Pricy but nice! Would not do again at that price point.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Max 8 exclusive guests, smallest group size in Istanbul
- 14+ food tastings included, more than any other Istanbul food tour
- Moveable feast with 8-9 stops around the streets of Eminonu (Europe) and Kadikoy (Asia)
- Bottled water included
- Led by professional foodie guides
Excludes
- Alcoholic drinks excluded
- Pick up and drop off from hotel excluded. Easy-to-find meeting point for all guests.
- Vegetarians have 3-4 less tastings due to limited alternatives
- Unsuitable for severe allergies and celiac disease, due to risk of traces and cross-contamination
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Meet inside Coffeetopia Eminönü cafe, next to the Eminönü Ferry terminal·. It is centrally located next to the old historic quarter of Istanbul. It's easily reachable by tram, taxi, or walking.
Return
- The tour ends at Karaköy - Eminönü Vapur Iskelesi pier on the Asian side. Your guide can assist you with directions in case you want to stay longer in Kadıköy, or take a boat and transport back to your accommodation (in Taksim or Eminönü/Sultanahmet).
Itinerary
Embark on a cross-continental journey across the Bosporus Strait, from the Sultan’s spice markets of Europe, to the Anatolian ustas and street food of Asia. This is our 14+ tasting Istanbul food adventure across two continents, at the historic city terminal of the old Silk Road and Spice Route.
Beneath the 17th-century domes of the Egyptian Bazaar, the air is filled with scent of cured Isot pepper and wild oregano, as we explore the vaulted pantry of Turkish ingredients. At a traditional kebab house, pull up a seat and watch the masters thread hand-minced lamb onto iron skewers, searing over charcoal flames. Pair it with hand-chopped tomato and pepper dip, fresh lavas flatbread and purple turnip juice salgam. At a family-owned eatery from Gaziantep, dip a spoon into a bowl of garlic-spiked beyran lamb soup.
Board a vapur ferry, with spectacular views of the ‘Old City’ minaret skyline receding and seagulls trailing, we cross the border to Kadikoy in Asia Minor.
Stop at a fresh deli in the heart of the market, presided over by its octogenarian owner for over three decades. His kitchen is serving a mini-feast of Levantine mezze; sun-yellow zucchini flowers and ribbons of sarma grape leaves stuffed with herbed rice, Cretan-style white cheese, and smoky eggplant mash.
We keep the momentum going with sumac-dusted fish wrap balık durum, and a handful of midye dolma - plump mussels stuffed with aromatic rice and hit with a citric squeeze of lemon. Beyond these hidden gems, there's more surprises within the 14+ tastings waiting to be discovered in our foodie marathon. Meet two brothers who hold the secret to the perfect cig kofte - raw bulgur patties are kneaded with pomegranate molasses and tucked into crisp lettuce wraps, followed by crispy lahmacun and a frothy ayran beverage.
Visit a legendary institution for the ‘King of Desserts: kunefe. Shredded pastry, soaked in syrup and molten cheese. By the time we hit the pier, you’ll have conquered two continents and 400 years of culinary influence in a single evening. Join our local foodie guide to strip away the tourist veneer and claim your place at the table of the real Istanbul.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
This was a great tour under the knowledgeable expertise of Sinan. We visited places and experienced tastings that we would never have discovered on our own.
Awesome tour! The restaurants selected by our guide were amazing. Our guide Sian was knowledgeable and professional. One of the best food tours we have ever taken.
Sinan was an awesome tour guide, informative, funny, chilled, understood our Aussie sense of humour. We tasted many delicious authentic Turkish dishes on both the European side & Asia side (not the tourist type, only the places the locals know to go) and learnt so much about the history of Istanbul as we walked. The tastings are spread out nicely over the 4hrs so you don't fill uncomfortably full. What a wonderful way to spent the evening. Had a fantastic time, learnt so much and had a full belly by the end. Thanks Chefs Tour! We enjoyed so much we are planning to do a Chefs Tour in Singapore next month 😊
What an amazing experience we had with our guide Sinan. He was very relaxed and made us feel that way too. He was very knowledgeable about the culture, history and the amazing food. We feel like we have made a new friend and experienced the best of Istanbul. I would highly recommend 'A Chefs Tour' and ask for Sinan if he's available you will have an awesome experience.
Sinan was one of the best food guides we have had and we have done many food tours throughout the world. He had such an amazing knowledge of the local history of Istanbul, the Turkish people and different cultures that have had a influence on the food that we know as Turkish. The food variety was fantastic and we were completely full by the end of the tour. Definitely the highlight of our trip to Istanbul 😋🤙🏼
We had an absolutely fantastic tour with Sinan. He is an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about turkish food and the ingredients of each dish. We also learned about life for the locals in this amazing city and the food that they like to eat - not the touristy dishes that everyone knows about. We got to see both the European side and Asian side of Istanbul. We tasted some amazing food and left with full stomachs feeling like we'd made new friends along the way. I would one hundred percent recommend this tour - you won't be disappointed.
A wonderful food tour by a friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful guide, Okyu. Okyu was amazing - she gave us the history of both the city and the food we were sampling, and her choices for our stops on the tour were places we never would have found otherwise. She included plenty of walking between stops so we didn't get too full to enjoy each of the many plates, which I appreciated. We actually went back to several of the restaurants later in our trip because they were so delicious! Okyu also was generous with sharing other recommendations and advice for our trip. I absolutely recommend this tour - we did it on the first day and are glad we did!
It was an amazing experience to taste local food and discover kadiköy (asian side) gastronomy. Our guide was fantastic. Very kind, knowledgeable and fun ! So much delicious food and places to discover. Something to do on your next trip !!
We had a great time on the tour. Lots of food and lots of different stops ( the chef’s specialties). We got to try a number of things we would not have otherwise tried on our own. And our guide was very informative and even ordered us an extra dessert my husband had wanted to try. And the ferry ride was a pretty trip too- we got the view on the way over and the beautiful lights at night on way back.
What a memorable and exceptional experience. This food tour was so unique, food was wonderful; I highly recommend. Our guide was so wonderful and helpful along the way, explaining the area and food as we journeyed through the different places. He was so kind and great personality! He made sure we all stayed together and were doing okay, as some of us were a little older! He ensured we got back to the right place to return to our hotels. Can’t say enough about our experience, outstanding!
Wonderful introduction to Istanbul food! Highly recommend! We visited small restaurants with local dishes both on the European as well as the Asian side. Ökyü did a wonderful job, and we had a great time.
We had an amazing experience with our guide Sinan in Istanbul. Much knowledge, passion and enthousiasm. Also amazing food. We would totally recommend :)
Fabulous tour. Best food tour we have ever been on! Our guide, Hazal, was friendly, knowledgeable and went out of her way to ensure that everyone's needs or preferences were catered for. We went to lots of different cafes and restaurants and tasted many local dishes that we would have never found by ourselves. There was plenty of food for even the hungriest of participants. It was lovely to see different areas of the city and the crossing of the Bosphorous at night to get back to our finishing point was magical. Would highly recommend.
Our guide Cem was incredible! Extremely knowledgeable and so helpful and accommodating. We finished the Tour with a great understanding of Turkey, the delicious food and the History of such a beautiful city.
Just finished an awesome tour (bosphorus bites). Great guide, lots of knowledge shared and delicious amazing selection of food. Highly recommend it.
Sinan our guide was terrific. He was knowledgeable about food, neighborhoods and answered any questions. The food was plentiful (understatement), authentically Turkish and very, very good. The ferry to the Asian side to eat there as well was a treat too. Come hungry but save room for the Turkish baklava (much better than Greek baklava imho).
We had such an incredible time on our tour with Sinan. We tried a ton of delicious foods and learned a bunch about local landmarks along the way. We came away very full and talking about how we need to do a food tour on every trip we take. I very highly recommend this food tour!
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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