Every cuisine video worth watching in Istanbul — in one place

Istanbul’s food hierarchy is clear once you understand the structure: a Turkish breakfast is the most social and expansive meal of the day, featuring fresh bread, cheeses, olives, eggs and spreads for around 16 USD per person at a well-regarded spot. Kebab represents the midday anchor — Adana kebab is the spicy minced-meat standard, and eggplant kebab is the vegetarian version that comes with meat anyway, which one Istanbul resident flags explicitly. The street layer runs underneath both: balık ekmek fish sandwiches from the Eminonu waterfront, midye dolma stuffed mussels from pavement stalls, and the simit bread rings that operate as the practical morning breakfast for commuters. The food tour starting at the Spice Bazaar is the structured entry point multiple creators recommend for first-time visitors, primarily because the Karakoy neighbourhood just outside the bazaar is where the interesting local food geography concentrates. Skip the tourist-facing restaurants around the Hagia Sophia — prices are elevated and the quality does not reflect them.

The “Istanbul in 3 Days” video dedicates the most time to the food tour format, showing the Spice Bazaar, the breakfast spread, and the neighbourhood food geography in a single coherent walkthrough — the most useful single watch for cuisine orientation. The “10 BEST Things to do in Istanbul” video is broader but covers the street food layer — pide, börek, ice cream — in granular detail. Pair those two before the arrival, then use “The BEST Way to Spend 24 HOURS in Istanbul” for the specific local restaurant that Istanbulites actually use.