Author's Walk 'True Tastes of Istanbul'

What to expect

🥗 Morning feast Istanbul-style
The journey will begin with tasting Turkish sweets or a traditional breakfast. I will offer three popular options for a delicious start of the day. At the Egyptian Spice Market, I will help you find the best varieties of rahat lokum. I will take you to a cafe where the only true baklava is sold, according to locals, and tell you about the interesting Turkish approach to the restaurant business. Or we will head straight to a breakfast of healthy snacks. You can sit right in the Constantinople wall overlooking the Sea of Marmara, where you will hear stories about Byzantine emperors and the Ottoman army, and if you're lucky - you will see dolphins! Or stop at a venue with panoramic views of the Bosporus, Galata Tower, Old City, the Golden Horn bay, and Suleymaniye Mosque.

☕ Turkish Coffee - the most 'correct' in the city!
Next, you will move to a non-touristy area, where an unusual cafe of a French sailor-writer will await you. Here you will get acquainted with the ancient traditions of brewing coffee on coals - just as it was done in the times of the Ottoman Empire! And try an authentic drink while enjoying beautiful panoramas from the hill.

🌯 Fish and meat dishes in secret corners of Istanbul
In a city surrounded by two seas, it is logical to expect delights of the sea cuisine - but in Turkey, by local standards, fish dishes are very expensive and usually sold only in restaurants. I will take you where the Istanbulites eat deliciously and almost for pennies. You will try a sandwich made from a whole half of a fresh fish, prepared by sailors right on their ships. Or visit the one and only Mario from the 90s game, who now lives in Istanbul and sells grilled fish in lavash. And with meat lovers, we will go along the Bosphorus to the northern part of Istanbul for the tastiest pide in their lives.

🍦 Best ice cream and tea in a beautiful park
In the beautiful, youthful, yet ancient district of Kadikoy, you will taste delightful ice cream, though after a short wait in line - people come 'from all the villages' for it. Nearby, you can have aromatic tea in a park with a view of the Sea of Marmara - here we will talk about the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet and read his quotes scattered along the alleys.

🥙 Turkish dinner - discover what real kebabs are like
For this dish, we will go where it is really well prepared - of course, in a non-touristy place. On the European shore of the Bosphorus, near the monument to the great admiral and pirate Barbarossa, you will visit a cafe that follows the traditions of the city of Adana, where they know exactly how to cook proper kebabs.

🍮 Final effort, or dessert without which the gastronomic tour is not complete
In short - kunefe! Thin, hot straws made of dough soaked in honey, melting with hot cheese inside, topped with pistachio crumbs and a piece of cold ice cream made from goat's milk... mmm, it's indescribable!

😋 Along the way, you can also try fresh juices, waffles, simit, corn, potato chips, chestnuts, mussels, rice with chicken, kelepacha (a very hot dish), kokorech, wet hamburger, bulgur patties (meatless), and much more - all the most delicious in verified places of Istanbul! And I will show you a cool spot for hookah lovers and beautiful panoramas. And if you wish, I can organize a wine tasting in a historic cellar.