10 fast and inexpensive meals to taste in Istanbul: in snacks, throughout the day, main course, etc. There is always something to enjoy. You need to visit Istanbul fast so maybe you do not have time for a long meal, therefore I have some recommendations for you – 10 must-try fast food in Istanbul
1 – The Lahmacun – 10 must-try fast food in Istanbul
The first one in the fast food Istanbul list is Lahmacun.
Kind of Turkish pizza fine and succulent that you can enjoy with onions, parsley, lemon juice, tomatoes that are placed in the center of lahmacun and rolled filled with all these ingredients. According to the tastes, it can be eaten without additional artifices and devour as it is.
In France, lahmacun is also marketed under the name of Armenian pizza or Turkish pizza.
Where to eat a good lahmacun in Istanbul?
In all the restaurants of kebap such as Develi, Konyalı, Adana kebab, etc.
2 – The Börek – 10 must-try fast food in Istanbul
The second one in the fast food Istanbul list is borek. Salty pastry stuffed with cheese, spinach, potatoes, minced meat. There’s something for everyone! A little fat, it is better to eat it on a plate. Phyllo paste, fried or baked.
This dish, very old, comes from Turkish cuisine and was even developed by the Turks in Central Asia before their arrival in Anatolia. It probably spread in the Balkans at the time of the Ottoman Empire but according to other sources, this dish was part of the Byzantine cuisine, widespread in Anatolia (former Byzantine region). Following the Ottoman occupation, this Greek or Byzantine dish changed its name to that of Burek or Börek.
> Where to eat a good Börek in Istanbul?
Taner Börek, Aslı Börek, Saray, Sütiş etc… Beware, do not eat the börek anywhere you can be disappointed. Try to find a Saray or Sütiş there is everywhere in Istanbul.
3 – The Kumpir
The third one in the must-try fast food Istanbul list is kumpir. Large baked potato, salted and buttered and stuffed with various ingredients such as corn, sausage, olives, taboulé, yoghurt sauce… and other varieties of your choice.
It is very widespread in the Balkans (in Turkish: Kumpir in Serbian: Krompir, in Croatian: Kurimpir, in Macadonian: Kompir).
> Where to eat a good Kumpir in Istanbul?
The Ortaköy district in Istanbul is the place to eat a good Kumpir.
4 – The Çigköfte; pronounced “chikeuftè”
The fourth one in the must-try fast food Istanbul list is cigkofte. Bulgur dumpling, spicy and sometimes mixed raw meat + the personal touch of the one who makes them. This is eaten wrapped in a leaf of salad, accompanied by a little lemon juice and pomegranate vinegar, or wrapped in a sheet of dürüm as below, you choose. Beware, çiğköfte is a little spicy!
Today, for hygiene reasons, raw meat is banned in Turkish restaurants. The recipe has been modified and the meat has been replaced by a clever mix of spices and chopped nuts.
> Where to eat a good Çiğköfte in Istanbul?
Tatlıses çiğköfte, Kommagene, Battalbey, Malatya etc… these are the brands you can trust and they have restaurants all over Istanbul.
5 – The Pide
The fifth one in the must-try fast food Istanbul list is pide. A sort of pizza with an elongated shape garnished with cheese, meat, vegetable; baked in stone oven which gives an incredible taste to the pide. A true delight!
> Where to eat a good pide in Istanbul?
All over!
6 – The Kebap (Iskender)
The sixth one in the must-try fast food Istanbul list is kebap. Meat of mutton bred with thyme, cut in very thin slice long served on the plate on small pieces of pide, accompanied by a tomato sauce. The plate is usually garnished with yogurt and bulgur and then following his desire accompanied by hot red butter poured over the meat when serving.
Iskender kebap is a dish from the Bursa region. He appeared in the year 1867 on the Kayhan market. The term kebap does not mean grilled but rather flat meat with grilled meat. The term İskender is the Turkish translation of the first name Alexander.
> Where to eat Iskender Kebap in Istanbul?
Bursa Iskender, Uludağ İskender, Iskender Kepap (it’s the inventor, a little expensive but the best), Konyalı, Beyti, Kaşı Beyaz etc.
7 – The Kokoreç
The seventh one in the fast food Istanbul list is kokorec. Made from fresh guts of lamb and offal such as liver, kidneys, lungs … often sold on a spit in the street, on embers: it can also be eaten on the plate in restaurants. To take away, he puts himself in a slice of fresh bread, accompanied by onions and peppers, then salted.
Kokoreç (in Turkish) or kokoretsi (in Greek) is a common dish in the Balkans and Turkey.
The washed intestines are rolled up and cooked, often on embers, sometimes in the oven. In Turkey, kokoreç is often served as a sandwich, in bread, but also as a dish. In Greece, it is served directly from the skewer to the plate drizzled with lemon juice; it is particularly consumed during the Easter holidays.
Kokoreç is one of the most popular dishes sold by street vendors and popular restaurants.
> Where to eat a good Kokoreç in Istanbul?
In the Kadıköy district (Şampion Kokoreç) and Galata, do not eat to the little street vendors (it’s hard to be sure of the quality).
8 – Stuffed and grilled mussels on skewers
The eighth one in the fast food Istanbul list is stuffed and grilled mussels on skewers.
Stuffed mussels are sold on the street by street vendors most of the time. Big enough, they are stuffed with rice, spices, parsley, dill, cinnamon mixed with pine nuts and dried black grapes. Sold cold, it is savored with a zest of lemon.
Turkish stuffed mussels need to be eaten cold. You will also see many street vendors selling on small tripods or trestles, this is a good deal for many. Grilled mussels, small in size, are skewered in front of you.
> Where to eat a good skewered grilled mussel in Istanbul?
SAMPION is the fast food chain known for its grilled mussels. Sampion is present on both sides of Istanbul.
9 – The Kofte
The ninth one in the fast food Istanbul list is kofte. There are many ways to do the kofte, depending on the region or the family recipe. In Istanbul, it is generally sold in this way: minced beef meatball mixed with garlic, onion, minced parsley, cumin, paprika, tomato (savored hot flattened) presented in a plate accompanied by a pepper and d a tomato. It can be eaten also stuffed with cheese.
> Where to eat a good kofte in Istanbul?
The best known restaurants for eating a good kofte are: Yusuf, Sultanahmet Koftecisi, Inegol Kofte …
10 – The Gözleme
The tenth one in the must-try fast food Istanbul list is gozleme. The gözleme is a thin pancake cooked on a curved plate, traditionally worked on the ground by a woman sitting cross-legged. It is tasted filled with feta cheese and chopped herbs such as parsley for the most classic or minced meat, potatoes, spinach.
> Where to eat a gözleme in Istanbul?
Many restaurants offer gözleme in their menus. It is also possible to take a gözleme quickly in the street. Thus, in the district of Ortaköy is known for its many culinary stalls where we mainly prepare gözleme and kumpir.
In the district of Sultanahmet, it is common to see at the entrance of the restaurants a person who cooks the gözleme on the traditional hot plate to cook the bread.
Inside the other districts of Istanbul, you will also have the opportunity to eat one of the various kinds of gözleme.
For more information about restaurants in Istanbul, do not hesitate to have a look at our article!