No trip is complete without experiencing the food of that region. Eating in Istanbul really gave me sense of the city, the food is taken seriously by its residents. I made it my gluttonous duty to engulf as much as possible before leaving. My goal is to hopefully write a similar post for all cities I encounter, except of course for Myrtle Beach, as I would be afraid of a back alley beating if I inspired anyone to eat anything there..

The food in Istanbul was an adventure; however, even when eating in Istanbul I did fall into the reoccurring trap: the waste of my time, money and hunger. While the title of this article is everything I ate in Istanbul, it really isn’t everything. It would have been nearly impossible to write about the nearly 50,000 calories I consumed. I will touch on the different food in Istanbul, from Michelin Star quality, to the guy selling desserts off a cardboard box.

Turkish Breakfast (Village Breakfast) in Istanbul

Let’s start at the beginning and discuss breakfast in Istanbul. For some reason, no one at our hotel could tell me where (or even what) a traditional Turkish breakfast was. I was told by the owner of the above restaurant that is really called a “village breakfast.” So much for the internet. I am glad I finally found it, it was among the best food in Istanbul.

After much searching, a seven-minute walk from our hotel yielded us Ethran, one of the few places where there was no one trying to drag you into the restaurant. After mentioning I wanted breakfast I was greeted with “what time,” thinking it opens at 9:30am, I said so. Of course vacation being what vacation is I didn’t get there until 10:30 to find an empty restaurant and a lone man waiting in a stairwell. This man proceeded to disappear without a word into the kitchen. He whipped up the master piece above. Nothing; not even a power outage that made the kitchen pitch black, could stop this man. I can safely say that it falls into my top five breakfasts of all time, and I really can’t remember the other four.

Eggs, four types of cheese, fresh veggies, smoking hot Simits (not like the stone cold ones, you get from the venders), and the most delicious clotted cream with honey I have ever encountered. I felt like I was king, being served by my own personal chef. Then the bill came and my full stomach was met with smiles, because for two people the bill was like $15. I almost ordered a second one.

Eating in Istanbul: Dinner

If you are lucky you will run into the masterpiece above. One of the two best kebab dinners we had in Istanbul. The one above is from the restaurant Ciya Sofrasi on the ‘Asian Side,’ i.e., the continent of Asia. The picture below was part of the meal from Birecikli. This was a meal we were hijacked into from…let’s say a tour guide of ours.

In addition to the kebabs here we also were happily force fed various other items, the most notable Lahmacun.

Now every site I have come across mentions this as Turkish Pizza and that is pretty much what it is. I really wasn’t even going to try it. What can beat New York Pizza? Nothing.  And yet, this was its own animal. While it looked like pizza, the flavors were different. The crust is extra thin and crispy and when combined with Turkish spices and lamb, it shouldn’t be missed. Which I would have, had I not been bamboozled into coming here..

Pay no mind of the fact that I had a huge dinner planned directly after this meal. So, after Kebabs, Lahmacun, Çiğ Köfte (raw veggie balls) a yogurt dish and various other items I headed out to my second feast. At times eating in Istanbul was a challenge, but my cholesterol rose to the occasion.

When you get sick of Kebabs there are many options.  First, Ottoman cuisine is a great alternative. My recommendation is the Old Ottoman Cafe & Restaurant. We had two of our best meals there, so good that we forgot to take a picture until we got to dessert.

If seafood is more your thing, you will find it around every corner. You can go the cheaper route and grab one of the clones on the Galata Bridge, or go a little more upscale. One of our finest meals was at a seafood place not far from our hotel (Unfortunately, the name has escaped me). I can’t mention food in Istanbul without mentioning a mezze platter, and we had a great one there.

It is a variety of random spreads and other options. This one had hummus, fish, and eggplant, among other things, with different levels of spice. It was like the United Nations in your mouth with all the different flavors coming together.

Moving onto main courses, calamari was a staple in our diet throughout the trip. It wasn’t cut as nicely as we had in Barcelona, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.  The shrimp, in true European style had a look in their eye like they were pissed about being eaten. I am not sure why Europeans love to have staring contests with their seafood, but the taste and freshness more than made up for it. Overall the seafood, like most food in Istanbul, was amazing.

Fine Dining in Istanbul

It isn’t necessary to drop $300 on a dinner for two when eating in Istanbul, but it doesn’t hurt. Well it does, it hurt my arms greatly, but I digress.. We went to Nicole toward the end of our trip and had one blow out multi- (tiny)course meal. Nicole is one of the finest restaurants in Istanbul. Until 5 minutes ago I thought they won a Michelin star, but apparently there are no star winners in the city. Regardless, we had an exceptional, yet somewhat pretentious meal. We had the added benefit of knowing that when you pay (with the promise of your first born) for your meal you won’t tricked into a lamp shop afterward…

The one problem is we were hungry when we got back to our hotel room. Well, at least the food looked and tasted nice, even if I could have mistaken it for a garnish. The food in Istanbul is usually both delicious and filling, but one out of two isn’t bad.

 

Street Food in Istanbul

This is where things got interesting because I had so many different items, a lot of which I had no idea what they were. When eating in Istanbul, street food is a must, there are some caveats though.. Let me start by saying the three most prevalent things on the street are Simits, corn and acorns. The corn tasted like I was chewing on a rubber hose, the acorns made me wish I was eating the corn; ultimately, both were horrible, skip them, please. The Simits were ok, but once you have had them fresh and warm there is no going back.

Having said this there were certain foods I NEEDED to try:

Doner/Duram

The Doner was my go to street food in Istanbul, although I could not tell the difference between Duran and Doner. I know they both had lamb and were the form of a sandwich. My best guess is that if it is in a wrap it is a Duran, but there was very little consistency in advertising. The one pictured above is from a standalone vender in the Grand Bazaar, it was the most amazing bite..EVER.  I may or may not have gotten myself into trouble with my wife by telling her it was THE BEST DAY EVER…yeh.

Wet Burgers

What can be better for your stomach than a small, foreign, white castle like burger-like substance..? If you like playing Russian roulette with your bowels this is the way to go. I will say no more..

Fish Sandwich

See there is some variation here, still a sandwich but now from the sea. It was a captivating show watching the venders in boats, in a carnival-like atmosphere, next to the bridge, fight for your business. I had two of these, it is one of those things I wish I had ten of. Some of the best food in Istanbul, especially if you like fish.

Midye Dolma (Stuffed Mussels)

I wasn’t crazy about these, but people loved them. They are sold all over the streets, but I thought it would be safer to eat them in a restaurant. I like street food more than anyone, but mussels sitting in the sun are too risky, even for me.

Whatever this is…I was told it was a sort of Ottoman Candy

The above ‘sucker’ had a texture like caramel, yet sweeter with various flavors. It was tasty, but I only saw it once, a guy walked up to the line we were in and swirled it right in front of us.

One last mystery food

This honey soaked dough ball was bought right off the Galata Bridge. What can be safer than a random dude selling baked goods off a cardboard box? My stomach did survive, thank you alcohol.

Ok, I went through a lot of the food in Istanbul, let me move on to what I drank in Istanbul.

Drinking in Istanbul

Tea-You will have tea coming out of your ears before you get home. They serve it at the end of every meal and almost insist that you drink it (or coffee). They also serve it when shopping or just browsing. It won’t be unheard of to drink eight glasses in a single day. I really liked the tradition, I found it relaxing, but a city with this much tea should really have better bathrooms..

Coffee-If you don’t like Tea, Turkish coffee is also an option. The coffee is strong and the bottom is like mud. I found out the hard way that drinking the bottom is like swallowing chew.  If you don’t swallow the bottom the coffee..it is delicious!

Fresh Squeezed Juice

Feel the diabetes fill your veins when you start your day off with this delicious, natural juice. I would wake up first thing in the morning to hunt down freshly squeezed juice in Istanbul. It consisted of exactly one ingredient, which was whatever the fruit you selected. The fruit is also of better quality than what I pick up anywhere in the states, further enhancing the drink. Once you try this, you realize how badly Tropicana has been screwing you.

Alcohol in Istanbul

You are not always going to want to reach for OJ and tea when drinking in Istanbul. Once 11:00 AM rolls about it is time for something a bit harder. My go to drink was Efes beer, (see above), it is light and goes great with pounds of lamb. When not drinking beer, I opted for wine. Turkish wine was surprisingly good, and inexpensive at that.

Raki–This used to be the national drink of Turkey, but it was replaced by some yogurt concoction that I spit out after one sip (Ayran). Raki doesn’t go down much easier, but it does get you a lot drunker. It is served clear then becomes cloudy with the addition of ice. The flavor is very similar of Greek Ouzo, with a very strong liquorice taste. I have a bottle that I brought back with me, all teed up for the next time I am filled with self-loathing.

I wasn’t going to add dessert to this, but I thought I need to at least mention Kunefe. Seen below, this one of the most uniquely, amazing things I have eaten on all my travels. What goes better in desert than a giant plate of stringy cheese? It is sweet, it is crunchy, is one of the best desserts I have ever had.

There you have it, maybe it wasn’t all the food of Istanbul, but it was a good chunk of it. When eating in Istanbul, I think it is important to at least taste everything (ok, Most of what) you see. No matter how strange it is you should be in for a surprise. As always, if you avoid American chains and any place where you see more fanny packs than Burkas and you will have a culinary experience that is not just thrilling to the palate, but fresh and unique (especially in these times of cloned hipster pop-ups..). Spread across two continents you have access to some of the best food in the world…

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Getting Money in Istanbul

Like most of the civilized world, getting cash in Istanbul is simple…kinda. First, with all that has been publicized it is no surprise that the Lira has dropped sharply against the Dollar. As of now (May 2017) you can buy one Lira for about $.28 US dollars. I added the date in hopes that the future reader, of ten years from now won’t get confused. So how do you get Turkish Lira? Just like most currencies there are several options. First, what not to do…. don’t exchange money from the airport or hotel, they are in the A-hole ripping business. While I am on the subject of the airport, I have attached some recommended reading material for the flight. It will give you an overview of what you want to hit and might help you budget.

If you want to show up with some Turkish Lira order it from your bank, they will FedEx it or you can just pick it up. I did this for the first time using Bank Of America and it was easy and cheap. Secondly, an ATM is a decent option, but not without risks. Not all ATMs in Istanbul are safe or consistent, stay away from ATMs near tourist sites (great rule of thumb for travel ANYWHERE!). The five times I took money out from the ATM in Istanbul I was charged $280 per $1000 lira…except once, where the exchange rate shot up by more than 10% costing me $310 per $1000. 

Funny thing is, my wife got money out in the machine next to me and it was feeling generous, charging the standard rate. Moral of the story, be careful when using an ATM in Istanbul, Turkey. Find one that works, and make it a touch point by taking out a lower amount and use it throughout the trip. I must also point out I have heard, first hand, about people getting their identity/card number stolen. I would imagine trying to work with the Turkish authorities on getting your Identity sorted out in Turkey is about as fun as getting a proctology exam from Edward Scissor Hands. Moral: be careful which ATMs you use and when you use them.

Lastly, as a world traveler, you should invest in a good travel Credit Card, with no transaction fees. This will save you a lot of hassle, needing paper currency for only necessities. Such as the stomach churning wet burgers sold in Taksim Square.

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Cost of Airfare and Accommodations in Istanbul

This is where I will brag a little, because I found a hell of a deal. I’m not sure if there was a fire sale or  rumors of another coup, but I was happy. Two of us flew from the United States to Istanbul and stayed in 5-star hotel (6 nights) for less than $1500 total.  I know most of you are thinking that this was due to a “probably going to die” discount, but I assure you this was not the case. The next day the price went back to normal. Sometimes there is just a glitch on the travel sites or cheap airfare plummets the price.

I know you can give two %#$@ about my savings, what can expect you to pay for a trip to Istanbul? I would say around $2400 for two people for Airfare and Hotel. To me that’s the max anyone should pay, really aim for less than $2000. You can easily find cheaper rates if you start early and check for daily deals. Obviously there are other factors, such as the time of year and hotel class that will play a factor.

The hotel I chose was the Walton Hotels Sultanahmet, a five star establishment, which I had mixed feelings about. The price was right and it was in a great location, it just fell short in some areas. Still, if you want a nice, boutique hotel in Istanbul check out the below reviews.

Click here for Reviews and Prices for the Walton Hotels Sultanahmet.

Cost of Food in Istanbul

Now for the important things, what should my daily budget in Istanbul be for eating? What is the cost of food in Istanbul? More importantly, how much is alcohol in Istanbul? Well, once again it depends, but I will say this, you can eat well cheaply. If you are the type to stick to street food and beer, it will be extremely inexpensive.  If I had the salary I have today and the cheapness/quality of street food available to me in Istanbul, I wouldn’t live to see 50. I am talking delicious lamb filled sandwiches for 6TL, desserts for even less.

If you like seafood there is plenty of that as well. Along the Galata Bridge there are a bunch of seafood places, all similar, serving calamari, octopus and fish. The good news is the bill rarely comes out to more than $30. I would say the majority of my sit-down meals were around 100-150TL, or $28-$42. This is with alcohol and always leaving a tip. I had one of the best breakfasts of my life at Erhan, for under $20 for two. Oh, and you always get free tea at the end of the meal. I like free things so I thought I would mention it.

So, in conclusion I think for two people eating a combo of street food and sit down meals at cheap places the cost of food in Istanbul is $70 per day. This is with moderate alcohol consumption.

Moving to alcohol, beer was around $4 for a very nice sized beer, I always drank the local Efes which is the cheaper option. A good bottle of wine shouldn’t cost more than $25, and even that is pushing it. Mixed drinks varied greatly among establishments so it is hard to pinpoint a price.

So to Recap below:

One last note, a service charge is on many bills so check them carefully.  I felt like I was robbing the restaurant at times so I tipped generously for the most part. The cost of food in Istanbul is so inexpensive that it will inspire you to open your wallet for good service.

Cost of Attractions in Istanbul

I assume you don’t want to sit around and stuff your face all day when visiting Istanbul, you will most likely want to waddle into some attractions. Luckily almost everything in this town is inexpensive. Right off the bat, you should get the Istanbul Museum Pass for 85 TL (around $24). It is sold in numerous locations, just pick one up at any major attraction that takes it. This will let you into most of the main attractions, such as the Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul Archaeological Museums. I am certain that the Galata Tower is not included, but the cost for the Galata Tower is only around $5. Below are some of the costs for the major attractions.

Although you get through the main three for a less than the Museum Pass, the pass includes entry to a lot of other smaller museums and is well worth it.

Other Costs in Istanbul

Transportation  1) Cabs were very reasonable here, other blogs tell you how expensive they are, but in reality  I didn’t find that to be the case. You can get through most of the city for at $10 or less.

2) For Transportation to and from the airport we took a private shuttle for $35 a person.

Shopping

If you are going to Istanbul you will end up in a store. Everything in the city is designed to get you into a ceramics, leather, rug or candy shop. This is especially true if you are within 5 square miles of either the Grand Bazar or the Spice Market.  How much you spend there is up to you, but remember never pay the asking price. They have a set starting price for everything and expect to be negotiated with.

Moral of the story: never Ever EVER pay full price while shopping in Istanbul.

One Last Note:

Most of the deals you get are due the great exchange rate. Obvious this is fluid, a major event such as Trump accidently nuking San Francisco or Erdoğan rounding up anyone who can read can quickly change exchange rates. As for now Turkey is a great value from a financial stand point.

I touched on the cost of cost in Istanbul, getting money in Istanbul and accommodations. Hopefully this article has cleared things up somewhat, but as with most travel the cost of Istanbul depends upon the traveler. If you are looking for an inexpensive, yet exotic (and a little edgy) place, Istanbul should be on your radar….

UPDATE-9/7/2018 – With the falling Turkish Lira, there are probably some great deals to be found. After a little research I found, for some reason the Walton Hotels Sultanahmet seems to be high. If you find the rooms to be more than $200/night, skip it and stay somewhere else. You can stay at the Ritz Carlton for around that, which is the nicest hotel in the city. Do some shopping around, there are deals to be had. Everything else (food, entertainments, goods) should be much cheaper.

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The author also may have other affiliate (TripAdvisor, hotels.com etc..) links attached, I only recommend products I like, but I may get a small commission.

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Having survived (more on that later..) the trip I can tell you that many of the threats you hear about in the media seemed overblown. Does this mean that I would automatically answer “yes” to the question “Is Istanbul Safe? Not quite… I almost never felt fearful during my trip, but I did feel uneasy for a number of reasons. I think I had a better chance getting injured due to shoveling pounds of lamb into my mouth than terrorism. That is not to say there were no dangers, they were just not there to the extent we were told/feared.

Overall, I can’t think of a “vacation” I took that was more exhausting and had so many highs and lows as Istanbul. I knew visiting the city would be a unique journey, just not to what extent. Let me touch on some of the best and worst that the city had to offer. 

           The Great about Istanbul

The Food

 I ate Mary’s whole damn flock, so I am thinking she is probably pissed at me.  Lamb is plentiful in Istanbul and is available in many forms. What is funny is it took us a day or two to get really good food (beware of tourist traps). Once the food flood gates opened, it was a whole new world. On a unrelated note: It is probably not best to not tell your lovely wife “this is the best day of my life” when eating a humongous, filled with the somewhat ambiguous (it was a fucking good sandwich), but I digress.

The History /Architecture

  In true European fashion, Istanbul didn’t disappoint in the history and art departments. Just walking past the Blue Mosque and the Hagia (Aya) Sofia is the equivalent to walking past the Eiffel Tower or the Roman Coliseum. You can stroll around without even realizing the building or structure you are next to is hundreds (if not thousands) of years old.  

The history is all around you in this city, yet maybe a bit more thrown together.  For example, they should let people know in advance that the masterpiece Alexander’s Sarcophagus was being renovated or that the trash heaped at the end of the street  is at the base of The Column of Constantine from the 4th century. I guess I can hold on to solace that they actual are taking care of such antiquities, unlike the Mosaic museum where the pieces were left to the elements like a used couch on a college porch. There are actually signs in the museum discussing how the poor care lead to their decline. Still a great museum, but also a shame. One last note: if anyone from the Basilica Cistern is reading this: your missing Medusa head is thrown in with 30 other statues outside the Archeological Museum/Topkapi Palace….

The Price

Istanbul is cheap, it made my tiny T-rex arms enormously happy on numerous occasions. I mean I was getting great meals for two, with multiple drinks for less than $30, I can barely get two meals at Subway for that much. It got to the point where I didn’t know who was screwing whom when we were in the shops. It’s funny to fight over 10 lira in the Grand Bazaar (1461 AD),  only to remember it is only $2.70.

      The Interesting about Istanbul

It is here in my review of Istanbul that I start touching on the things that were questionable about the city. I wasn’t always skipping down the street eating lamb or fish sandwiches and whistling. There were times I felt annoyed, confused and frustrated.  I have been amongst a number of different cultures; I have learned to accept things that may not be the same as in the U.S. Even still in Istanbul there were things beyond what I previously experienced.

The People

This is where I think I was the most confused, because we met some really fantastic people, one man who managed a English bar that was our favorite daily midpoint stopping spot. We had great conversations with him, we discussed Islam, the history of the city, food, and everything under the sun. He was a great host to us throughout our trip.

During our stay we ran into a wide range of people.  Many times we would laugh, talk and they would watch us drink. Turkish people can be fun and charming…  So charming that I would end up in ceramics shop at 1:30 am, buying $350 worth of plates. I got the feeling too many times that there was a motive to the kindness. It seemed everyone was trying to take me to their buddies (cousin, best friend’s sister’s college roommate’s) shop or selling me something totally unrelated (nice things, but at times unrequested). Maybe it is the cynical New Yorker in me that had to question the agenda of those I ran into. In addition to salesmen, who were at times overly pushy and bordering on rude. We were followed and questioned by workers if we looked at a menu, but didn’t go into their establishment. The oversell was over the top, more so than I have ever experienced…

One of the worst examples of this was in a wine bar. After an hour of chatting, the nice woman who owned the bar was randomly showing my wife a bracelet she made. She proceeded to tell her “just take it”, my wife was insistent we give her something (expecting it to be $25-50).  When she said the price was $1100..US Dollars, my hands were sucked into my shoulder sockets. She then charged us heavily for two vegetable platters that she whipped up, without us asking, no menu provided. Mind you the platters were delicious, but it was somewhat of a head turner.

General Safety

 Here I will leave out any mention of the biggest threats people perceive about Istanbul, as Turkey is on the cusp of civil war… I was really more worried about being run over by a crazy driver than anything overly politicized/publicized. Drivers regularly go onto the sidewalk or walking areas with blatant disregard. It felt like there were many things could go bad in Turkey, from cars to packs of dogs roaming the streets (who really were always quite friendly).

Me and my wife are night owls, yet walking some streets in Istanbul at night made me a bit uneasy. Most were ok, but there were times when I got nervous, especially in the immediate vicinity of my 5-star hotel. Broken street lights and bars on the windows certainly don’t help or add to your comfort level. I was rarely scared during my trip, but many things made me feel uncomfortable. Most of these fears were more in my head than anything else, but somethings happened that definitely were real.

              The Bad about Istanbul

I couldn’t do any review of Istanbul justice if I do not include some of the shady things that happened during our trip. We were there during the referendum vote, a vote that gave Turkey (the go ahead for) a dictator. The vote, combined with the faint possibility of terrorism and an attempted dangerous scam took away from our trip a bit…

Dangerous Scams in Istanbul

There is one incident that happened that I felt I must mention if for no other reason than to serve as a warning. After our first full day, we visit a low-key bar near our hotel. It was a typical hipster hang out… We met some “nice” people, and casually mentioned the hotel we were staying in..  The next day upon waking my wife was told by the front desk someone claiming to be her driver called the hotel. This was an attempt to get her to come outside at 3 AM. Nothing good could possibly have come from this, and it really rattled us. The incident set a cautious tone for the rest of the week.

I have heard of scams in Istanbul, but nothing like this. Combine this with the fact that my wife faced terrible harassment when walking alone, or really at any time when her head was not covered.. The one time she walked alone (in the day no less) she was aggressively approached by five men in 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I can’t say Istanbul, Turkey is 100% safe, especially for women.

Politics

Donald Trump is an asshole; Hilary Clinton is a liar. Without fear of imprisonment I can say these things. This is not the case in Turkey, and it is much worse now.

It is a difficult to say the least, to be in a place that will lock you up for speaking your mind. As an American, I always felt apprehensive about being in Istanbul. Although this was a journey and an adventure it was also (supposed to be) a vacation. Feeling uneasy, seeing uneasy people, the sorrow for the unclear future of the country, and watching a police presence grow around you is not how I like to or wanted, to spend my time off.

            Final Review of Istanbul

A wise woman described Istanbul as “a beautiful woman, that later reveals her giant penis”. Really, that sums it up, the city was a mind-phuck (that ‘p’h is for a reason..). We would be having a great time and then something would happen to bring us back into reality. Whether it be a small thing like a somewhat dangerous/unorganized boat tour. To a more grave thing like streets lined with tanks and cops with machine guns. Do I miss Istanbul? I would give a cautionary, yes. It is like a guy who is about to get back together with his crazy ex, who beat him and slept with his best friend. He may only remember the excitement and seemed to have blocked out the stress. My wife on the other hand was ready to leave, the first time that this has happened on any excursion…   

I will not be going back to Istanbul, Turkey for a long time. It is a big world and there are too many seemingly more relaxing places to go (see you soon Greece!). The situation is only getting worse there, especially for westerners. That is not to say I am not recommending a visit. I think everyone should experience this city; just be cautious. In my next couple of blogs, I will break down in more detail the good and the bad. If you do decide to visit this city, go with your eyes open…

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