Glorious Mornings: 12 Spots For the Best Breakfast In Istanbul

When I first moved to Istanbul, my friend Teresa mentioned that her family’s favorite meal to eat out was breakfast. At the time, breakfast (to me) still meant Special K and a piece of fruit.

Over the last 18 years, my definition of “breakfast” has changed significantly, and I totally agree with my friend! Turkish breakfast (“kahvalti” in Turkish) is not a meal, it’s an experience.

One of my first visits to Istanbul was in the summer. I stayed at a basic hotel whose breakfast consisted of a simple buffet. They provided bread, cucumbers and tomatoes, olives and cheese, tea, and (glorious) juicy watermelon. It was sufficient and delicious, but I didn’t know there was so much more to enjoy.

Imagine freshly baked bread, green and black olives, different varieties of cheese, fresh greens with cucumbers and tomatoes, homemade jams, honey with clotted cream, savory spreads and flaky pastries, fried eggs and menemen (eggs in a tomato-pepper-onion sauce), washed down with endless cups of hot black tea.

When you go out to a restaurant, you will often have a choice between the “kahvalti tabağı” (breakfast plate) and “serpme kahvalti” (sprinkling or spreading breakfast; basically a bunch of small plates that everyone shares).

If you’re a solo traveler, the kahvalti tabagi will be your best bet, as the serpme kahvalti generally requires a minimum of 2 people. But if you can find a buddy, the serpme kahvalti is divine.

And what about coffee? Turkish breakfast is always served with black tea (and copious amounts of it!). But traditionally, after the meal, you enjoy a strong Turkish coffee. (Usually charged separately in restaurants.)

The word “kahvalti” is actually a mash-up of the two words “kahve” (coffee) and “alti” (under, or before). So “kahvalti” is what you eat before you drink your coffee!

If you’re a visitor to this amazing city and are staying in a hotel that provides breakfast, I’d suggest that you still eat out for a Turkish breakfast at least once while you’re here.

It would be a pity to settle for a standard hotel breakfast when an amazing culinary world awaits you.

Price range legend in USD and Turkish Lira, approximate prices for the entire meal for one person, as of April 2025. This is a very rough guide, as the exchange rate constantly changes.
$ = $12 and under (450 TL and under)
$$ = $13-19 (500-700 TL)
$$$ = $20 and up (750 TL and up)

1. Cesme Bazlama Kahvalti

Location: Nisantasi, 15-minute walk from Osmanbey Metro Stop | Price Range: $$$ | View Website

If you want a gigantic traditional Turkish breakfast spread, a great place to start is Cesme Bazlama kahvalti.

Çeşme (“chesh-meh”) is a town in the Aegean Region not far from Izmir, known for its fresh veggies and delicious bread called “bazlama.” Bazlama is like a very fluffy English muffin.

The bazlama at Cesme Bazlama Kahvalti is baked fresh in-house and distributed to the tables, along with a flat Turkish pancake (gozleme) with savory fillings. Fresh and hot!

At Cesme Bazlama Kahvalti, there’s a set price (about $20 at the time of writing) for an all-you-can-eat breakfast spread, and the waiters will come around and keep topping things up.

Some of my favorites are their crumbled white cheese with blackberry jam on top and their savory tomato-based spread.

There are a few items for an extra charge (notably, fresh-squeezed orange juice), so when in doubt, stick with the tea. The tea will come with a chafer to keep it piping hot. The top teapot has very strong black tea and the bottom pot has water to dilute the tea to your liking. Enjoy!

2. Ethem Efendi Kahvalti

Location: Goztepe | Price Range: $$$ | View Website

Located just north of the Goztepe 60. Yil Parki, Ethem Efendi Kahvalti is a wonderful place to get breakfast before checking out the tulips in April. A feast for your stomach and then for your eyes!

Ethem Efendi’s concept is very similar to Cesme Bazlama, above, just located on the Asian side of the city. For a set price, you get an incredible all-you-can-eat spread, with unlimited refills.

When we went there with some guests a few years ago, our friend Joelle couldn’t get enough of the gozleme (savory Turkish filled pancakes). My favorite was the variety of jams (including quince and apricot), which were also on sale at the little shop by the entrance.

3. Arada Blue City, Arada Endulus, Arada Beyrut

Location: Uskudar and Beyoglu | Price Range: $$$ | View Website

I have a secret that I keep from my Turkish friends.

I think that the Lebanese breakfast at the Arada restaurants is a notch above the Turkish breakfast. (Shocking!!)

There are some similar elements: tea, olives and cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes, jams and honey.

But the differences! Fresh falafel, delicious potatoes, hummus (surprisingly not a standard part of Turkish cuisine) and zahter (spice mix with olive oil), served with hot fresh pita bread and unlimited refills on everything.

Even my gluten-free friends can thoroughly enjoy this meal.

The main downside to breakfast at Arada is the price. Currently, the breakfast price per person is about $27, the most expensive on this list. For our family, this is a once-a-year treat, but we look forward to it every year.

4. Van Kahvalti Cihangir

Location: Cihangir | Price Range: $ | View Website

My kids love to eat. So on a summer day when they were about 9 and 12, we went out to Van Kahvalti in Cihangir.

The weather was hot, and the hike up the hill from the Bosphorus toward the restaurant was a bit daunting. But once we got to the restaurant and started eating, it was all worth it.

Van is a city in the east of Turkey known for their cats (white, with one blue and one green eye) and their delicious breakfasts.

Van-style breakfast has the standard Turkish breakfast elements with some special things like cheese with herbs, and a dish called “murtuga” which is toasted flour with an egg added in.

It does tend to be fairly cheese-heavy, for the cheese-lovers (or cheese-avoiders) out there.

5. Sa Va Anatolian Breakfast House

Location: Cihangir | Price Range: $$ | View Website

There are a lot of French borrowed words in Turkish (but spelled uniquely Turkish-ly), like “mersi” (thank you), “asansor” (elevator), and “mayo” (bathing suit).

“Sa Va” (it goes) takes that Frenchness and combines it with “Anatolia” (the geographic area that’s in the center of Turkey) for some amazingly delicious breakfast!

If you’re staying in Taksim, Sa Va (and Van Kahvalti above) are an easy walk down the hill from the square.

Sa Va is a good option if you’d like a traditional breakfast with a bit of international flair. Most of the waitstaff can speak English and are used to catering to visitors, but the food prices won’t break the bank.

6. La Vapeur magique

Location: Departs from Karakoy Pier | Price Range: $$ to $$$ depending on your seat | View Website

What is better than a Turkish breakfast? Turkish breakfast on a boat!

When Kimberly suggested that we take a breakfast cruise on Le Vapeur Magique for her birthday last December, I was all in.

The Antakya-style all-you-can-eat serpme kahvalti was amazing, with some special dishes like roasted potatoes and a zucchini-garlic yogurt dish that was delicious. And we sat right by a large window with a glorious view.

There was live Turkish music, and after we ate, we enjoyed a walk up on the top deck to soak in the Bosphorus.

A month later I brought my family and we got the less expensive seats in the middle of the boat, but the food and ambiance were just as awesome. So feel free to sit where your budget allows!

If you have inner ear issues or don’t like cruises, you might want to check out the next breakfast option instead.

7. Besiktas Breakfast Street

Location: Besiktas | Price Range: $ | View Website

When my friends and I went to the Breakfast Street (officially, Celebi Oglu Sokagi) in Besiktas the other day, it was hard to decide which restaurant to choose.

We landed on Kardes Payi, because the guy waving us into the restaurant assured us that we could get the two-person serpme kahvalti and share it among the three of us with no extra charge, and because their menu #3 had muhlama in it.

I love muhlama.

The Black Sea region of Turkey is known for its dishes that incorporate cornmeal. Muhlama (also called kuymak) is a hot cheese dip made of cornmeal, butter, and stringy cheese. It’s wonderful. We polished it off and then went to work on the other 12 small plates on the table.

Besiktas is a part of town with lots of college students, so prices are competitive and the food is good at the many breakfast places in this corner of town.

8. Kuff Kolektif

Location: Kadikoy | Price Range: $$ | View Website

When my daughter came home to Istanbul for spring break this year, we headed to Kuff Kolektif in on the Asian side of the city for a serpme kahvalti. She was happy to have a respite from American college dining hall breakfasts and get some real food.

Kuff has a chic and modern feel, and their breakfast is gorgeous. We especially liked the acuka (tomato spread with walnuts and spices) and the fried green peppers.

9. Kadim Kahve

Location: Uskudar | Price Range: $$ | View Website

Just down the coast from Kadikoy, Kadim Kahve feels like a different world. If Kuff is chic and modern, Kadim is Ottoman and beautifully traditional.

Built in a converted hamam, Kadim has high, rounded ceilings and sumptuous velvet chairs, with a view of the Bosphorus from each floor. Kadim is a quick walk from the Uskudar ferry port.

Their two-person serpme kahvalti is quite impressive with some yummy pastries and even a few western-style pancakes (but with honey in the place of maple syrup).

If you’re staying on the European side, a breakfast at Kadim also means you get to take a boat as your transportation, which is always a welcome way to get around in Istanbul.

10. Pişiköy

Location: Kadikoy | Price Range: $$ | View Website

Back down the coast in Kadikoy there’s a great spot called Pişiköy (“Pishi Village”).

Pishi is like American Indian Fry Bread, fried dough that is sometimes flat and sometimes in the shape of a plain donut. It comes out hot and delicious and is especially good with honey and cream (bal ve kaymak), jam, or nutella.

Pisikoy makes a wonderful serpme kahvalti, and when Kimberly and her friends went, a 2 person spread was enough for 3 or 4. Well worth checking out!

11. Cafe Jele

Location: Kadikoy | Price Range: $ | View Website

Right around the corner from Pisikoy, Cafe Jele is a wonderful neighborhood spot in Kadikoy that never fails to deliver.

Kimberly just had some friends in town, and they shared three breakfast plates among them, to try the variety in each of them. They have a really delicious sutlu receli (tastes carmely) that is amazing on the pisi (plain fried donuts).

If you’re a solo traveler, we’d recommend the “Akdeniz kahvalti” (Mediterranean breakfast) plate, with fried halloumi cheese and savory Turkish pancakes.

12. Fatih Belediyesi Cankurtaran Sosyal Tesisleri

Location: Sultanahmet | Price Range: $ | View Website

To round out our breakfast tour of Istanbul, Fatih Belediyesi Cankurtaran Sosyal Tesisleri is a great spot in the touristy area of Sultanahmet. The view of the Marmara Sea is awe-inspiring!

Most visitors to Istanbul will stay in the Sultanahmet area, for good reason. The “big hitter” must-see sights like the Hagia Sophia are within walking distance.

However, the restaurants in this part of town are just average, and the prices can kick you in the teeth.

The Cankurtaran Sosyal Tesisleri, as with many other “sosyal tesisleri” (“social establishments”) throughout the city, is run by the city of Istanbul and is a reasonably-priced alternative with good breakfast options.

FAQs About Istanbul Breakfast

What If I Don’t Want a Big Breakfast?

Sometimes, you don’t want a huge breakfast.

For a lighter option, you can visit a bakery (“firin” in Turkish) and pick up a simit (like a sesame bagel) or another savory or sweet pastry. We especially love “zeytinli açma (achma),” a soft roll with black olives inside.

While you’re out and about, you’ll also see traveling carts selling simit all over the city. This is a street food that Istanbullites can’t get enough of, and will eat for breakfast as well as all day for a quick snack (and feed to the seagulls on the ferries).

Or maybe you don’t want breakfast at all? Well then, on to lunch! Did you know there are more than 20 types of kebab?