Gourmet products local specialties and wines Istanbul & Marmara Region

This huge open-pit bazaar covers several neighbourhoods and it really contains everything except food. On the side of Eminönü, they are well-established merchants with stands, while on the side of Beyazıt, the merchandise is scattered through the ground or on small mobile carts. Traders are as mixed as the articles they propose. Bulgarians, Romanians, Kurds, Russians or Caucasian give Attractive Colours to this Market.

Opened for over 30 years, this cozy bistro-style café-restaurant is an ideal place for a breakfast, a snack or a quick lunch. Special coffee is very good, but the gastronomic part is not really exceptional. Also for pastries, stay classic. The main interest of the site: its rooftop terrace with stunning views of the Golden Horn, Sultanahmet district, small square Tünel and Galata Tower. After that, it is almost no longer necessary to climb the Galata tower.

Founded in 1918 in the fish market of Beyoğlu, this grocery store is one of the best in the city. The name şarküteri (delicatessen) may come as a surprise, but in Turkey it corresponds rather to a delicatessen selling local products. You won't find pork here but many foreign cheeses, some of which are French. She delivers her products to the best restaurants in Pera. Turkish dishes such as yaprak dolma (stuffed vine leaf) or biber dolma (stuffed pepper) can be bought here.

This market is one of the largest and most popular in the city: it is held in the Fatih district on Wednesdays. Fatih is a very conservative part of Istanbul, so you will see very few tourists going to this market. More than 4,000 stalls spread over several avenues and about twenty streets, not to mention street vendors. Given the size, the traders are very varied: food, clothing, kitchen utensils...

Close to the Black Tower, Odakule. A small cave of Ali Baba, the offer should correspond to the most discerning gourmets, from spices to loukoums. Many of their shops are all over the city. The brand specialises in dried fruit and is known for its apricots. The prices are displayed in large and the service is very user-friendly. For the loukoums, you can taste it but no doubt the most interesting is the one with double grilled pistachio nuts. There are also oils (at the back of the store), whose prices are more attractive than here.

Polo Pastanesi is both a pastry shop and a restaurant. It is therefore suitable for both sweet and salty cravings. The facility is spread over three floors. The cakes and sweets are displayed in the shop window as soon as you enter. The more substantial dishes are à la carte. The cuisine is fine and tasty. For the dishes, we recommend the Roquefort steak and salmon salad. And for dessert, or as a snack, opt for a chocolate cream or a sütlaç (rice pudding). The pastries in the shape of animals will make the children happy.

Tired of tourist markets where you are alpaca every three meters? You will have to cross the Bosporus and go to the Kadıköy district, on the Asian side. This huge market, with some 2,000 stalls, is more frequented by Istanbul residents than the Grand Bazaar or the Egyptian Bazaar. Here, only locals can find everything from clothing to household appliances, food and hardware, all at truly unbeatable prices.