Tour operator
Yummy Istanbul
An Istanbul food-tour company operating since 2013, whose Taste of Two Continents tour links the Spice Bazaar area with Kadıköy market by ferry.
Culinary Backstreets Istanbul
The neighbourhood food-tour company that began in Istanbul in 2009 as Istanbul Eats, known for its day-long Two Markets, Two Continents walk.
At a glance
- Type
- Food tour
- Area
- Karaköy, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Official site
- culinarybackstreets.com
Good to know
- Small groups (2–7)
- Public ferry crossing
- Vegetarian adaptations
Why we recommend it
Culinary Backstreets began in Istanbul in 2009 as Istanbul Eats, and was one of the first companies anywhere to build tours around neighbourhood eateries rather than restaurants on the tourist trail. Its signature Istanbul walk, Two Markets, Two Continents, starts in Karaköy on the European side and finishes in Moda, on the Asian side, after a public ferry across the Bosphorus.
Across roughly six and a half hours and nine to twelve stops you might eat a seasonal market breakfast, take tea in an Ottoman-era han, try Turkish coffee, tantuni, lahmacun, meze, köfte and finish with baklava. Groups are small, so book ahead. Some stops adapt for vegetarians, but vegan diets cannot be catered for.
Culinary Backstreets Istanbul FAQs
How long is the Two Markets, Two Continents tour?
About 6.5 hours, with 5–6 hours of walking broken up by 9–12 food stops; it runs Monday to Saturday from 9:30.
Can dietary needs be accommodated?
Vegetarian and gluten-free diets can be adapted for at some stops, but vegan diets are not accommodated and no pork is served.