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Istanbul Street Food Tour: Kadıköy & Asian Side Experience
Street food the way locals eat it
2013 Operating since
50,000+ Guests fed
The Asian side, eaten the way locals do
Meet your guide on the Asian side at the Kadıköy ferry terminal, then eat your way through the market streets where locals actually shop. Lahmacun hot from the oven, kokoreç chopped off the grill, a bowl of garlicky beyran, midye dolma squeezed with lemon, and goat's-milk dondurma to finish. More than 10 tastings, your ferry to the European side included.
- 10+ tastings
- 3 hours
- 10 guests max
- Asian side
The evening's flow
Kadıköy market to the ferry home
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Meet your guide at the İstanbul Kitapçısı café on the second floor of the Kadıköy ferry terminal, on the Asian side. Easy to reach by ferry or metro.
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Walk the market lanes where Kadıköy shops every day, past fishmongers, cheese counters and olive stalls, to the mussel carts: midye dolma stuffed with spiced rice and squeezed with lemon.
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Lahmacun straight from the oven, thin and crackling, spread with spiced minced meat and tomato, then scattered with parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Rolled up and eaten by hand.
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Kokoreç chopped hot off the grill and packed into bread, seasoned with oregano and chili.
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On into the Moda backstreets for a bowl of beyran, the garlicky Gaziantep soup of shredded lamb and rice under hot broth.
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Finish on goat's-milk dondurma, stretchy and stubborn, cut with a knife and fork. Then back to the terminal with your ferry ticket, for the ride across to the European side.
What the evening looks like.
What's included
Everything in one ticket
Food & Drinks
- More than 10 tastings across Kadıköy's market and backstreets
- Local, non-alcoholic drinks, plus water
Transport
- Ferry from Kadıköy to the European side
Tour Guide
- An experienced English-speaking Istanbul food guide
- Food stories, local history and the insider view
Not included: Guide gratuities
Meeting point
Where we'll meet
İstanbul Kitapçısı Kafeteryası, Kadıköy
Caferağa, Kadıköy Ferry Terminal (2nd floor), 34710 Kadıköy/İstanbul, Türkiye
Tour ends at
The Kadıköy Street Food Tour finishes at the Kadıköy Ferry Terminal. Your ferry to the European side is included, and your guide will help you catch the ferry to Eminönü (near the Spice Market) or Karaköy.
Practical details
Things to know
Dietary needs
- Most stops have vegetarian options (not all). Tell us at booking.
- Not ideal for severe nut and dairy allergies.
Tour details
- Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 18:00.
- About 3 hours. Max 10 people per group. Private groups available.
- Meeting point details sent in your confirmation email.
- Infants (0–5) join free. Children 6–12 are US$49.
What to bring
- An empty stomach and your appetite.
- Casual, comfortable shoes. A jacket for cooler evenings.
- An umbrella if rain is forecast. We run rain or shine.
FAQs
How do we get to Kadıköy from the European side?
Most travelers ride a public ferry across to Kadıköy, about 30 minutes from Eminönü (by the Spice Market) or Karaköy; the Marmaray and metro reach Kadıköy too. We meet at the İstanbul Kitapçısı café on the second floor of the Kadıköy ferry terminal, on the Asian side, and send exact directions in your confirmation.
Is the included ferry round-trip or one-way?
One-way. You make your own way over to Kadıköy on the Asian side, and your ferry back to the European side is included, to Eminönü (near the Spice Market) or Karaköy. The tour finishes right at the Kadıköy ferry terminal, where your guide helps you catch it.
Is it worth crossing to Kadıköy if we've already done the European side?
Yes. Kadıköy is the local, non-touristy Asian side, where Istanbulites actually shop and eat. You walk the market lanes and the Moda backstreets for tastings like beyran, the garlicky Gaziantep soup, and goat's-milk dondurma.
What are beyran, kokoreç, and midye dolma?
Beyran is a garlicky soup of shredded lamb and rice from Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey, served hot with red pepper. Kokoreç is seasoned lamb, grilled over charcoal and chopped into bread with oregano and chili. Midye dolma are mussels stuffed with spiced rice, eaten with a squeeze of lemon. You'll also try lahmacun and goat's-milk dondurma.
Is it safe to walk around Kadıköy in the evening?
Yes. Kadıköy's market and the Moda backstreets stay busy and lively through the evening, and you're with an experienced local guide and a group of no more than 10 the whole way. The tour runs from 18:00 to about 21:00 and finishes at the well-connected ferry terminal.
Will this be enough food for dinner?
Come hungry, this is your dinner. More than 10 tastings over about 3 hours, from stuffed mussels and lahmacun to beyran and goat's-milk dondurma, add up to a full meal, so there's no need to book a restaurant afterward.
Didn't find your answer? Contact us. We answer within a day.
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