In Turkish Istanbul, the local canteens are called “lokanta” and are usually crowded. They serve already prepared food and offer a taste of truly Turkish food. The food is different from what is prepared in restaurants, but surprisingly, there are always a lot of people who want to eat here. It is said about locantes that you can eat very well here for a minimal price. Service in such establishments is very fast, the portions are not small and tasty. A similar meal somewhere in a restaurant would cost a tidy sum. It is inexpensive and tasty dishes with fast serving make locantes especially favorite among locals of the cultural capital of Turkey, as well as among travelers. But still, due to the fact that everything and everywhere has gone up in price, the prices in locantes have also risen.

Nevertheless, there are a few rules that will allow you to save on food when visiting Istanbul:

  1. Do not buy food in tourist areas, as there are significantly inflated prices for all goods, including food.
  2. You can make do with local fast food. For example, buy balik-ekmek or dürüm in a café on the Eminönü embankment.

If you don’t want to save money then you should put up with the tourist markups on all goods and just enjoy your vacation.

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