Born on the Bosphorus: Exploring Three Distinct Waterside Neighborhoods
Description
Our Istanbul food tour, which focuses on this fascinating part of city, starts in the market of Beşiktaş. A hub of ferry traffic, covered with the flags of its famous soccer team and with its narrow streets filled with rollicking meyhanes and simple restaurants serving breakfast all day long, this neighborhood is a slice of real, contemporary Istanbul like no other. Among the beer bars and cheap clothing stores are a few traditional culinary mainstays for menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs, and bal kaymak, clotted cream blanketed in honey – that’s the way we like to start a day. We’ll visit an Ottoman-era bakery to get some freshly baked goods for the boat ride across the Bosphorus to the market at Üsküdar, where a more traditional food culture is preserved. We’ll sample the best of this market with visits to a honey vendor from Eastern Turkey, an olive shop and a third-generation candymaker, before setting off for the fairytale neighborhood of Kuzguncuk.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Bosphorus Strait, which divides the city of Istanbul and separates the European and Asian continents, has never failed to inspire; from Emperor Constantine to Mark Twain, its charms are well noted.
On the way to find the next best bit we will pass through some special places in this area
Here we will take in the tradition
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(183)
We were really looking forward to this tour and it didn't disappoint. The breadth of tasting, location and local cultural knowledge was even better than we'd hoped for, all led by our brilliant guide Basak. Do not eat breakfast before you go as there is a constant supply of food all day. We were totally stuffed by the end! We tried foods we never would have had we been exploring on our own, and we learnt a huge amount about the background to food choices in Istanbul. Wonderful. Highly recommend.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience exploring the daily life and flavors of Istanbul with us. We are so glad we could introduce you to dishes you might not have discovered otherwise while sharing the deep cultural background of the city's cuisine. Your support truly means the world to us and to the local, family-run unsung heroes who work so hard to preserve these culinary traditions.
Fascinating walk and slice of life in three very different Istanbul neighborhoods -- Besiktas, Uskudar and Kuzguncuk. Besiktas is a vibrant, youthful neighborhood with lots of great breakfast places; Kuzguncuk is slightly quieter with lots of art galleries; Uskudar is a bustling waterside neighborhood with a huge fish market. Our guide Kadir was friendly and knowledgeable and happy to talk about all things Istanbul, from the specifics of the food to how to manage daily life in a city so huge. My only criticism is that there was, if anything, too much food! We felt bad about leaving so much on the plate by the end of the tour. But the overall experience was excellent and I'd happily do trips with Kadir or with Culinary Backstreets again.
Thank you for the wonderful review and for joining us to explore the complexity of Istanbul across these three distinct neighborhoods. We are thrilled that you enjoyed connecting with daily life in the city and experiencing the generous hospitality of our partners. Your participation truly helps us support our beloved local heroes and preserve their cherished culinary traditions.
Engaging visit to local neighborhoods of Istanbul with stops at a variety of family run restaurants and shops. The food samples were wonderful, both in quality and variety, as well as giving insight to Istanbul food culture. Esin was just lovely - charming and knowledgeable and fun! Highly recommended.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are so glad you enjoyed diving into the daily life of Istanbul and tasting the wonderful creations of our local culinary masters. By visiting these family-run spots, you are directly supporting the unsung heroes of the kitchen and helping preserve vital culinary traditions.
Probably one of the best food tours I have done. Esin was wonderful. So passionate about Istanbul and it's food. She took us to many tiny hidden places as well larger ones. Lots of stories about the history as well. Just loved our day.
Thank you for the review. We are so glad you enjoyed experiencing the daily life of Istanbul through its beautiful food and history. By joining us, you are directly helping to support the city's unsung local heroes and preserve its deep culinary traditions. We hope to share more meaningful stories with you in the future!
Gonca was knowledgeable, accommodating, and charming. I had been through some of the neighborhoods before, but I had missed so much on my own!
Thank you for the review and for taking the time to explore the deeper complexity of the city with us. By joining our walk, you are directly supporting the unsung heroes of the kitchen and helping preserve vital culinary traditions. We are so glad our guide could share the genuine daily life of these waterside neighborhoods with you.
We had a great time on our tour with Ugur. We learned a lot about Turkish foods and had the pleasure of exploring multiple different neighborhoods. We especially loved the tree-lined neighborhood across the Bosphorus where we enjoyed mezze upstairs in a small homestyle restaurant. Every bite we had on the tour was delicious and it was the perfect amount of food (skip breakfast!).
Thank you for the wonderful review and for joining our culinary adventure. We are absolutely thrilled that you enjoyed exploring the diverse neighborhoods and discovering the daily life of Istanbul. By walking with us, you help support the traditional family-run spots and unsung culinary heroes that keep these rich food cultures alive.
Our guide, Gonca, was positively outstanding. This was my first BS Culinary tour, but will not be my last based on this experience. It’s fascinating how much can be learned about a people, history and culture through their food. Not only the content, but the manner in which it is procured, prepared and consumed. We learned when, how and with whom different culinary treats are enjoyed. Our guide was sublimely gifted in conveying such information-and in providing copious amounts of varied and delicious food and drink. We participated on our first full day in Istanbul and it was so informative about neighborhoods, transportation, safety, and of course food!
Hello, and thank you so much for this wonderful review. We are thrilled that your time with us provided such a deep connection to the history and daily life of Istanbul through its food. Your participation helps us continue our mission of supporting the local culinary heroes and families who dedicate their lives to preserving these beautiful traditions.
Tuğçe was an absolutely amazing guide — she made the whole experience phenomenal! Every stop on the tour had such delicious food, the neighborhoods we explored were incredibly charming, and we learned so much about Turkey. On top of all of that, the ferry ride was lovely. We will definitely be taking more Culinary Backstreets tours based on our excellent experience in Istanbul!
Thank you for the review! We are so glad you enjoyed exploring the charming waterside neighborhoods and experiencing the daily life of Istanbul. Thank you for supporting the unsung heroes of the kitchen and helping us preserve these beautiful culinary traditions. We look forward to sharing more authentic stories with you on another tour!
This was the absolute best food tour we have ever done. Esin was knowledgeable, thoughtful,well informed and articulate, taking us to multiple different places and looking after us incredibly well. We had a total experience of almost everything possible!! I couldnt speak highly enough f this tour...I just wish they were all this good!!
Thank you for the wonderful review and for sharing your experience exploring Istanbul's waterside neighborhoods with us. We are thrilled that you enjoyed diving into the daily life of the city and connecting with the masters who keep these rich flavors alive. Your participation truly helps us in our mission to champion the unsung heroes of the kitchen and preserve invaluable culinary traditions. We hope to welcome you on another story-driven walk very soon.
A wonderful way to discover the charms of Istanbul and its people!
Thank you for the wonderful review. We are delighted that you enjoyed discovering the daily life and unsung culinary heroes of Istanbul with us. Your visit helps support the traditional, family-run spots that are vital to preserving the city's unique culinary heritage. We look forward to sharing more stories of these masters of their craft with you in the future.
