Experience Food Tours in Istanbul with Withlocals

"My favorite part was when he hand fed me mussels and rice. Dude loves his yogurt! Highly recommend. "

"Very personable, very informative and very helpful. Everyone should love Alp!!"

"The food was varied and all super tasty! Faruk was very flexible and patient with us, coming to find us when we got lost on our way to meet him. He was chill, which was perfect for us. He gave us good historical and landmark information and brought us to places hidden back in corners and down alleys we would never have found on our own. This was an incredible, enjoyable experience!"

"Alp is a brilliant guide, very knowledgeable and friendly and able to give you an insight into the delicacies of this wonderful city. We are a family of four and Alp was great with our teenagers which was important to us but was engaging at all times with his positivity. The foods are, as you would expect, varied and delicious so when in Istanbul, connect with Alp and you will enrich your experience in this special place."

"We decided to start our adventure in Istanbul with a food tour on day 1 to give us some insights into the culture. Disappointingly our host Sozum cancelled with 10 minutes notice, but to our delight Muhammed stepped in at the last minute. As a 22 year old he interacted wonderfully with an Australian couple in their late 60’s. The tour was excellent and led us to many experiences that we would never have been game to try.we couldn’t thank Mohammed enough. He is an excellent host and a wonderful person to spend time with!"

"Thank you Gülce for a fantastic afternoon. You showed us places which we would definitely not found nor entered ourselves and chose some truly delicious and diverse foods for us to taste! You had a lot of patience and it was a great pleasure spending the time with you and learning about the foods and the life of Istanbul. Highly recommended and a heartfelt thank you from all of us. "

"With two days in Instanbul this is possibly one of the best ways to get a true sense of how people live and eat. \nEmre guided us around the streets, sounds and history of this vibrant city.\nWe visited local cafes, street vendors which we know we would have never done or known about on our own\nEmre was very generous with his time and his passion for his home city was evident. "

"My son and I spent a morning with Alp on the Street Food tour. We can't say enough about the experience. We enjoyed visiting all of the different eateries so much and the food was delicious. We followed the food tour up with some street art, as well. Alp is so kind, so knowledgeable, so personable, and just a person who's nice to be around and that you want to know better. In fact, we met up with Alp at a local jazz club a few days after a tour just so we could enjoy his company a bit more! "

"Our food tour with Gülce was a highlight of our trip! We discovered dishes we would never have tried on our own and explored the most unexpected, hidden locations in the city. Along the way, Gülce enriched the experience with fascinating historical and architectural insights, as well as deep cultural and religious background about Istanbul. It was the perfect blend of flavors, stories, and atmosphere – unforgettable!"

"Alp's food tour was, without a doubt, the highlight of our stay in Istanbul. We started in the Bohemian neighborhood of Cihangir, where artists, street cats, and cafes abound. We loved the relaxed vibe of the community and never would have discovered it without going on the tour.\n\nAlp introduced us to his favorite comfort food of Turkish dumplings (mantı) at a small restaurant where they were making them by hand. We had the more traditional boiled dumplings, as well as to the crispy fried ones; both were delicious. Also tasty we're zucchini fritters and a cabbage roll stuffed with meat and rice.\n\nWe then wound through the neighborhood, taking in street art along the way, including a mural of an angry panda, one of series meant to call attention to the destruction of natural habitats, as well as a movie star mural on the side on a historic cinema. \n\nWe sweetened out palate with a visit to a store that has been making Turkish delight since the 1700s, tasting \"cezerye,\" a caramelized carrot candy with nuts and shredded coconut. Then we were off to the \"sour\" by visiting a shop that pickles everything! We opted for spicy beets, pickles, and cabbage. Remember to drink the pickle juice too!\n\nBecause we began our tour at 4pm, we were able to beat the dinner rush to a restaurant known for a Turkish style pizza with a super thin crust that you roll up and eat like a burrito with parsley, lettuce, and lemon juice. We tried the tasty staple of Beyti Kebab, then went bold with raw meatballs (!!!) wrapped in lettuce. We washed things down the yogurt drink ayran, as well as the popular Turkish black tea. By the time we left, there was a long line out the door of locals. \n\nBecause we wanted to avoid caffeine in the evening, we finished off with herbal tea (Linden) at a cafe whose name translates roughly to \"the buffalo doesn't sink\" on the thick coffee grounds, a relaxed cafe with a friendly ambiance. \n\nAlp was a delight to spend 3 hours with. He's so knowledgeable about so many subjects, from food to art to music to historical sites. He gave us great recommendations for other neighborhoods to explore and for other foods to try. We feel so fortunate he was our guide and would recommend his food tour wholeheartedly. \n\nWe finished the evening feeling full, relaxed, and refreshed, with a greater appreciation for Istanbul's incredible, vibrant culture, history, and cuisine. My wife and I are foodies, but this tour is for everyone. Our 18 year old niece and our 16 year old twins were enthused by adventuring into the backstreets and food beyond the kebab. \n\nDon't miss out on an opportunity to do a food tour with Alp!"