafes which we have previously referred to as “Bar Street”. We switched up our choice of venue most evenings, and enjoyed excellent live Turkish music, fantastic hospitality and very cold beers wherever we chose. We are not experts at the relative cost of beer in Istanbul, but this area seemed to be very reasonable if not the cheapest we saw around the city, with prices typically about 45 to 55 Turkish Lira for a large beer (£2.11 or $2.45 to £2.58 to $3.10). Coming from London, this was a very welcome change in price for a drink. Most days, after the sun had slunk beneath the horizon and we had filled our bellies, you would most probably have found us somewhere on this street. We did have a posher night out in Beyoğlu and if you haven’t already, you can read about it here.
Things to Do in Beyoglu District
We have already written about the Galata Tower but Beyoğlu contains some other notable features. The whole area is a warren of picturesque cobbled streets, craft coffee shops, vintage clothes, and bespoke craft stores. Beyoğlu also has the famous old tram that runs down the length of Istiklal Street. This street seemed to be the Istanbulian equivalent to Oxford Street except local people still shop there and the restaurants wouldn’t cause you to remortgage your house. Whilst we didn’t ride the old tram, we saw it on multiple occasions and snapped the obligatory photos. Another unique form of transport in the district is the Tünel, an underground railway/funicular that connects the port of Karaköy to Beyoğlu. We did ride this, and although interesting to read about and see, we’re not sure if it actually saved us much time over walking, although those with mobility concerns can use it to avoid a very steep walk.
One of our favourite finds in the district was the Şışhane Park or as we called it the “Sunset Spot”. Although it calls itself a park, it isn't very green. It’s more a series of stone steps leading down to an almost auditorium-like space. As the day begins to fade, the square fills up with families, couples, and beer drinking friends all there to enjoy the ambience and a fantastic view of a skyline set on fire by the setting sun.
Obligatory sunset selfie at Şışhane Park
Our time in Istanbul was brilliant. The area we stayed was perfect for our needs. Fantastic food, good bars and a tangle of pretty streets. We could have wandered through and around the district for days and not seen a tenth of it. A brief note about wandering this district - it is very hilly, particularly between the sea and anywhere along Istiklal Street. Those with issues with mobility should bear in mind that getting between just about anywhere will require a lot of walking and some very steep ascents. Leg workouts aside, our main issue to reaching our destinations was the sheer number of picture perfect cats and kittens. Every 5 metres John would turn around to find Ellie 3 metres behind snapping photos or attempting to scritch another cute kitty.
Beyoğlu provided us with our perfect home base in Istanbul, other than a boat trip to the Princes Islands, we had been able to walk to every attraction, restaurant or drinking hole we had wanted too. Our cosy little AirBnB was in the perfect location, and just big enough for us to chill out there when not exploring, eating or drinking. From our experiences we can highly recommend staying in the Beyoğlu district.
We loved our days in Istanbul and as they came to a close, we looked forward to our next destination, Sri Lanka…
And so we went!
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Istanbul Essentials - Time to be a Tourist
The ancient city of Istanbul lies at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Full of history and relics of the past, read our guide on where to go, what to see and what not to miss in Turkey / Turkiye's beautiful Istanbul. Read our guide to the unmissable, historic destinations Istanbul has to offer.
Istanbul is an ancient, continent spanning, history defining city. Studded with world famous mosques, markets, museums and galleries the city is packed with amazing places to visit.
There comes a time in any holiday, be it city break, or more extended travel, where you can no longer avoid your destination's most famous attractions. For us, this occurred near to the end of our time in Istanbul. We had eaten the food, drunk the wine and wandered the streets of this amazing city, but now was the time for us to hit up its most iconic landmarks.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Glancing across Istanbul's skyline you can’t fail but to be impressed by its myriad clusters of pointed minarets, and elegant mosque domes. We wanted a better vantage point, so we decided to make for the closest of the city's main attractions namely, the Galata Tower.
The Galata Tower
The Galata Tower dominates the Beyoğlu district. It’s prominently visible for miles and miles around. Indeed on our day trip to the Princes Islands it was a good hour plus on the ferry before we had lost sight of it. Making our way to the tram carriage turned ticket office, we handed over the 175 Turkish Lira each and got in line for the tower.
2024 Price Update
Ticket prices have increased substantially since our 2022 visit! A single entrance ticket to the Galata tower will now set you back 30€! There are some discounted rates for various package tours - check out GetYourGuide for some ideas!
Many of Istanbuls attractions now post their entrance fee in Euros but will still give change in Lira.
It is a little difficult to get the whole of the Galata Tower in shot from up close!
The Galata Tower seemed to always be busy. We have heard that it's less crowded when it opens (8:30am) in the morning, but we were too lazy to test this theory. The queue spiralled around the bottom of the tower but moved quickly. Once inside, there is a lift to take you up to the top floors. The lift impressed us very much, as up to this point Istanbul had been a constant leg workout, climbing hills, stairs, and steep cobbled streets. Disembarking from the lift we were greeted by a huge model panorama of Istanbul. The city's highlights picked out and floating above the rest of the diorama. Up a final set of stairs (Istanbul will always make you work for it) waited the main event.
At the top of the tower the 360 degree balcony affords unrivalled views of the city. You may have to jostle for space amongst the throng of selfie snapping tourists (no judgement here we were also snapping selfies), but the views were well worth it. We had a clear day and could see all across the city's rooftops, right out across the Bosphorus. Pictures taken and selfies snapped, we descended the tower. The way down is via stairs (optional, you could ride the lift down), and contains a history of the district and its Venetian influences, as well as changing temporary exhibitions. We don’t want to just repeat Wikipedia so we won’t go into the history here, but can report that the small exhibitions were interesting without ever being overwhelming. The Galata Tower, even if it was a little pricey, is well worth a visit. The magnificent views alone justify the price of entry.
The Hagia Sophia
Crossing the Galata Bridge, we moved on. Next up was the big one. If you think of Istanbul, the defining image in many people's minds will be the Hagia Sophia.
Having been built by the Eastern Roman Empire, this colossal monument to faith, started as a Christian cathedral, and is now a grand mosque. The Hagia Sophia is one of the most iconic destinations of the city. Entry is free (score for the backpacker budget), but there was a long line. Luckily the queue moved very quickly and with a swift purchase of a head shawl for Ellie (as a girl you need to cover your hair and not be wearing shorts or short skirts, men need to have covered shoulders and again no shorts) costing 10 Turkish Lira (47p or $0.56) we were soon inside this mammoth building. Upon entry you are asked to remove your shoes, this is done inside an impressive cavernous corridor with a huge vaulted ceiling. Shoes stowed, we crossed the threshold and entered the central dome of the mosque.
2024 Price Update
Sadly the Hagia Sofia is now much more expensive to visit. Entrance to this amazing building now costs 25 Euros for tourists. Muslims can enter and worship for free on the ground floor but tourists must now pay view the building from the upper galleries. The dress code is still strictly enforced but the cover ups now cost 1 Euro for a headscarf and 3 Euros for body covers.
Pictures really don’t give you a sense of scale. The rich blue, black and gold dome soars overhead, reaching up to 180 feet high at its peak. Old paintings and frescoes from when the mosque was a Christian cathedral sit alongside stunning Islamic calligraphy. Layers of chandeliers drop down like bejewelled halos casting a golden light throughout the space. The plush carpet, atmospheric light and overall scale lent the Hagia Sophia an air of tranquil serenity brought about by sheer awe. Again, you’ve seen pictures of the place and our photos alongside this, but you really cannot get a sense of the scale and beauty of the building. We hate to use the phrase but it really is a “must see” whilst in Istanbul.
The Blue Mosque
Across the square from the Hagia Sophia lies the Blue Mosque. We visited whilst it was still being heavily renovated. This had the advantage of there being no line to get in, but the disadvantage of most of the interior being screened away behind scaffolding. Again, this is a place of worship so entry is free, but you will need to dress appropriately and remove your shoes. The glimpses between scaffolding offered hints of what an impressive building this is, or at least will be when the renovation is completed. If we find ourselves in Istanbul in future, we will definitely be giving this another go. We’d still recommend having a look as it’s not far from the Hagia Sophia (literally 5 minutes from the entrance) and again, it was free.
Even despite the scaffolding, you can see that the Blue Mosque is an incredible building.
2024 Update
A happy update this time - The Blue Mosque has finished its restoration and is now fully open and viewable in all its splendor! There is still no entrance fee for visiting the Blue Mosque but it will be closed to non-worshippers at prayer times.
The Grand Bazaar
After the Blue Mosque we headed to the Grand Bazaar.
John has very fond childhood memories of the Grand Bazaar. He visited as a gobby little 10 year old and clearly remembers “haggling” over a Nike tracksuit of questionable authenticity (I’m not saying it was fake but it did fall apart three days later). Older, but not necessarily much wiser (and not in pursuit of a Nike tracksuit) we entered the maze-like warren that is the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. With over 4000 shops, the Grand Bazaar truly lives up to its name. One of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, the Grand Bazaar sprawls out in all directions. Corridors of shops interconnecting with each other. Tea shops, water fountains and every variety of jewellers and souvenir shops vie for space amongst the ancient arches. We feel that no matter what you set out for, you’d probably be able to find it for sale somewhere within the labyrinth. We however were at the start of our backpacking trip and, as previously mentioned, had no spare space in our bags, therefore there would be no room for impulse purchases. The evil eye charms, mosaic tiles and spices would all have to wait. Even if you’re like us and not there to buy anything, the Grand Bazaar really should not be missed.
As a bonus, if you exit the Grand Bazaar to the north and head down the hill towards the Galata Bridge, you will find yourself in a fascinating outdoor market district. Groups of sellers, each specialising in one trade or goods, ply their wares on the street. Despite lacking the impressive architecture of the Grand Bazaar, we found this area to be almost as fascinating, to wander through.
Being A Tourist in Istanbul
This article was called the tourist day, but this is not meant sneeringly after all - we are tourists after all! Sometimes places become popular with tourists for a reason. The Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar and the Galata Tower were all “touristy” with the usual trappings of touts, unwanted offers tour guides and the ever present tourist tat shops, however this did not override the wonder of each place. Sometimes it is worth spending the money to see what all the fuss is about!
As we mentioned previously, we don’t like the term “must see” but, at the same time, these places are so important, beautiful and rooted in the identity of Istanbul that no visit to the city should be without a trip to admire them.
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
Obligatory Galata Tower selfie!
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Boozy Nights in Beyoglu, Istanbul
A boozy, bougie night out in Istanbul. Wine and Cocktails await! Follow us for a fancy night out, treating ourselves in the amazing Beyoglu district of Istanbul.
No backpacking trip, or indeed any trip is complete without at least one (or many more) messy nights out sampling the local nightlife.
The Beyoğlu district of Istanbul is luckily replete with all manner of bars, clubs, live music venues, wine bars and cocktail joints. After a few nights out chilling on what we called ‘bar street’ (although it’s actually called Sofyali Sk.) We decided to go upmarket and become posh packers for the night.
Wine and Cocktail Bars in Beyoglu
Our first bougie stop for the night was the Solera Winery, a little wine bar, tucked into a small, but deep shop in front off Yeni Çarşı street. As we arrived, the open shop front beckoned us in, its tables spilling invitingly onto the street.
The interior was a mixture of plush furnishings and, bizarrely, pictures of rural Vietnam (we checked and there was no Vietnamese wine on the menu). As the place specialised in Turkish wine we ordered a bottle for the table. Spicy and deep it went down easily and soon our eyes turned towards the meze selection. We decided to order the cold meze, and the waiter soon returned to our table bearing a tray full of choices. Despite the near overwhelming temptation to choose all of it, we restrained ourselves. We chose: hummus and bread, sardines in olive oil, and the dolma. To put it mildly, we were very happy with our choices. Despite the Bond villain level error of red wine and fish, the food was a perfect accompaniment to the wine. The meze and the wine came to approximately 250 lira which is (£12 or $14.5). Solera Winery had won two new fans. Inexpensive, delicious wine paired with thoughtful and well prepared food, it was a winner!
As the night was yet young, we wandered back to bar street for a beer and a main meal before resuming our more upscale endeavours.
We returned to Yeni Çarşı street and sought out the Flekk cocktail bar, which had been recommended by Geena from Beyond the Bucketlist. A sumptuous interior of mood lighting, candles and tongue in cheek faux aristocracy paintings awaited. Nestled into our corner of the cocktail bar, we were presented with what can only be described as an incredible cocktail menu.
By incredible, we mean that; Ellie ordered the cocktail named after an Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. Anywhere that names cocktails like this must have a sense of humour or at least must enjoy the spectacle of people attempting the pronunciation. Ellie tried in vain, the waiter eventually taking pity and just saying “ah yes, I know the one”. The cocktail itself however, was no joke. Tequila mixed with the sweet notes of vanilla and coconut liqueur combined with spicy pink and white pepper and ginger, delivered a cocktail as disruptive to the senses as its namesake was to aviation in 2010.
John in the meantime, opted for the more easily pronounceable St Martin. A gin based cocktail, melded with hibiscus and black raspberry liqueur finished with a citrus kick. Once more, Flekk knocked it out of the park. Balancing the sour sharp lime butting heads with the sweet black raspberry and both of them being improved because of it. The cocktail was far more than the sum of its parts.
And because no trip to a cocktail bar is complete with just one cocktail, we of course ordered another round. Sampling others from the menu. We can’t spoil everything, but can report that the second round was as good as the first (although with less funny names).
Flekk came to us via a recommendation, and we endorse that and pass that recommendation on. It was fantastic and reasonably priced (especially when you’re visiting from London) with cocktails costing approximately 150 to 210 Turkish Lira (£7 to £10 or $8.50 or $12). Our bougie night ended at Flekk, our bellies and souls full of fine wine, okay beer, good food and a selection of excellent cocktails. We recommend seeking these two places out should you want to treat yourself whilst in Istanbul.
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Turkish Street Food - Eating Our Way Around Istanbul
Istanbul is a rich vein of foodie delights. Read our article as we eat our way through the streets of Istanbul, eating everything from simit to baklava, pide to kebabs. Read our guide to Istanbul’s must eats!
Anyone who knows us, knows that we love food. Especially the kind of food that can be bought cheaply from the side of the street. One of the main reasons we booked a trip to Istanbul was to eat! We had dabbled in Turkish cuisine on the streets of London, tucking into huge meze plates and enjoying grilled meat kebabs (often after a late night on the town), but we both knew that there was so much more to Turkish food.
We had tried to prepare ourselves, we had binged YouTube for streetfood recommendations, scryed GoogleMaps for possible ideas, but nothing could prepare us for actually pounding the pavements and sampling Istanbul’s street food ourselves!
Even writing this now we are basically salivating at the thought of Istanbul's famous street eats. Below (and in no particular order) is a list of some of the best street food we ate and loved in Istanbul.
In this Istanbul Street Food Guide
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What To Eat in Istanbul? Our Street Food Recommendations
No matter where you are in Istanbul you will be able to find some fantastic street food. These are just some of our favourite Turkish street eats we devoured during our time in Istanbul!
Simit - A local bread snack
Simit is a daily staple in Istanbul. The local bread can be found in shops and carts all over the city. As we wandered through the crowded streets, it was possibly the most common street food we saw. Simit is shaped like a skinny, twisted dough bagel and usually comes in the form either of a plain simit or one covered in sesame seeds.
John visited Istanbul as a child and vaguely remembered having to chew for hours on an elderly simit he had bought from the street, so it was without high hopes that we purchased one. We opted for the option of a sesame simit with cheese.
After taking my first bite, I can only assume that little John was either:
a) Young, grumpy and taking it out on the poor simit (quite likely)
b) Had an unlucky choice in a less than fresh simit
The simit we tried was delicious. Slightly chewy, but with a firm exterior, it was the perfect vehicle for the soft cheese. Simit made for an excellent post breakfast snack and easily powered us through till lunch. There is also the option of buying a simit spread with Nutella if you’re looking for a sweet treat!
Availability: Everywhere, just look for the little carts piled high with circular breads, or purchase straight from bakeries found across the city.
Average cost: Prices will start from 10 TRY but expect to pay more if you are purchasing from a street stall outside one of the main tourist attractions or if you are buying from a brick and mortar bakery.
As they are highly portable, we would recommend picking up a couple of simits to form part of a picnic. We did just this on our day trip to the Princes Islands (click the link to read more) picking up both a sweet and savoury simit to eat on our walk around Büyükada island.
Döner - Kebabs but not as you know them!
Possibly no Turkish street food is more famous (especially to the English) than the Turkish döner kebab. Meat is sliced and then piled into stacks, then formed into elephant leg sized towers of meat, vertically grilled before being sliced onto bread and served. Although familiar to us, the original is so much better than the imitators (as is often the case). During our time in Istanbul we sampled many a döner each subtly different, with variations of meat, spicing and sauces. Throughout our stay, and despite many opportunities, we didn't have a bad kebab. The key differences between the kebabs of home and the ones that we found in Istanbul were:
Due to the high demand, the meat is constantly fresh and always juicy to the point of sauciness.
Before slicing the meat into the bread, the bread is slapped onto the rotating meat to suck up all the delicious meaty juices.
The meat is frequently covered in a dry spice before any sauce is added.
Very unlike its traditional English post-pub counterpart, the vegetables are actually vegetables and not just tarnished memories of what was once a green plant.
We’re sure that, if you tried, you could find a bland, tasteless greasy döner to remind you of England but of all the many we munched, ours were tasty and vibrant without exception. We don't think you can really avoid döner kebab in Istanbul and we would recommend you don’t even try! We even bought one in the heart of the most touristy spot near us (the base of the Galata Tower in the Beyoğlu district) and it was cheap, filling and delicious!
Availability: Again, absolutely everywhere. We stumbled upon döner kebab stalls on almost every street corner. You couldn’t avoid them. They were available from street stalls to convenience stalls and all the way through to fancy restaurants. We even ate one from a mobile phone shop that sold SIM cards right next to the flaming grill!
Average cost: Variable, the street eat ones that we were typically getting ranged around the 80 to 150 TRY depending on meat and fillings etc but in some places this jumped to over 200 TRY although this was usually in the tourist hotspots of the city.
If you want to try an utterly spectacular sit down meal then make sure you check out our first night in the city where we gorged on a humongous kebab feast in the form of grilled lamb kebabs from the fantastic Bilice Kebap’s restaurant (again click the link to read more).
Pide - Turkish style pizza
Looking sort of like a flat canoe that had an illicit affair with a pizza, Pides are often referred to (but not usually by the Turkish), as ‘Turkish pizza’. Unlike their Italian brothers, pide is a crispy, oven-fired flat bread with raised sides which help to contain a variety of tasty toppings. The majority of pides come topped with some form of cheese. Either cheese on its own, cheese with some form of meat or cheese and a mixture of vegetables. We always opted for the cheese and minced beef which was always super gooey, rich and delicately spiced. Pide was always a reliable street food to eat on the go. Once cooked, the pides are sliced into thin segments and make perfect hand-held street snacks whatever the time of day.
Cheap, hot and often very cheesy, we found ourselves indulging with these on more than one occasion!
Availability: Everywhere, look for bakeries, hole in the wall joints, bars and restaurants. Pides make an exceptional street food snack after a night of drinking a few Efes beers!
Average cost: Prices will usually start at around 300 TRY for a pide. In less touristy spots in the city, you may be lucky and find cheaper pides. If you are planning to sit down in a restaurant, prices can jump up to a lot more. Also bear in mind that pides come in a range of sizes. We saw several that were well over a metre long!
Kokoreç - A sausage sandwich but better!
Kokoreç or kokoretsi is one of those foods better left unexplained. Just imagine you had to describe to an alien what a sausage was.
“Basically we grind up lots of animal bits and stuff them back into their own intestines… it’s delicious!” See! The description doesn’t exactly sell the product, and it’s the same with kokoreç.
On a horizontal spit, lamb offal, sweetbreads, heart and kidneys are wrapped in intestines, grilled over flames and then sliced, diced and put between bread. Even as we type this, we know this is hard sell but honestly, please just give it a go! The kokoreç is not as gamey in taste as the ingredient list may make it seem. Instead the kokoreç was the perfect counterbalance between hot, spicy and rich. Fiery pepper mixed with sweet onions and indulgent, intestine cased meat. Kokoreç was super tasty and so much better than we expected. If you take anything from this, just remember you eat sausages so don’t judge!
Availability: Very common all over the streets of Istanbul, look for the horizontal skewers that look like they’re wrapped in bacon (it’s definitely not bacon!).
We bought our kokoreç from the excellent Gala Kokoreç (location) on the European side of the city in the Fatih district, a short walk away from the Grand Bazaar.
Average cost: Prices start from 180 TRY for half a kokoreç and go up depending on size and filling.
Gözleme - A Turkish take on savoury crepes
We stumbled upon gözleme whilst wandering along the Galata waterfront. It was late afternoon and the whole waterfront was busy with families and locals fishing. Feeling a little peckish, we headed through the crowds and spotted a small stall set outside a restaurant that piqued our interest… It was time to try gözleme!
Gözleme is a sort of stuffed savoury crepe which is cooked over what could only be described as an up-turned wok heated from below. Gözleme can be stuffed with many different ingredients from meat to vegetables and almost always, mixed together with some form of cheese. After eating a lot of cheese and rich dishes over the week, we opted for the pure vegetarian spanakli gözleme which was stuffed with spinach, onions and herbs. Chewy, crunchy and packed full of green flavours, it was a delightful fresh contrast to the heavy meats and thicker doughs of the day.
Availability: All over the city, but we found a few stalls selling gözleme just east of the Galata Bridge, along the waterfront opposite the Karaköy ferry terminal on the European side of Istanbul. To try the gözleme we had, just look out for a large red stall and the smiling ladies cooking the gözleme out front.
Gözleme is a popular Turkish breakfast dish, but as you can see, they are available at all times of day. We think they would make for an excellent breakfast dish!
Average cost: Gözleme prices start at 160 TRY and go up depending on what filling you choose. Obviously meat stuffed gözleme cost a bit more than pure vegetable gözleme.
Midye dolma - Stuffed streetside mussels
Midye dolma is a cold shellfish delicacy found on the streets throughout the city. Street side seafood is almost always a hard sell to anyone, but midye dolma came highly recommended to us from a friend who used to live in Istanbul.
Midye dolma are mussels that have been stuffed with herbed rice and served cold with a squeeze of lemon juice. Vendors usually have a variety of mussel sizes to choose from and you eat these mussel-y morsels street side in one bite using the other half of the mussel shell as a scoop/spoon. These mini bites were totally unexpected (for some reason Ellie thought they would be warm!), they are a whirlwind of aromatic herbs mixed with the zing of citrus all blended with the salty taste of the sea. These ubiquitous snacks are an absolute must try!
Availability: Everywhere all over Istanbul. Come the evening, look out for sellers holding circular trays of mussels in a rainbow of sizes.
Average cost: Expect to pay around 10 to 20 TRY per midye dolma. In restaurants you can order larger portions / plates of mussels with prices starting from 300 TRY.
Baklava - An incredibly moreish sweet treat
Ellie is a fiend, a devil in human skin, a hoover with an endless appetite…. At least when it comes to baklava. If I was to survive our Istanbul trip, there was no option, Ellie must be supplied with baklava. So even though these are not technically street food, we have included them here.
Myriad layers of crepe paper thin pastry, stuffed with pistachios nuts and soaked in sugar syrup, baklava are truly decadent, sweet delicacies. We purchased our baklava from a little old lady in a tiny shop at the bottom of our street in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. In her shop, she only sold three varieties (at least when we visited), so we brought all three to try.
Each type of baklava we bought was completely different. One was stuffed with chopped walnuts, the other wrapped in a scarf of chopped pistachio and the last was coated with crunchy small shards of pastry and stuffed with dried fruit and drizzled in honey. They were divine!
Sweet (John says to the point of sickness, but I disagree) and sticky, these little one biters are a fantastic accompaniment to strong coffee, and make an excellent pick me up should you need your sugar replenishing (or if you’re a devil in human form and can only be appeased by sweet snacks!).
Availability: Everywhere, look out for the speciality baklava shops found all over Istanbul.
Average cost: One piece of baklava can start from 70 TRY and expect to pay around 300 TRY for a variety box. In the more high end shops, you can buy baklava in kilogram sizes.
Baklava costs a lot more than everything else on this list, but it’s totally worth it! Expect to pay a lot more in Istanbul’s most well-known baklava shops such as Hafiz Mustafa 1864 or Karaköy Güllüoğlu.
Fresh fruit juice - A refreshing pick me up!
After climbing the multiple hills of Istanbul and gorging on heavy meats, breads and many morsels of baklava, you may find yourself in need of some fresh fruit refreshment. Luckily Istanbul (especially the Galata district where we were staying) is well equipped with juice shops that will squeeze your fruit of choice into a fresh and tasty beverage. You will see colourful stands proudly displaying a rainbow of fruits. Choosing from this plethora of fruits can be difficult, but regardless of choice, your fruit will be chopped, juiced and poured into a cup. Just like bras, prices range depending on cup size as well as (unlike bras) fruit choice with apple and orange being the cheapest and the more exotic fruit being much pricier. These juices were a much needed refreshment when tackling a day out in the busy sunny streets of Istanbul.
Availability: All over the city. In the Beyoğlu/Galata district we found these stalls everywhere. They were not always obvious (sometimes we mistook them for fruit stalls) but they are easily spotted by their massive fruit displays.
Average cost: Prices start from 60 TRY for a small cup of orange juice and can quickly triple in prices depending on cup size and choice of fruit.
Istanbul Street Food Tips - How to Eat Like a Local
Over the last half decade, our diet has mainly consisted of street food and these are some tips we’ve picked up along the way on how you can eat street food like a local!
A long queue is not always a bad thing especially when it comes to street food. Wherever you are, just look for the busy stalls. A long queue full of locals almost 100% guarantees that what you order will be fantastic!
Bring lots of cash. Although credit and debit cards are widely used across Istanbul, for smaller street food stalls you are going to need the old-fashioned notes and coins!
If you do get sick, chances are it won’t be because of the food. During the summer the temperatures in Istanbul sky rocket. Make sure you drink lots of water. Also ease yourself in with spicy food. Chances are your body won’t be used to it so give your stomach some time to adapt!
The above also applies to cooking oil. Many people feel a little queasy outside of their home country as different oils are used in cooking. Don’t panic, it’s completely normal and your body will adapt quickly.
Drink bottled water. The water from the taps in Istanbul is treated, but it is still highly recommended that tourists drink bottled water. The ice and water used for drinks at the street food stalls will be made from mineral water.
Be adventurous and don’t be afraid. It can sometimes be a little daunting going up to a street food stall in another country, but we’ve always found street food vendors to be some of the most friendliest and helpful people.
Also don’t be scared to try new things. Street food is always much cheaper than what you can order at a restaurant. Our advice is to order anything that takes your fancy!
Learning a little bit of the language helps you get a long way! We’re not talking about attempting to be fluent, but just the basics always helps. Failing that, smiling and sign language always works for us too! What can we say, Turkish pronunciation doesn’t come naturally to us!
These are general street food tips that apply not only to Istanbul but to anywhere in the world.
Taking a Food Tour in Istanbul
We found the easiest way to try Istanbul’s delicious street eats was just to wander around the city. We were extremely lucky as we had a while in the city which gave us plenty of time to delve deep into the Istanbul street food scene. For those who are short on time in the city, it can be a bit of a juggle trying to cram everything you want to do in alongside eating. One of the best ways to overcome this is by booking a food tour.
We have taken street food tours all over the world, from the crowded and chaotic streets of Old Delhi all the way to the neon lights and tuk tuk filled Yaowarat Road in Bangkok’s Chinatown and every tour has been fantastic! Not only did we get to experience the city with a local and get to eat some incredible dishes, but we also learnt so much more about the history and the culture. We loved how on every food tour we have been on, we have visited local markets we would never have found, ate dishes we would have no idea how to order and eaten at small street side joints that if we would have been on our own, we would have walked straight past! Food tours are a great way to throw yourself into a place's food scene, especially if you are a little unsure as to how to order!
If you are looking for an Istanbul food tour, why not check out this street food tour on Get Your Guide which takes you on a culinary curated tour around both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul!
Next time we would love to take a food tour ourselves as we know there really is so much more to Istanbul’s street food scene than what we have eaten.
Final Thoughts
We were only in Istanbul for a week, but these were some of our favourite street snacks we tried. This list is of course by no means an exhaustive list of all the street food on offer in Istanbul. Even with our greedy stomachs, it would take several lifetimes to taste and catalogue all that Istanbul has to offer!
Next time we are in Istanbul we want to dive a little deeper and explore some of the lesser known districts of the city to see what other tasty treats we can find.
If you are planning a trip to Istanbul, our only advice is:
a) Go hungry and eat from the streets as much as you can
b) Whatever you choose to eat, we don’t think you can go wrong, that is unless you end up in McDonalds!
Happy munching all!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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The Princes Islands, Büyükada - A Day Trip From Istanbul
Our guide to the beautiful Island of Büyükada the largest of the Princes Islands. Only a day trip from Istanbul, read all about our walk around the island, thoughts about it and the costs of the trip!
An hour and a half from our local port of Karakoy lie the Princes Islands of Kinaliada, Heybeliada and Buyukada. After watching Backpacking Banana’s excellent YouTube video and speaking with one of my old friends from work, we decided to make the day trip.
Getting To The Princes Islands
Google, in its infinite wisdom, stated that the ferry was at 9.45am. We sauntered down to the Turyol ferry terminal early so that we could pick up the tickets and grab some breakfast. On arrival, John employed the traditional “confused tourist face” and some wild sign language and succeeded in securing us two tickets, along with hurried instructions to get on a waiting ferry immediately. In a mild state of panic we hurriedly boarded and found that we were, indeed, headed to Adalar, a port on the biggest of the Princes Islands, Buyukada. Google may have lied about the schedule, but the 9.25am ferry we were on, stopped at three of the Princes Islands and was very reasonably priced at 35 Turkish Lira (£1.70 or $2.01) for a single ticket.
On board, the boat was busy but not crowded with wandering tea sellers, entrepreneurs, tourists and Istanbulites out for the day. Having been denied our leisurely breakfast by Google, we grabbed a mystery meat and cheese toastie along with an iced tea and a freshly squeezed orange juice (all prepared on board) from the cafe and headed out to the deck. Despite Ellie’s misgivings about the mystery meat (at one point she did refer to it as looking more suitable for felines than humans) the toastie was tasty, filling and cheap. The whole breakfast cost us 45 Turkish Lira (£2.18 or $2.59).
Outside on deck, we were treated to spectacular waterborne views of Istanbul. Passing under the Galata Bridge we were treated to fantastic views of the Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace and other staples of the Istanbul skyline. The ferry then stopped on the Asian side in the port of Kadikoy to pick up more passengers before heading on to the Princes Islands. Sailing past the seemingly unending city of Istanbul we settled into our seats, grabbed two cups of tea from a passing seller at 5 Turkish Lira each (24p or $0.29) and enjoyed the sun and sea breeze. We stopped off to pick up/drop off passengers at Kinaliada and Heybeilada islands and before we knew it, we had arrived at Adalar port just before 11am.
The Town of Adalar
Adalar shares many similarities to popular UK seaside tourist towns. Crowds of people clearly visiting for the day. Check. Overpriced food right on the seafront. Check. Inflatables, magnets and postcards. Check. There was however one key difference to your average day at the UK seaside, it was sunny and hot and we mean really hot! We had been on shore for only 5 minutes and we were already roasting. So, newly basted in suncream, we headed off into town.
Getting Around The Island
We originally planned to hire bikes and to cycle round the island (there are no cars on the island really, only a plethora of electric vehicles and weird tricycles), but after checking various stalls and seeing that the prices appeared to be standard across all of them, we decided against it. Most stalls were offering bikes for 50 Turkish Lira an hour (each) and as we would need to hire two bikes and wanted to spend 5 or 6 hours going about the island we decided this method of transport was not friendly enough to our backpacker budget. Therefore it was just us and our pasty legs to get us around. This decision was reinforced later by the sheer amount of flat tyres, rusted chains and squealing brakes we encountered from the cyclists around the island.
So off we went, in the near midday sun heading clockwise to circumnavigate the island by foot. The initial walk through and out of the town was full of pretty buildings with cascading purple flowers, lots of restaurants and places to hire sun loungers. There were also places to swim but generally they were ticketed and were part of resorts or private clubs. Passing by the increasingly impressive mansions we wandered onwards. As we progressed the housing became sparser, the road started to undulate up and down (mostly up) and the smell changed from that of the urban seaside to salt breeze and pine needles.
The walk down the Eastern side of the island was punctuated with fantastic sea views, all from on high, as well as steep rising forests looking in towards the islands Centre. The dramatic views were occasionally interrupted with comic relief in the form of groups of people (usually teenagers), struggling to push themselves and their bicycles up the steep hills. These were sweaty, sweaty climbs for us on foot, let alone attempting to coerce an ancient bicycle up the road with little to no shade in the midday sun. Some of these hardy troopers would pass us on the down hill straights only to be overtaken by us once more when the road turned upwards. We encountered one especially sweaty man who had obviously decided to take his paramore out for a romantic day on the island and had hired an electric bike complete with a basket of flowers for the occasion. It looked like it had started well. We saw them first just outside of town whooshing along and cuddling whilst looking down on us pedestrian plebs from their position of electric superiority (please note they were definitely not doing this, we were just super jealous at this point). However, as the Eastern side bore on we would frequently encounter the couple in increasingly dishevelled states as the bicycles battery had now run dry. Initially we would see them at the top of steep rises but then it was halfway up, a third of the way up and then finally, looking up from the base of an incline with a mixture of desperation, fear and dread.
As we rounded the bottom of the Island, we were greeted with the island's Instagram spot. A 180 degree view with the Sea of Marmara blue and glistening beneath us. Stopping to take some photos (and realising we were only a half the way round the island) we continued on. Far below us were developed beaches with seemingly no road access. These beaches appeared to be used by boat tours and looked like a lovely way to spend the day if what you wanted to do was to sit on a boat then sit on a beach. There were also occasional cafes with beach access dotted along the road. These cafes came with steep staired access to the beaches below, but after checking some out, none tempted us in with their food offerings so we continued on.
Moving up the West of the island the road turned inwards towards the Centre. This is where we met the hardest man on Buyukada. We were sweating profusely and struggling with the heat and the hills, but this stone cold lunatic was doing the same route as us (but anti-clockwise) with his babies in tow. That in itself is admirable, but not remarkable. The remarkable part was what the babies were being conveyed in. I’m not an expert on prams, but this looked like a combination of a monster truck, a tank and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hummer. This strongman stopped us for directions, and with broken English and the help of Google maps, he was smilingly on his way pushing what was probably a tonne of infant transportation before him.
In the Centre of the island was where we had provisionally ear-marked for lunch. When we got there however, it became clear that Luna Park was the destination for families (to be fair it’s kinda obvious now looking back). To one side there was a huge children’s playground and to the other a sprawling picnic area. We decided to get some iced coffees whilst we sussed out the menu situation. When the two cans were presented to us (Ellie may have forced the waiter into some impromptu juggling after dropping her can) we saw that these were more than double the price we had paid for breakfast on the ferry. This combined with a lack of a sproglet, meant that we drank up and moved on, our bellies still rumbling.
The Greek Orphanage
After walking for 5 minutes in exactly the wrong direction (thank you John, King of navigation), we set off on the trail back towards town via the ruins of the Greek Orphanage. After a steep climb, a massive dilapidated wooden building came into view. Now part hidden behind fences, this humongous grand wooden building (it previously had been a hotel before turning into an orphanage) was quietly crumbling to splinters. Me and Ellie both really love a good ruin, and this one did not disappoint. Constructed entirely of wood, it is still, according to Wikipedia, the largest wooden building in Europe. In its heyday it had 206 rooms including a library and a ballroom. Nowadays caved in roofs and gaps in the walls are visible from the road. However, a brief detour around the side allows you a view over the fences. From the side view you can clearly see the ruined, but still grand interior, high ceilings supported by columns stretching off into the unexplorable darkness. Wooden ruins don’t have the same presence as modern industrial abandonment or ancient stone ruins, but do have a more precious, transient air about them. You could see this one now in front of you slowly disintegrating back towards the forest floor, but you had the feeling that in a hundred years the ruin left may be invisible, with possibly just the foundations and nothing more. There is talk of renovation (or at least what we thought the signs said this) but (again according to Wikipedia) the costs involved would be very high. We would definitely recommend seeking this out if you’re geeky like us and love a good ruin.
Lunch and Heading Back to Istanbul
Onwards, we pressed back downhill (thank goodness) towards the town of Adalar and hopefully, lunch. Passing by many cats and pretty white houses we re-entered the throng of the town. Adalar had been relatively quiet when we left, but was now teaming with people. We visited Istanbul during Eid al-Adhar and due to the week off, there were many Istanbulites and Turkish people visiting. After viewing about a hundred and one different burger joints (all seeming to sell the same burgers) we opted for traditional Turkish fare.
Our “Traditional” Turkish lunch
So we sat down with our Mexican tacos and a cold Efes beer, clinked our bottles and congratulated each other for making it round the whole island. We think it was approximately 11km/6.8 miles but we’re not entirely sure as we wiggled around and Google was not playing ball. After refreshing ourselves we brought return tickets and hopped on the ferry back home.
Tips and Tricks for Visiting the Princes Islands
The Princes Islands make an excellent day out from the bustling city of Istanbul. We would highly recommend leaving earlier in the morning to avoid, or at least minimise crowds. We also read online that weekends are best avoided if possible. We would also suggest packing a picnic for yourself as although the tacos were tasty, we were not overly inspired by the island's choice of food (although we obviously didn’t eat or see everywhere). We visited the biggest island, but next time would probably venture to one or two of the smaller islands. We know that island hopping is definitely possible. From what we could see from the ferry, all the islands had similar amazing views, beaches to swim in and walking trails. All in all, for the cost of 70 Turkish Lira each to get there and back, it was a fantastic, forested, sea-breezed filled escape.
Thanks for reading
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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First Night in Istanbul - A Revelation of Kebabs
Kebabs, a true Turkish treat! Beyoğlu’s famous Bilice Kebap serves incredible feasts. Read our experiences from our first night in Istanbul at this amazing restaurant.
Being citizens of the United Kingdom we thought we were familiar with the concept of kebab. Large slices of greasy meat, slathered in sauces, served in some equally greasy pita bread alongside something which may have once, in the distant past been lettuce. That’s all there is to it right?
Istanbul does kebabs a little differently as we found out on the first night in the city.
Groggy from lack of sleep, we were effectively lassoed from the street by a rotund smiling moustachioed man. Grabbing two ice waters as he went, he quickly ushered us to a table outside the busy Bilice Kebab.
The Menu at Bilice Kebab
Bilice Kebab’s menu was full of sharing platters. Mr Moustache directed our attention to the menu options that were suitable for two people (there were choices for one person, two persons or a small army of persons).
The menu seems to pride itself on lamb, but there were other choices of meat and it even catered to vegetarians (see our notes on this later). We opted for the Lamb Kebab with Lamb Kofta.
The Kebab
The first arrival to our small street side table was a massive circular metal platter with 8 side dishes arranged around the circumference. The platter was so large it overhung the small table on all sides and the colourful side dishes were in such generous portions that they could have been a meal in themselves. Indeed, the vegetarian man dining on the table beside us had a very nice meal consisting primarily of just these side dishes.
As we salivated in awe of the platter before us, the headline act came to the stage. A woodcutter's bundle of metal skewered lamb kebabs, straight from the charcoal grill landed on the table. This was joined by a slab of kofta and two types of bread. It certainly didn’t look like any kebab we’ve had before.
Just for context we had been travelling since 4am. It was now 8.30pm. All we had eaten that day was a Greggs Sausage, Baked Bean and Cheese Melt pasty (thinking back, this was quite a fitting last meal in England) from London Bridge station and a portion of aeroplane food pasta. Our stomachs were not so much growling, as full on roaring. Ellie had passed through the hangry stage and was now glaring at strangers, eying them up like a ravenous beast. At this point it would have taken a flame thrower, several Rottweilers and possibly an armoured elephant to prevent us tearing this meal apart. It was a good job that this was a no cutlery meal!
It was a messy affair, possibly not helped by a hunger driven desperation to shove as much food into our faces as possible. Tearing off a small sheet of the thin, grilled bread and stripping a skewer of deliciously barbecued meat we started to construct our first kebabs.
Ellie played it classic. Hummus, plain bread, barbecued lamb kebab topped with a tomato, cucumber and pepper salad. John went avant garde, and started with the bread that came pre-dipped in glorious kebaby juices. To this, he added a mint and onion salad, a yogurty dressing and using his fingers to tear off a piece, smashed in a chunk of lamb kofta. In a testament to the Chef, our two approaches, although wildly different, were equally delicious.
Over the next 40 minutes we experimented with all the side dishes; sweet pickled onions joined lemony potatoes and grilled meats. Kofta was paired with tomato and chilli salsa and a coriander and red onion salad. There were endless combinations but I don’t think you could have made a dud choice even if you had tried.
Final Thoughts on Bilice Kebabs
This place is hardly off the beaten track, it’s well known, frequented by tourists and within a stones throw of a major thoroughfare connecting Gelata Tower to Taksim Square. It could just have been our hunger, it could have been the excitement of the first day of our adventure, it could be our lack of knowledge that led us to be so impressed with this meal. But sitting on the warm street, sipping our Turkish teas whilst people, scooters and the ever present Istanbulian cats flowed past us, we were loving it. This was our first meal in Istanbul, and the first of our adventure. We were finally travelling and we were happy.
Oh, and also the whole thing cost us £7.20 each (150 Turkish Lira / $8.67 USD)*
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you are looking for accommodation in the Galata and Beyoğlu area of Istanbul check out our guide to the area here and our handy hotel map below:
The aftermath
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