Vegetarian Kadıköy Street Food Crawl: Simit & Mezze Feast
Description
- 100% Vegetarian, Zero Compromises: No need to cross your fingers and hope the guide finds a meat-free option. This tour is completely curated from start to finish to highlight the incredible, naturally plant-based soul of Turkish street food. - The Vibe of Local Kadıköy: While most tours stick to the crowded paths of the Old City, we take you to Kadıköy—Istanbul’s absolute trendiest foodie neighborhood where locals actually go to hang out and eat. - A True Bakery & Mezze Feast: From crispy, sesame-crusted street breads to rich, olive-oil-infused comfort dishes, you will experience the massive variety of authentic Turkish baking and mezze culture. - The 2.5-Hour Flavor Sprint: We know your vacation time is valuable. We’ve trimmed all the fluff and long waiting times to pack a massive culinary adventure into a crisp, high-energy 2.5 hours so you can maximize your day.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Tear into the double-crown of Istanbul breakfast culture. Start your morning like a true local with a freshly baked simit. This iconic, molasses-dipped and sesame-crusted bread ring is beautifully crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and pairs perfectly with a warm glass of Turkish tea.
Sip a tangy, bright market classic. Step into a beloved neighborhood pickle shop to try a glass of vibrant turşu suyu. This traditional, naturally vegan pickle juice is loaded with crunch and serves as the perfect, sour palate-cleanser to ignite your appetite for the market adventure.
Enjoy a cool, rich olive oil comfort classic. Take a seat at a cozy neighborhood eatery to sample barbunya pilaki. This timeless, refreshing cold mezze features tender pinto beans slow-cooked in rich Aegean olive oil with sweet carrots, onions, fresh garlic, and plenty of fresh herbs.
A masterclass in plant-based spice and crunch. Bite into a 100% plant-based çiğ köfte dürüm. Watch as the seasoned bulgur paste is spread onto fresh lavash bread, packed with fresh mint, parsley, and crisp lettuce, then finished with a sweet, tangy drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
A triple-threat feast of Turkish baking and mezze. Indulge in a beautiful pastry spread. Sample savory mercimek köftesi (red lentil and bulgur patties), a flaky, golden slice of spinach-stuffed börek pastry, and a soft, crumbly savory poğaça bun straight from the oven.
Now, it’s time to enjoy two Turkish pastry favorites at Kadıköy Merkez Börekçisi. Here, you’ll try spinach börek, a savory pastry filled with spinach and cheese, and pogaca, a soft, savory scone. These pastries are perfect for a midday snack and are a beloved part of Turkish street food culture. You’ll spend 20 minutes enjoying your börek and pogaca while learning about Turkish pastry traditions.
Wrap it all up with a legendary street dessert. End your meat-free food journey on a sweet note with a slice of traditional şambali. Savor this dense, syrupy street semolina cake topped with a whole almond, capturing the simple, historic dessert culture of Istanbul’s busy markets.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(4)
We had a wonderful afternoon with Necla who walked us through a really popular food area. We tried so much food and left absolutely full. Also, our tour guide Necla also made sure we got back to the European side of the city walking us to the ferry and making sure we got the correct one.
Thank you for your lovely review! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed exploring Kadıköy with Necla and that you left full after tasting so many local favorites. Necla always goes the extra mile for our guests, so we're delighted she helped make your journey back to the European side smooth and stress-free. We'd love to welcome you on another Foodprint Tours experience in your next destination!
Necla was a great tour guide! She tailors the stops to any dietary restrictions or preferences so you can get great foods that work for you. We loved all the stops… so many yummy foods and the opportunity to ask any questions about food or Turkish culture / life in Istanbul with a local.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re very happy you enjoyed the food, conversations, and local insight into Turkish culture and life in Istanbul. Necla will be very happy to hear your kind words. Thank you again for joining us in Istanbul! Foodprint Tours
Asli, our guide, was very organized and engaging. We were able to eat a wide variety of Turkish foods, while learning and sharing with each other. We could not have asked for a better host, and would have liked to have Asli with us for our entire stay in Istanbul!
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a great time with Asli and enjoyed exploring Istanbul’s incredible flavors together. She truly loves sharing Turkish food and culture, and your kind words will make her day! We’d love to host you again—maybe in one of our other Foodprint cities like Athens, Lisbon, or Cairo next time!
We had a wonderful day, and highly recommend this tour. As one of us is Vegetarian so it was great to be given so many options of Turkish vegetarian foods. Madina our guide was amazing, so friendly and accomodating adjusting the tour to suit both our tastes and dietary needs. This side of Istanbul is lively and had a truly local feel. Without doing this tour we would never have known about many of these local foods and customs, great intro to Turkey!
