Cosmopolitan Kurtuluş: Istanbul’s Neighborhood of Taste
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Our Kurtulus tour starts with an exclusive visit to a sports club belonging to that historic community, where we’ll have our first breakfast, followed by a stop for the heavenly dairy delights of Erzincan. We’ll walk off breakfast with visits to local artisans – artichoke peelers, cuckoo clock repairmen, Armenian book venders – as then begin grazing on our way to lunch. There will be stunning meze samples, including top-grade stuffed vine leaves and topik, a classic Armenian speciality. Down the street, kebabs at a real-deal grill house will arrive sizzling, fresh from the fire. Along the way, we’ll sample street food from the Mediterranean port city of Mersin and share a couple plates of the daily special in a cozy family-run lokanta. Depending on the season, there may be boza, a fermented millet drink with Ottoman roots, or Turkish-style ice cream at a beloved dairy bar run by the third generation of a local family.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kurtulus
Far from the tourist trail, get a taste of one of the last bastions of classic Istanbul flavors, including bread fresh from the tandir oven, a mind-boggling assortment of meze, sizzling kebab, old school ice cream and much more. On this full-day food tour, we will dig deep into the culinary traditions of one of Istanbul’s most culturally diverse and food-centric neighborhoods.
Aya Dimitri Kilisesi
During the day in this unassuming historic residential neighborhood, a hive of small artisanal shops – charcuteries, meze counters, ice cream parlors, bakers, butchers, dairy specialists – uphold city traditions otherwise lost. After dark, a hopping scene of craft beer bars and kebab houses hold it down until the morning, when the weekly organic market attracts those serious about what they eat and cook with. To top it off, there’s a whole street lined with shops and restaurants devoted to the fabled breakfast spread of eastern Turkey’s Erzincan region. Not surprisingly, a visit to Kurtuluş can be an eye-popping and gut-busting experience. But step back from the table and you’ll notice a rich cultural diversity no longer present in most parts of the city, an open-minded attitude, a cosmopolitan air and laid back sophistication, particularly when it comes to food. That’s the Kurtuluş state of mind.
What‘s Included
Lunch
Snacks
Breakfast
Private transportation
Options
Cosmopolitan Kurtuluş: Istanbul’s Neighborhood of Taste
Reviews
40 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing food tour
annemN2639QS,Mar 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We recently did the Cosmopolitan Kurtuluş: Istanbul’s Neighborhood of Taste tour with Culinary Backstreets, and it exceeded every expectation we had. Our guide Gonca was absolutely outstanding. Her knowledge of the neighborhood, the food, the history, the people who live and work there, was impressive. She brought Kurtuluş to life in a way we never could have discovered on our own, and her passion for the area came through in every stop. The food was incredible. We ate so well, and every dish came with a story that made it taste even better. By the end of the tour we felt like we truly understood this corner of Istanbul, not just as tourists passing through, but as people who had been welcomed into it.
Too much amazingly good food:)
T2743GHanner,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I had a wonderful tour sampling so many different dishes. We learned so much about the cuisines of Istanbul. Duygu was a fantastic guide.
Unmissable immersive neighborhood tour
838patricep,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A+++++. An incredible and unforgettable experience. Esin, our tour guide, was phenomenal. A real treasure. Her deep knowledge of and passion for the area was infectious. We saw parts of the city we never otherwise would have come across - and learned so much. We felt like locals. The curated food stops and choices were impeccable. A delight of taste and smell. Cannot recommend enough. Highlight of our visit to Istanbul.
Don't miss the Kurtulus tour! Top-quality guide. Not a tourist in sight, enjoy both street life & 'behind the scenes'
sfffg,Dec 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ugur was an excellent guide; his 12 years of experience came through in his depth of knowledge, his flexibility and enthusiasm. It was a real treat to be taken around the neighborhood where he's lived for many years, where we didn't see a single tourist in six hours, and where Ugur's research helped reveal so many waves of history, migration and food culture -- all within a single neighbourhood. The variety of foods he introduced me to, in such a rich mix of settings (social clubs, markets, shopfronts, white table cloth spaces, simple bakeries) in spaces not possible to enter without an 'insider', with so much context …. an my absolute DREAM day. Thank you Ugur, and Backstreets!
Culinary and culture perfectly combined
Tourist08700651527,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Rarely have I learned so much about the city of Istanbul, its history, the minorities and living together in Kurtulus in such a short time as on this food tour (yes, we ate well too). Ramziye as a tour guide was very lucky! She knows how to inspire with her great knowledge. After 3 years in Istanbul, the food was not new to us, but rarely before have we experienced such a quality with so much taste. Thank you! It was great!
Excellent tour of Kurtulus
L2204JEalexandrai,Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the excellent Katarina as our guide, who made us feel at home in Kurtulus. Our tour ran over by about an hour, making it very long, but this is my only negative comment. Overall it was a brilliant tour and opened up an area of Istanbul we would have never otherwise visited with fascinating food, culture and history stories.
Fabulous insight into an area with fascinating history.
503lindai,Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fabulous day exploring the area of Kurtulus with our fantastic guide Katerina. Being shown this interesting neighbourhood by a local made it so interesting. I can’t recommend highly enough.
An absolute must-do in Istanbul
albtraveler1,Oct 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an incredibly enjoyable experience getting to know the backstreets of a lesser known neighborhood in Istanbul! Our guide Esin was vibrant, fun and personable and knew literally everyone on the street. We got to meet vendors, see hidden gems in the area, learn about the cultural history and architecture of the area and come to understand Turkish culture all while snacking our way through the experience. 10 of 10! I highly recommend this tour during your time in Istanbul.
Just so good
HarrietWF,Oct 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ugur was fun, knowledgeable, informative and totally charming. The tour took us to places we would never have ventured or known about, as we would have hoped, and it was a special part of our trip. Wonderful insight and tastes of different cultures' food and life. I thoroughly recommend this tour and Ugur to others and it left us wanting to try out many more tours not just in Istanbul but in other countries too. Just so good.
Interesting and delicious time in Kurtulus
Roving60289,Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Esin was a wonderful guide. She knew so many people in the Kurtulus neighborhood and also the history of the area. The time with her was fun and the food was delicious.
From US$145.00
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