Simit: the sesame ring
The simit is a ring of bread covered in sesame seeds, crunchier outside and soft inside. It is baked in large quantities from early morning and sold all over the city, from red glass-fronted carts, at ferry and tram stops, on the bridges and outside stations. One bakery chain, Simit Sarayı, has made it a business of its own, with seating areas.
Simit is eaten plain, with white cheese, jam, chocolate spread or cream cheese. The thinner, crunchier version of the same ring, the gevrek, is more associated with other regions of Turkey.
One tip: buy it still warm. As soon as it cools, it goes hard.
Börek: savoury layered pastry
Börek is a savoury pastry of very thin dough (yufka), buttered or oiled, filled with cheese, spinach, minced meat or potato. You find it at the börekçi, the börek specialist, and in most bakeries. The shapes to know:
- su böreği, "water börek": layers of dough pre-cooked in water and then filled with cheese, tender and melting;
- sigara böreği, "cigarette börek": a small fried roll filled with cheese, crunchy;
- kol böreği: a long spiral or "arm" roll, baked, cut to order;
- patatesli börek, filled with potato;
- peynirli (cheese), ıspanaklı (spinach) and kıymalı (minced meat): the most common fillings.
You order by the slice or by weight. Specify the filling: if you avoid meat, ask for "peynirli" or "ıspanaklı", and see our guide to vegetarian eating in Istanbul.
Poğaça, açma and savoury pastries
Next to the böreks, the window of a fırın (bakery) offers other small things:
- poğaça, a savoury bun with cheese, olives or potato;
- açma, a round, soft roll, sometimes with cheese or olives;
- pide, flat bread, and its filled variants;
- simit and the day's breads, sold still hot.
These are eaten on the go. They are also the basis of a takeaway breakfast for the ferry or a walk, much cheaper than a hotel breakfast. For a sit-down breakfast, with the spread of cheeses, olives, honey and eggs, see the Turkish breakfast in Istanbul.
Where to find them
| Where | What you find |
|---|---|
| Piers at Eminönü, Karaköy, Kadıköy | Simit carts, bakeries and börekçi around the quays |
| Kadıköy district | Neighbourhood bakeries, hot simit and the market: see Kadıköy and Moda |
| İstiklal Avenue and Beyoğlu | Early-opening bakery chains with seating |
| Grand Bazaar and Eminönü | Börekçi near the lanes of the Spice Bazaar, for a break between purchases |
Small neighbourhood bakeries with a queue of customers in the morning are often the best: look for those where trays are coming out of the oven.
How to order
- Say "bir simit, lütfen" (one simit, please) or point, and pay in cash or by card depending on the shop.
- For börek, ask for "bir dilim" (one slice) or "yarım porsiyon" (half portion) if you want to taste.
- Go with a çay (tea) in a tulip glass: see cafés and tea rooms.
- Prices are posted or asked at the counter: a street simit stays a modest expense, but compare with the next cart if the price seems very high near tourist sights.
Practical tips
- Bakeries open early, often before 7 a.m., and the best products go in the morning.
- Börek is made with wheat flour: it is not suitable for gluten-free diets, and the dough often contains butter.
- For a wider panorama of what to eat in the city, see what to eat in Istanbul.
