Istanbul Food Itinerary: 48 Hours for the Chronically Hungry

Istanbul food itinerary: 48 hours, no time wasted on monuments

Some people come to Istanbul for the mosques. Some come for the views. And some come to eat for two days straight and pretend the walking between meals counts as exercise. This istanbul food itinerary 48 hours plan is for the third group. We are not going to Topkapı. We are going to lunch.

Day 1: European side, slow build

10:00, Karaköy. Start with kahvaltı, not coffee. A proper Turkish breakfast takes ninety minutes and that is the point. Eggs in copper pans, fresh kaymak, three kinds of cheese, olives, honeycomb, hot bread. Pace yourself. There is a lot of day left.

13:30, Galata. Walk uphill. You need to. On the way, grab a balık ekmek from the boats at Eminönü if you crossed the bridge, or a quick simit if you did not. This is a snack, not a meal. We are bridging.

15:00, kokoreç o'clock. Take the ferry to Kadıköy and head straight to Reks Kokoreç. If you have never had kokoreç, it is grilled lamb intestine, chopped fine with oregano and pepper, served in bread. If that sentence scared you, this is not your itinerary. If it did not, you are about to have one of the best things in the city for around 150-200 lira.

17:00, coffee in Moda. You need to sit down. Dem Moda does proper filter coffee and the kind of cake that justifies a second cup. Sit by the window. Watch people walk their dogs. This is the only break you get.

20:00, meyhane night. Piraye Taş Plak Meyhanesi is the dinner. Old records on the walls, fasıl music some nights, meze trays that just keep coming. Order half the cold meze, two hot ones, grilled fish to share, and a bottle of rakı between three people. Do not rush. A meyhane meal that ends before midnight has been mismanaged.

Day 2: Asian side, full focus

09:30, Kadıköy. Ferry across again. Skip hotel breakfast. Çinili Taş Fırın Kadıköy has been baking since long before any of us were born, and you want a fresh açma, a poğaça with cheese, and whatever börek came out of the oven last. Eat standing up if you have to. It is better that way.

11:00, Kadıköy pazar walk. This is the best food neighborhood in the city, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. Walk the fish market streets. Pick up dried figs. Try the pickle juice from a pickle shop (it is a thing, just trust me). Buy Turkish delight from a place that lets you taste first.

13:30, lunch on the move. Midye dolma from a street vendor near the iskele. Squeeze of lemon, eat it off the shell, hand the shell back, repeat until you have done eight or ten. They cost about 15 lira each. Then a fresh-pressed pomegranate juice from any of the carts.

16:00, Turkish coffee. Latife Türk Kahvesi is where you go to slow down. Order it orta şekerli. Get a piece of lokum on the side. Sit for thirty minutes and do nothing.

20:00, kebap dinner. End in Beyoğlu or stay on the Asian side, your call. Either way, an ocakbaşı dinner with grilled meat, lavaş bread off the saç, and ayran is the right closer. Not fancy. Just correct.

Two days, twelve meals, zero regrets. Bring stretchy pants. The simit on day three is on you.