Istanbul - Post Report Question and Answers
What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
There is an Uber eats like delivery app that has a wide range of food options available. Istanbul being an international city means there are way better restaurants and a much larger variety of take out than in Ankara. We ordered good Chinese/Thai, good pizza, decent kabobs, and the seafood is amazing. We found traditional Turkish food to be heavy, with a reliance on fatty meats and rice and little vegetables, which was a surprise to me (I wrongly assumed it would be Mediterranean-ish). When we went out to eat we shied away from Turkish restaurants and stuck to Italian or seafood or pizza. - Aug 2021
Yemeksepeti is an excellent app that facilitates delivery from nearly any restaurant. Enter your address, choose the restaurant and order from the menu. It is too easy.
Nearly any cuisine is available as well as the standard American fast food (including Papa Johns, Popeyes and Starbucks, Krispy Kreme). There are a variety of excellent Turkish restaurants, steak houses and seafood restaurants at every price point with excellent quality. - Sep 2017
Decent eateries abound. Unfortunately, yes, there is fast food. Pick your favorite. - Oct 2010
Everything is available except pork. Every cost range. Ex-pat fast food is pricier than Turkish food, naturally. - Jan 2010
Major chains to include Starbucks here. Aside from that Italian is the main alternative to Turkish food. Not a very cosmopolitan range - Jan 2010
Full spectrum, from American fast food to high-end international cuisine. Eat Turkish food in a mom & pop place, and you can have a great meal for well under $10 per person without alcohol. Go to a fancy place with a view, and order dishes with imported ingredients and imported wine, and you can easily spend $100 per person. - Dec 2009
Just about every type of fast food is available here. There is also a lot of turkish fast food. - Dec 2009
