Lois Larson
Istanbul Airport is a bustling hub of international travel, offering a wide range of dining options to suit every traveller's tastes and preferences. The airport is known for its diverse culinary scene, ranging from fast food joints to gourmet restaurants, Turkish cuisine to international dishes. With a variety of options available in both the landside and airside areas, travellers can explore and indulge in a multitude of flavours during their time at the airport. However, it is important to note that food prices at Istanbul Airport are reportedly higher compared to other airports and even some restaurants outside.
Eating at Istanbul Airport
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Range of dining options | Fast food, Turkish cuisine, international dishes |
| Dining recommendations | Simit Sarayı, Big Chefs, Street Foods, Turcuisine, Eat&Joy, Mvnch, Cafe Yanımda, Burger King, Popeyes, Sbarro, Seferi |
| Typical Turkish dishes | Doner kebab, Pide, Durum, Börek, Kokoreç, Sucuklu yumurta, Pilav, Baklava, Mantı, Künefe |
| Price | Very expensive compared to other airports and outside the airport |
| Time to get to central Istanbul | 1.5-2 hours by bus |
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Turkish dishes
Turkish cuisine is largely influenced by Ottoman, Seljuk, and Turkish diaspora cuisines. It also takes influence from Mediterranean, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Eastern European cuisines. Traditional Turkish dishes rely more on fresh ingredients than on heavy seasonings. Meat-based foods like kebabs are common in Turkish cuisine, but meals in Turkey tend to centre around rice, vegetables, and bread.
Some popular Turkish dishes include:
- Pide — a type of flatbread made from dough balls stretched out into an extended base and inserted with a range of fillings.
- Lahmacun/Lamachun — a type of flatbread, commonly referred to as Turkish pizza, made from meat and a paste consisting of low-fat mince stirred together with tomato paste, garlic, and spices.
- Döner kebab/Dürüm — a popular street food, this is a type of kebab served in thin, flatbread instead of pita bread.
- Börek — a traditional Turkish food that is a baked, stuffed pastry.
- Manti — tasty Turkish dumplings with a spoonful of mince sealed into a small parcel.
- Piyaz — a traditional Turkish salad or meze that includes a soft-boiled egg that's chopped up and mixed through before serving.
- Baklava — a well-known sweet treat made of layers of filo filled with ground nuts that are bonded together with a honeyed syrup before being baked.
- Lokum/Turkish Delight — a famous Turkish delicacy made by boiling water, starch, and sugar together to produce delicate jelly cubes.
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International fast food
Istanbul Airport offers a wide range of international fast-food options to suit every traveller's tastes and preferences. The airport has over 100 pit stops, most offering Turkish specialties, but there is no shortage of international fast-food joints.
For a quick bite, you can opt for well-known fast-food chains like Burger King or Popeyes, or grab a pastry from a bakery. Burger King offers a familiar option for travellers, with burgers, fries, and drinks. If you're craving something different, Popeyes' spicy fried chicken sandwich is a must-try. Sbarro is another option, serving up New York-style pizza by the slice, along with calzones and stromboli.
For those seeking a taste of Italy, Eat&Joy offers pizza, pasta, and other Italian favourites. Mvnch is another popular choice, with a diverse menu featuring warm and chilled dishes, freshly pressed juices, house-made natural teas, and specialty coffee. Enud is known for its köfte, while Cups and Clouds pairs baklava with coffee.
If you're looking for a serene dining experience, Kaimakk, located between the D and E gates, serves both international and Turkish dishes in a white-on-white setting. Their menu includes options like linguine bolognese and linguine köfte, with a focus on sweets, including Turkish delight and various types of baklava.
Istanbul Airport's food courts also offer a variety of fast-food options, with the one near the E and F gates featuring homegrown brands. Whether you're craving familiar flavours or something new, Istanbul Airport's international fast-food scene has plenty to offer.
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Street food
Istanbul Airport is a bustling hub of international travel offering a diverse range of dining options to suit every traveller's tastes and preferences. From fast food joints to gourmet restaurants, the airport has it all. If you're looking for street food options, here are some popular choices:
Döner Kebab
The Döner Kebab is a famous food export from Turkey and a popular street food option in Istanbul. Typically, the kebab is served in a thin flatbread called "Dürüm", rather than pita bread, making it a convenient and delicious option for those on the go.
Pide
Pide is another Turkish flatbread delicacy that you must try in Istanbul. It is often topped with spinach and yellow cheese, offering a salty and satisfying bite. The dough is slightly thicker and airier than other types of flatbread, making it a hearty option.
Lamachun
Lamachun is a thin and crispy bread topped with tomatoes and ground meat. It is baked quickly in the oven and then finished off with a squeeze of lemon. This street food item is not only delicious but also super cheap, costing only about 4 lira.
Börek
Börek is a traditional Turkish baked stuffed pastry that can be found in various countries across the region, including Albania and Armenia. However, each country puts its unique twist on it, so be sure to try the Istanbul version. You'll find pastry shops selling Börek all over the city, and it's a common sight at street food stalls.
Mussels
While street mussels may be concerning due to potential food poisoning issues, you can find vendors in Istanbul who keep their mussels hot and fresh. You can also try deep-fried and battered mussels with a garlic dip, which is a delicious alternative.
Çiğ Köfte
For a vegan option, try Çiğ Köfte, a vegan wrap made with ground bulgar wheat, tomato paste, walnut paste, pomegranate molasses, and spices. It is a healthy and tasty alternative to the traditional raw meatball version.
In addition to these street food options, Istanbul Airport offers a variety of Turkish specialties, including kebabs and çay bahçesi for an authentic experience. The airport also features international cuisine, fast-food chains, and sit-down restaurants to cater to all tastes and preferences.
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Turkish breakfast
A traditional Turkish breakfast consists of a variety of bite-sized delicacies. It usually includes black and green olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, cured meats, dips and sauces, eggs, fresh cheeses, honey, jams, and sweet butter, all served with freshly brewed black tea. The most common type of bread is white bread, but other kinds of grain bread, like rye, are also available. Pide is the traditional bread option—fluffy squares of dough coated in seeds. Black olive spread is a popular option on pide. Simit, a type of Turkish bagel, is also a popular choice for breakfast. It is often ripped into smaller pieces and dipped into cheese or jam.
Cheese is a very important part of a Turkish breakfast. Feta cheese (beyaz peynir) is a true staple, but other options include Kasseri, a hard cheese made from unpasteurized sheep milk, and Lor, an uncured goat-milk cheese similar to cottage cheese. Sucuk, a dried, spicy beef sausage, is often served with eggs and pide bread. For vegetarians, menemen (scrambled eggs with bell peppers, tomatoes, and scallions, doused in oregano) is a popular choice.
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Pricey dining
Istanbul Airport has a reputation for world-class dining, with well over 100 eateries offering Turkish specialties and international dishes.
If you're looking for a luxurious dining experience, head to the Turkish Airlines Business Class Lounge, where live-fire cooking stations and impressive buffets of mezze and desserts will spoil you. This option is best if you're flying business class on Turkish Airlines, have Sky Alliance status, or are travelling with someone who does.
For a celebrity chef experience, Turkey's Salt Bae has a restaurant in the main hall near the D gates. Here, you'll find burgers, steaks, ribs, and chops, as well as one of the airport's few full bars. This restaurant is popular for its elaborate milkshakes and kids' options.
In the quiet corridor between the D and E gates, you'll find Kaimakk, a serene spot serving both international and Turkish dishes in a white-on-white dining area. Sample dishes like linguine bolognese and linguine köfte, and finish your meal with Turkish delights or baklava.
If you're craving a taste of Italy, Eat&Joy in the domestic area offers pizza, pasta, and other Italian favourites. For a more diverse and vibrant menu, Mvnch provides a wide range of warm and chilled dishes, along with freshly pressed juices, house-made natural teas, and specialty coffee.
While these dining options offer a more upscale experience, be prepared for higher prices, as food prices at Istanbul Airport are known to be significantly higher than average.
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Frequently asked questions
Istanbul Airport has a variety of food options, but it is known to be quite expensive. Some cheaper options include Simit Sarayı, which offers Turkish pastries, and Shake Shack, which has been noted to be cheaper than other Shake Shacks outside of Turkey.
For a quick bite, you can try Burger King, Popeyes, or Sbarro for some New York-style pizza. Simit Sarayı is also a popular spot for a quick bite and a cup of tea or coffee.
For a taste of traditional Turkish cuisine, you can try the mantı (Turkish dumplings) and künefe (a sweet cheese pastry) at Mantı & Künefe. Turcuisine offers a variety of meze (small plates), salads, soups, and traditional cold and hot Turkish dishes. You can also try Seferi for some Turkish pide (a type of flatbread) or Street Foods for some Döner and Kumpir (stuffed baked potatoes).
If you have time to venture outside of the airport, you can try the famous Turkish doner kebab, which is typically served in a thin flatbread called Dürüm. Other popular Turkish dishes include börek (a baked stuffed pastry), mussels, and pilav (a slow-cooked rice dish).
Turkish breakfast differs from European breakfasts as it typically includes tea, sliced tomatoes, and/or cucumbers. It also often includes white cheese (similar to feta), black and/or green olives, and sucuklu yumurta (dried sausage made with ground beef and spices, typically served with eggs).
