Best Menemen in Istanbul: 7 Places for the Turkish Egg Dish
Where to eat the best menemen in Istanbul, from award-winning minced meat versions to cheesy Bosphorus spots. Seven breakfast places, with or without onions.
Menemen is the Turkish egg dish you eat for breakfast: green peppers and tomatoes fried down, then eggs stirred in and stewed with salt, black pepper, and spicy Aleppo pepper. Simple to describe, easy to argue about. People will debate whether onions belong in it, and everyone is a purist with their own version.
If you want the wider picture, menemen sits inside Istanbul’s full breakfast culture and the city’s iconic foods. For more options, see our guide to the best food in Istanbul. Here are seven places to try it:
At a glance
| Place | Neighborhood | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Lades Menemen | Beyoğlu | Award-winning minced meat and pastırma menemen |
| Meşhur Menemenci Cemal Polat | Kadıköy | Widest range of variations, white cheese version |
| Naga Putrika | Moda | Garden setting, mıhlama, regional set menus |
| Grandma | Nişantaşı | Bakery with cream cheese menemen, artisanal coffee |
| Emirgan Sütiş | Emirgan | Soup-like cheesy menemen, Turkish coffee, desserts |
| Emek Cafe | Yeniköy | Extra-cheesy menemen, Bosphorus garden view |
| Çakmak Kahvaltı Salonu | Beşiktaş | Cheesy, tangy menemen in a breakfast-famous area |
1. Lades Menemen, Beyoğlu
This traditional Turkish eatery has won awards for its menemen. The minced meat version makes the case: it is like a chili con carne with less spice, and hard to stop eating. If you want a saltier plate, the pastırma version with its crunchy peppers is a strong way to start the day. If you are feeling sweet, the honey and water buffalo clotted cream breakfast dish is the standout, and you could finish with any of these Turkish desserts.
The caramel yellow and white tablecloth gives this humble spot a touch of elegance, and the prices stay wallet-friendly.
2. Meşhur Menemenci Cemal Polat, Kadıköy
The décor here is simple. What sets the place apart is the range of choices, from a potato menemen with a Spanish tortilla de patata vibe to versions with olives, hazelnuts, walnuts, and anchovy. Order the white cheese version and you will see lumps of white bobbing in the orange-red sauce. The eggs come out feather-soft from stewing in the sauce, and the toppings are generous. Kadıköy is full of good eating, and our Kadıköy restaurants guide covers more of the neighborhood.
3. Naga Putrika, Moda
The menemen here is rosy-red, but the mıhlama is what took our breath away. For the uninitiated, that is melted cheese you dip your bread in. They run set menus, with seven choices drawn from different regions of the country.
There is an inviting garden surrounded by plants, and the indoor space has an artsy style. Either way, you eat breakfast the way the locals do, by taking your time. It feels like a break from the busy city. Moda sits on the Asian side, an easy walk from the Kadıköy ferry.
4. Grandma, Nişantaşı
This bakery bases its sourdoughs, viennoiseries, cakes, and dishes on the owners’ maternal grandmother’s recipes, and the room has a chic feel. The apple blackberry bread pairs well with their artisanal coffee, and there are lactose-free options for the milk drinks.
It is a comfortable spot for an all-day breakfast, with quiches on the menu. The menemen is made rich with cream cheese, so leave room: there is a strawberry chocolate cake and a kettle of tea worth ordering too.
5. Emirgan Sütiş, Emirgan
The bitter Turkish coffee here comes in porcelain worth admiring. The chicken salad and anything with the sour cherry homemade jam work well on a hot day. On a cold one, the bubbling, bright-orange menemen with crunchy peppers and streaks of white cheese is the move. Skip the bread and dip a simit in it instead, or order French fries to dip one by one.
For dessert, the mocha pairs with the Oreo cheesecake. If you want to push it, there is a super Oreo cheesecake.
6. Emek Cafe, Yeniköy
There is ordinary menemen, there is cheesy menemen, and then there is the version here, where so much cheese goes in that the top turns pure white, with a hint of meat if you order it that way. From the garden, you can watch the boats go by on the Bosphorus. For more spots along the water, see our Bosphorus restaurants guide.
This is where locals catch up with friends. If you come with one, the breakfast plate with cucumber, tomato, boiled eggs, and cheese is good to share, as are the potato böreks. Skipping caffeine? The freshly squeezed orange juice is a fine call. Try the tiramisu with the iced mocha to finish.
7. Çakmak Kahvaltı Salonu, Beşiktaş
Beşiktaş is famous for breakfast, and this sizzling, pumpkin-orange menemen stands out in it. Cheesy, tangy, and smooth, it works whether you come early or roll in for brunch. The cherry jam with cream eats like a lighter cheesecake. Try the tahini mixed with molasses for a nutty, deep-flavored touch, and they pour sage tea if you want something other than the usual çay. For more in the area, see our Beşiktaş restaurants guide.
Final words
That is our list of the best places to eat menemen in Istanbul, from award-winning minced meat versions to cheese-heavy Bosphorus spots. For more on the food behind these breakfasts, read our Turkish cuisine guide and our roundup of the most authentic Turkish dishes worth trying.
Want to eat your way across the city instead of reading about it? Our Taste of Two Continents tour runs daily and starts with a Turkish breakfast near the Spice Market before crossing by ferry to Kadıköy and Moda.
