Turkey has some amazing food and drink, with a great variety of things to try. Here’s my guide to what to eat in Turkey, with the best local food and drink.
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Trying the local food and drink is a highlight of any trip to Turkey. There’s a great variety of different food and drink you can try. Istanbul has the best selection, with some great street food. But there are also other local regional specialities. My guide to what to eat in Turkey will show you all of the best local food and drink.
What is the food and drink like in Turkey?
Turkish cuisine is a vibrant mix of influences from centuries of history, including influences from the Ottoman Empire, Central Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans. A lot of meals in Turkey focus on fresh vegetables, grilled meats, spices, and staples like rice and bread. Meat is often chicken or lamb, with some beef as well. And there are vegetarian options for a lot of dishes, where they can be served without the meat.
Breakfast in Turkey often includes cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, jams, and eggs. And it’s often accompanied by strong black tea. Turkish tea is popular throughout the country at all times of the day. And strong Turkish coffee is popular as well.
There’s also some regional diversity in Turkey’s cuisine. The Aegean coast is the best place to enjoy dishes based around olive oil, fresh fish and seafood, while the Black Sea region favours corn-based dishes and anchovies. Street food is also a highlight, especially in big cities like Istanbul, with popular favourites like döner kebab and mackeral sandwiches.
How to find out what to eat in Turkey
To make the most of your time in Turkey and try lots of different food and drink, I recommend taking this street food tour of Istanbul through Get Your Guide (affiliate), or this food tour that focuses on the Asian side of the city (affiliate). You can also take this similar street food tour through Viator (affiliate). These tours will show you the best places to try some of Istanbul’s best food.
If you’re looking for more ways to enjoy the best local food and drink in Turkey and find out more about what to eat in Turkey, here are my top 22 picks of the best things to eat and drink in Turkey.
1. Lamb Shish Kebab
One of my favourite meals in Turkey was the lamb shish kebab. A lamb shish kebab in Turkey is known locally as kuzu şiş, and it’s one of the most popular staple dishes at many restaurants. It’s simple, but delicious. Tender cubes of lamb, often from the loin or leg, are marinated in a mixture of olive oil, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and spices like cumin, paprika, and oregano, then skewered alongside vegetables such as peppers and onions. The skewer is then grilled over charcoal or an open flame, which means the meat develops a smoky flavour while remaining tender within. You’ll often find the lamb shish kebab served with warm flatbread, rice, chips, or salad.
2. Turkish tea – çay
Turkish tea, or çay, is a cornerstone of daily life and hospitality in Turkey. It’s popular throughout the whole of Turkey with locals, and can be drunk at any time of day. Turkish tea is a black tea that is brewed strong and dark. It’s traditionally served in hourglass-shaped glasses without milk, often sweetened with sugar. I got really into drinking the strong black tea with sugar during my trip to Turkey, and it took a while after getting home to wean myself off the sweet drink!
3. Pide – Turkish Pizza
Pide is often called ‘Turkish pizza’. It’s a popular meal all across Turkey. Pide is known for its signature boat shape and variety of savoury toppings. The dough is soft yet crisp, traditionally baked in wood-fired ovens. And it’s filled with ingredients like spiced ground meat, cheese, spinach, peppers, mushrooms, and more. Some pide also has an egg cracked on top mid-bake, with cheese added along with the egg.
The best pide I had in Turkey was at the Tat restaurant in Selcuk. You could choose your own toppings, and watch as they baked the pide in the wood-fired oven, adding an egg and cheese halfway through cooking.
4. Turkish coffee
Another highlight of Turkish cuisine in Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee, or Türk kahvesi, is a centuries-old brewing tradition that delivers a bold, velvety cup of super strong coffee. It’s made by simmering ultra-finely ground coffee beans in a small pot called a cezve. It’s served unfiltered, allowing the grounds to settle at the bottom. The coffee is strong, and locals often add sugar, but never milk – you should always drink it black. Its rich aroma and intense flavour make it a great mid-morning energy boost on a busy day in Turkey.
5. Testi Kebab – Pottery Kebab
Pottery kebab, or testi kebabı, specialty dish that’s especially popular in Cappadocia. If you’re looking for what to eat in Turkey and you’re visiting Cappadocia, then you should definitely trip this dish. The pottery kebab is prepared by sealing a meat such as lamb, beef, or chicken with vegetables like onions, garlic, carrots, and tomatoes inside a clay pot – called a testi, meaning jug in Turkish. It’s then slow-cooked over fire.
The highlight comes at serving. You’re served the entire clay pot at the table. And then the pot is cracked open at the table by the waiter using a hammer. It’s usually served with a mix of rice, flatbread, and salad.
6. Hünkar Beğendi – Sultan’s Delight
Sultan’s Delight, or Hünkar Beğendi, was one of my favourite meals in Turkey. It’s popular in Istanbul, and you can find a great version at the Mezze 360 restaurant in Istanbul, where you can enjoy the meal with a stunning view over Istanbul.
Sultan’s Delight, or Hünkar Beğendi, dates back to the Ottoman palace kitchens. It features rich, slow cooked lamb that’s enriched with tomato, garlic, and spices. And it’s served on top a velvety bed of smoked eggplant purée, blended with béchamel sauce and cheese. The eggplant is traditionally roasted over an open flame to give it a smoky flavor, then mashed and folded into the creamy base. The contrast between the tender, spicy meat and the silky eggplant makes this dish a great option. And it goes perfectly with a glass of Turkish red wine.
7. Raki
If you’re looking for a good night out in Turkey, then raki has to be your drink of choice. Raki is a super strong alcohol, usually containing around 40-50% alcohol. Raki is traditionally made from twice-distilled grape pomace and infused with aniseed. You get served raki in a tall glass. And usually it has ice added to it, as well as water. The raki is clear at first, but turns cloudy white once ice and water are added. It’s a strong alcohol, that definitely burns as it goes down! I never quite got into raki during my trip, but other people love it.
8. Efes beer
If you’re looking for something to drink in Turkey that isn’t quite as strong as Raki, then try Efes beer. It’s the most popular local beer all across Turkey. It’s more like a lager. I loved the Efes beer, especially after a long day of sightseeing in hot weather. Many restaurants and bars will have Efes beer as a draught beer, or you can also get it in bottles as well.
9. Sea bass
Fresh fish and sea food is popular across Turkey, but it’s especially popular across Turkey’s Aegean Sea coastline. In the coastal towns in Southern Turkey, you can find lots of fish and sea food restaurants. And the fish and sea food is deliciously fresh here.
My favourite fish meal in Turkey was in a coastal town called Cannakkale. It’s close to the historical site of Troy, so it’s a great place to stay if you’re visiting Troy. Cannakkale is also a great town in its own right, with a vibrant, fun student population. There’s a restaurant right next to the water in Cannakkale called Sea Side which serves amazing grilled sea bass. It’s cooked perfectly, so the outside is a tiny bit crispy but it’s still moist and fresh inside. The sea bass was another of my favourite meals in Turkey.
10. Mackerel sandwich
A highlight of the street food in Istanbul has to be the mackerel sandwiches, or balık ekmek. You can find small stalls selling mackerel sandwiches across Istanbul, but most are focussed near the water, just across the bridge from the historical part of Istanbul with Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
The mackerel sandwiches include freshly grilled mackerel fillets, in a write roll or white wrap. It’s often accompanied by lettuce, sliced onions, and a squeeze of lemon. It’s a delicious street food snack, and really feels like you’re getting to know the local heart of Istanbul.
11. Döner kebab in pita bread
A great option for a quick, but delicious and filling, lunch in Turkey is a döner kebab. It’s a popular meal all across Turkey, with lots of options in Istanbul. There are döner kebab restaurants, or simple street stalls as well. Döner kebabs are made by stacking marinated slices of lamb, beef, or chicken onto a vertical rotisserie. The meat is slowly roasted and shaved off in thin, crispy-edged ribbons. It’s typically served in warm flatbread or pita, and accompanied by salad including lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, and sauces such as yogurt. You can find a great döner kebab in Istanbul at a restaurant called The Pudding Shop, near Hagia Sophia in the central, historic part of Istanbul.
12. Ev Mantısı – Turkish pasta/dumplings
Ev Mantısı is another great meal you can try in Turkey. It’s often called Turkish pasta or dumplings. Ev Mantısı is a popular homemade meal. Tiny parcels of dough are filled with seasoned ground beef or lamb, meticulously folded by hand, and boiled until tender. It’s kind of a cross between Italian ravioli, and Polish pierogi. In the Turkish dish, the bite-sized dumplings are then topped with a yogurt sauce and fresh tomato sauce. It’s a comforting, delicious meal that goes well with a glass of Turkish wine.
13. Helva
Helva is a traditional Turkish dessert that you have to try when you’re in Turkey. It’s available at many restaurants, but traditionally in Turkey it’s a popular dessert to be served during religious holidays, funerals, and family gatherings. The most common type is called irmik helvası, which is semolina helva. Semolina helva is made by slowly roasting semolina in butter, then blending it with sugar syrup, pine nuts, and mil. It creates a warm, nutty dessert with a soft, grainy texture. It’s then often served with ice cream inside, creating the perfect mix from the warm, grainy semolina and the smooth ice cream.
14. Mezze
Mezze in Turkey is a vibrant array of small dishes. They’re often served as appetizers, or as a shared lunch, or accompaniments to drinks like rakı, especially in traditional meyhanes (taverns). These small plates plates are designed for sharing, a bit like tapas in Spain.
Mezze can include a wide range of different dishes, with popular options including haydari (garlic yogurt dip), smoky baba ghanoush, ezme (spicy tomato salad), stuffed vine leaves (yaprak sarma), and more. Seafood options like marinated anchovies or octopus salad are also a favourite, alongside cheeses, olives, and seasonal vegetables. And of course, don’t forget hummus – one of the most popular mezze options, and my personal favourite with some fresh, warm bread. You can order a few mezze to yourself as a starter or as a lunch, but it’s definitely best shared with a group of people so you can try a small amount of a wide variety of different dishes.
15. Gözleme
Gözleme is another favourite quick food in Turkey. It’s perfect for a light meal for lunch while you’re on the go. Gözleme is often called Turkish pancakes – but they’re savoury, not sweet, and more of a cross between a pancake and a flatbread. They’re made from thinly rolled dough, and you can often watch them being cooked fresh on a hot griddle. Gözleme are traditionally filled with ingredients like spinach and feta, minced meat, or potatoes. Once filled, they’re then folded and cooked on the griddle until golden and crisp. It’s a simple meal, but full of flavour and a great option for a snack or light lunch.
16. Kokoreç
Kokoreç is often known as Turkey’s boldest street food. It’s popular among locals as a late-night snack after a night of drinking in big cities like Istanbul and Izmir. But it doesn’t have the nicest sounding ingredients! Kokoreç is made from seasoned lamb intestines, that are slow-roasted on a horizontal skewer over a charcoal fire. It’s cooked so it’s crispy on the outside and tender within, then finely chopped and mixed with tomatoes, green peppers, oregano, and fiery spices. It’s typically served in a crusty half loaf of bread.
I tried Kokoreç on a street tour of Istanbul. It was actually nice – if I hadn’t know what I was eating, I think I would have enjoyed the flavour. But I couldn’t quite manage to ignore the facts of what I was eating…so I’m not sure how much I enjoyed it!
17. Eggplant (aubergine) kebab
One of the most popular vegetables in Turkey is eggplant, or aubergine. And one of the best ways to eat it is as an eggplant kebab. Eggplant kebab, or patlıcan kebabı, is originally most popular in South East Turkey, but it’s easy to find at restaurants in Istanbul. It features alternating slices of eggplant and seasoned ground lamb or beef, threaded onto skewers. As it cooks, either grilled or roasted, the eggplant absorbs the rich, spiced meat juices, becoming tender and smoky.
The kebab is the served with rice, flatbread, and grilled peppers. It’s a delicious mix of meat and vegetable. Just be warned – the peppers that come on the side of the dish can often be spicy, even if they look like innocent bell peppers! So try a small taste of the pepper first before putting the whole thing into your mouth (I learned this the hard way….!).
18. Ayvalık toast
Ayvalık toast, or Ayvalık tostu, is a famous Turkish street food named after the coastal town of Ayvalık on the Aegean Sea. It’s the perfect lunch option when you’re in the town. Ayvalık toast is a toasted sandwich, made with crusty white bread. You can choose from a range of different fillings, including ingredients like sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage), salami, melted kaşar cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and ketchup or mayonnaise. The sandwich is grilled until the bread is crisp, while still soft, and the fillings are melted together. It sounds simple, but it really is delicious, and a great option when you’re in this pretty seaside town.
19. Künefe
If you’re looking for another great Turkish desert to try, then you have to try Künefe. Künefe is a super sweet, indulgent Turkish dessert that’s both crispy and creamy. It originates from southeastern regions like Hatay, but you can easily find it in many restaurants, especially in Istanbul. It’s made with shredded phyllo dough (kadayıf) layered around a stretchy, unsalted cheese – typically Hatay peyniri or künefe peyniri. Baked until golden and crisp, it’s then soaked in a fragrant sugar syrup infused with lemon juice. Künefe is served hot and often topped with crushed pistachios. It’s very sweet with the sugar syrup, but I really like this dessert. It’s a nice balance between the crispy outside and the warm, gooey cheese inside.
20. Sarma
Sarma is a popular dish in Turkish cuisine. It’s made from delicate rolls of vine leaves or cabbage leaves, which are wrapped around a savoury filling. The most common version features vine leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, pine nuts, currants, with herbs like dill and mint, and often seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice. You can also find meat filled variations, but the most common are the ones filled with rice. Sarma can be served cold as part of a mezze spread, or can be served warm as a main meal.
21. Baklava
I’ve saved two of the most famous Turkish foods until last. And for me, Baklava is one of the best foods you can get in Turkey. If you’re looking for what to eat in Turkey, then you just have to try baklava.
Baklava is a Turkish dessert that has layers of thin sheets of filo pastry with crushed nuts, which are then baked to golden crispness, before soaking the entire tray in a fragrant syrup made of sugar and lemon. The most common, and popular, types of baklava are pistachios or walnuts. The origin of Baklava dates back to the Ottoman Empire, when it was a delicacy served during holidays, weddings, and family gatherings. But now, you can find baklava all over Turkey.
The best place to try baklava is in Istanbul at a place called Hafiz Mustafa. It’s the most famous place to get baklava, dating back to 1864. There are a few shops around the city, but the best one is in the historic centre of Istanbul and contains a cafe. You can sit in the cafe and browse the huge menu of a wide range of different baklavas, other desserts, and drinks. I had a mixed plate of baklava, which included two different pistachio baklava and two different walnut baklava. It was all delicious, and I was surprised that I actually preferred the walnut ones. It was perfect with a glass of Turkish tea.
22. Turkish Delight
The last thing in my guide to what to eat in Turkey is Turkish Delight. It’s another of Turkey’s most famous sweets. Turkish Delight, or lokum, dates back centuries, based on a popular Ottoman sweet. It’s made from a base of sugar and starch, it’s gently cooked into a soft, chewy gel. You can get a wide range of different flavours, including rosewater, lemon, orange and more. Classic varieties are dusted with powdered sugar and may include chopped pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts, while more elaborate versions are coated in coconut or filled with cream. Turkish Delight is often served with tea or coffee, which add a nice balance to the sweetness of the Turkish Delight. It’s another great food to try while you’re in Turkey.
Hope you enjoyed my guide to what to eat in Turkey, with the best local food and drink! Remember to book this food tour in Istanbul (affiliate), or this similar food tour (affiliate) to find the best food and drink in Istanbul.
Make sure you also check out my ultimate itinerary for one week in Turkey, and also my guide to spending four days in Istanbul. If you’re keen to explore more of the Middle East, check out my guide to spending one week in Jordan, and also the best things to eat in Jordan.
