Here are some of the most beautiful breakfast places in Istanbul. I selected these restaurants from those that are not tourist traps and genuinely offer the best Turkish breakfast experience.
Best Turkish Breakfast Restaurants in Istanbul
Also Recommended: Best Breakfast in Istanbul with Bosphorus View
In today’s world, people disconnect from others, even if they’re sitting across from them. A Turkish breakfast is the best way to make a connection with people, even in today’s fast-paced world, thanks to its strong tradition.
1) Namlı Gurme – Breakfast in the Historic Peninsula of Karaköy
This branch is located in Istanbul’s historic peninsula of Karaköy, but there are also locations in Nişantaşı, Ataköy, and Göktürk. Still, I strongly recommend that you have breakfast in Karaköy.
Namlı-Karaköy is right behind the famous Karaköy Pier on Rıhtım Street. You can easily identify the place by the crowd in front of it. If you mind the wait, you should get there early, especially on weekend mornings.
You’ll always find something unique for breakfast or brunch from their fresh and delicious options.
Namlı Gurme allows you to prepare your breakfast plate yourself, and in so doing, price your own meal! Here, you can choose what you want to eat and how much of it you’d like. Furthermore, you have the option to take a package of their delicious gourmet products to your sweet home.
Everyone knows that Namlı Gourmet isn’t just a breakfast venue, but a gourmet restaurant! They also cater to special nutritional preferences, like vegan or vegetarian.
Namlı unquestionably plays to its roots with a full breakfast spread of Turkish classics. You must definitely try the roasted omelet and olive oil dishes before you leave.
2) Tarihi Çınaraltı Aile Çay Bahçesi – An Affordable Breakfast by the Bosphorus
This is a tea garden located under a beautiful tree (Çınar) on the Çengelköy Coast. There was a rather small indoor space with a small number of tables about two decades ago, but it’s grown since then. Wherever you sit–be it outside by the plants or inside under the lights–you’re sure to enjoy this hidden treasure.
After Çınaraltı was used as a filming location for Süper Baba (Super Dad), which was a popular Turkish serial in the 1990s, the number of customers hit the roof and renovations began. The tea garden has only continued to grow since then.
When I think about affordable places for breakfast in the Bosphorus, I think of Çınaraltı and its magnificent view of the Bosphorus.
People expect places around the Bosphorus to be more expensive than elsewhere. The garden and inside of the place are cozy and warm because Çınaraltı gives you the chance to take a journey through İstanbul’s history. It’s open 24/7, so you can enjoy its amazing view and food whenever you’d like.
The most popular aspect of the Çınaraltı tea garden is that everyone is allowed to bring their food outside to make people feel at home, but you have to order beverages. Another alternative, I strongly recommend is the Çengelköy Böreği (pie with cheese, meat, walnut, spinach, and potato) from the famous Çengelköy Bakery. I must admit that walnut cheese pie is my favorite with fresh Turkish tea while enjoying the view of the Bosphorus.
Most people tend to order cheese and olive plates together with
When you finish your breakfast, don’t forget to have a Turkish coffee!
3) Emirgan Sütiş – The Best Breakfast by the Sea
Emirgan Sütiş is an exceptional breakfast restaurant located along the beautiful Emirgan, Bosphorus, and İstanbul coastline. Picture yourself savoring a delicious meal while enjoying the magnificent sea view. Emirgan Sütiş is undoubtedly a top choice for breakfast.
Though Emirgan Sütiş is a lovely place for breakfast, it’s a bit expensive; however, it’s absolutely charming! It should also be stated that the service is friendly and polite here, so I recommend that you make a reservation before your visit.
Emirgan Sütiş offers a lot of choices for breakfast, and the food is delicious. They really care about the quality here, so they bake their own bread and make their own yogurt and cream. Not only do they know the manufacturers, but they’re also a part of the preparation of making the cheese and other items.
Because you might get lost among all the breakfast options, I recommend ordering scrambled eggs with tomatoes and red pepper, honey and cream, a cheese plate, a bread basket, artisanal sausage, and tea.
Breakfast at Emirgan Sütiş is a feast, so get ready to eat a lot. Once you try it, you’ll be seriously obsessed with Turkish breakfast!
4) Beşiktaş Breakfast Street
Beşiktaş is an old and historic district on İstanbul’s European side. When you get there, you’ll enjoy the view of the Bosphorus on Beşiktaş’s 8 km coast. Then, you can take a walk to Breakfast Street, located in the student district of Beşiktaş, called Kahvaltıcılar Sokağı in Turkish.
If you’re looking for a satisfying but affordable breakfast, you’ll find it on the street, which is host to a number of small breakfast restaurants. Even though all of the places are small, they are cozy and warm. They’re generally open early in the morning, around 7:00 a.m., and close around 3:00 p.m., but some of them open until 8:00 p.m.
If you want to have breakfast on a Sunday on this street, you’ll find long customer line-ups in front of each place. To find a quiet place, go to the street and check out the places one by one.
All of the breakfast places on the narrow street have pişi (a traditional breakfast food made from flour and oil) on their menus, which is one of the main differences from other restaurants. You can taste many types of pişi there, such as plain with chocolate, cheese, or sausage.
5) Van Kahvaltı Evi- Cafe, Turkish, Middle Eastern
Moda Van Kahvaltı Evi is one of the most authentic breakfast places in Cihangir. Its meals are in the Van breakfast tradition, featuring regional specialties from Van, a city in the east of Turkey, and it’s particularly known for its breakfasts.
The first question you’ll probably ask yourself here is where to begin. This breakfast isn’t just one dish but a spread of bite-sized, Van delicacies.
After one bite, you’ll wonder how you’ve ever lived without it. Everything is included in the breakfast, which is fresh and inexpensive. The restaurant has the happiest staff, and their service is better than at a high-standard restaurant.
The place offers a set menu on which you’ll get a little bit of everything, which is a mix of fresh, organic foods. If you like local delicacies, try some of the rich cheese varieties, such as the famous otlu peynir (herb cheese, special from Van), Kars Gruyere cheese, knitted cheese, and old and new kashar cheese.
You won’t regret going there!
6) Zapata Moda Restaurant and Bakery
Zapata is in Moda, Kadıköy, but you’ll need to find the Şevki Bey Sokak before arriving at this lovely place. It’s not very big, but it has the cutest balcony.
As soon as you see the place, you’ll feel its simple minimalist. Zapata Moda is absolutely one of the most-loved of the new-generation cafes. It also has amazing breakfast dishes which you can enjoy to calm music.
It has many breakfast options, and all of them taste extraordinary, thanks to Hakan Özfırıncı, who graduated from the professional cooking department at the Culinary Arts Academy.
Zapata Moda serves an excellent breakfast with ezine kashar, knitted, Haloumi cheese; poppy flakes, Mediterranean greens, Antalya crushed green olives, pişi with parmesan, muhammara (a dish of crushed walnuts, stale bread, tahini, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice), and dried tomatoes including unlimited Turkish tea.
These special omelets are excellent and affordable. When you see the menu, you will, no doubt, want to taste everything on it. When ordering a mixed breakfast, don’t forget to also order one of the special omelets. Bon appetit!
7) Mangerie: Luxury Bebek and Bosphorus Strait
Having breakfast here is a MUST! Mangerie was awarded the best place for breakfast in Istanbul. It’s open 24/7, so they serve an all-day, delicious, set breakfast menu. You can also order a variety of other foods. It’s located in Bebek, one of the fanciest places in Istanbul, and the place is frequented by Turkish celebrities. As expected, it’s a bit overpriced, but it’s certainly worth it.
Mangerie is not only an amazing spot, but you can also enjoy breakfast with a view here. You can sit outside even in the winter, thanks to the heaters on the balcony. You’ll feel at home from the moment you enter. With its unique terrace, this place will not disappoint.
Everything’s special at Mangerie–the cheese, bread, and jams are very fresh. The other delicacies on the menu include my favorites: pear-mascarpone toast and focaccia toast. The breakfast menu at Mangerie only gets richer, with its delicious pancakes, nut butter, and fruit salads.