Where can I eat affordable, filling local Turkish food in Istanbul, and what should I order?

If food is a priority on your trip, plan for proper Turkish meals and desserts rather than relying only on light snacks.

For a very low-cost lunch, look for a cafeteria-style lokanta: soup plus rice with chickpeas in sauce was described as a typical local meal for about TRY 50.

For dishes that are less common abroad, start at a simple lokanta: order lentil soup, rice with chickpeas and sauce, then add a Turkish dessert separately.

Ortaklar is recommended for tasty Turkish food and künefe. Portions are notably large, so sharing a dish can be practical; a Russian-speaking waiter named Muhammad was also mentioned.