Istanbuls Best Late-Night Eats

After a night out in one of Istanbul’s many bars and clubs, the infamous late night hunger, propelled by inebriation, inevitably arrives in full force. Good thing that Istanbul has the perfect late-night snacks, definitely not so good for your health but absolutely perfect at five in the morning.

Kızılkayalar

The ıslak hamburger(moist hamburger) has become one of the most famous late-night Istanbul snacks. Even though it sounds a little bit gross, the ıslak hamburger is actually one of the most delicious things you can eat when you’ve had a few too many. Steamed and smeared with tomato sauce, you’ll end up eating three to four of these burgers before you’re finally ready to call it a night. The best place to get your fill of the sticky burger is at Kızılkayalarin Taksim, where a line of people usually emerge at very late hours on the weekends. Make sure to get an ayran (yogurt drink) as well. https://instagram.com/p/BKWLgoqBWOw/

Çılgın Dürüm

Located a few steps away from Kızılkayalar, you’ll know you’ve come to the right place when you see the large dönerrotating outside. There’s always someone cutting thin slices of döner meat because the specialty here is a dürüm (döner meat in a wrap) with melted kaşar cheese. If you want to jack up the calories, make sure to ask for French fries inside your dürüm, which also includes lettuce and tomato. The dürüm is a very hefty snack, so one should be enough, complimented with an ayran. https://instagram.com/p/9kO5qBqInR/

Bodrum Mantı

Bar, Restaurant, Turkish

Commonly referred to as a type of Turkish ravioli, mantıis a much smaller version of ravioli, filled with meat and topped with garlic yogurt, tomato sauce, butter, and red chili flakes. Bodrum Mantı is open late into the night, so it’s become a very frequent stop for people who need some food after leaving the bar. Here you can find all the different varieties, from mantı filled with spinach, to the delicious fried and crunchy mantı.

Marmaris Büfe

In Turkey, a büfe is a place that only serves Turkish fast food items, and Marmaris Büfe is one of the best places to gorge on some of the best (unhealthy) food that Istanbul has to offer. Even though Marmaris serves food like köfte and shish kebab, their sandwiches are the real deal, especially as a late-night snack. Our favorite is the Goralı, a sandwich with sausage, Russian salad, pickles, and sauce. Another classic is the Dilli Kaşarlı, a toasted sandwich with melted kaşar cheese and smoked ox tongue. https://instagram.com/p/BBMu8N8gPLD/

Reks Büfe

With its many popular bars and pubs, Kadife Sokak is the Asian side’s most popular street for nightlife. It’s also very befitting that Reks Büfe is located exactly here, where, after a certain hour, people begin to stumble out of the many bars in search of food. You’ll find all the büfe staples, like the famous kokoreç (lamb intestines wrapped around seasoned offal) or a sucuklu patso (sandwich with spicy Turkish sausage and French fries plus ketchup and mayonnaise), among many other unhealthily delicious options. https://instagram.com/p/BGm6jfgn5s2/