A Russian tourist visited the center of Turkish Istanbul and decided to have lunch at a popular local canteen called “locanta”. He noticed that there are always a lot of people in such places and shared his thoughts on his Zen channel, why a lot of people who want to eat gather there.
“Lokants are such Turkish canteens. All dishes are ready – you just need to choose. It is believed that these are institutions for locals and it is in them that you can try the very “real Turkish cuisine”. Although the cuisine is local, especially not restaurant cuisine, frankly, it’s still an amateur, ”said the traveler. Nevertheless, there are always a lot of people.
The Russian visited Balkan Lokantası in the center of Istanbul: “Here, the Sirkeci station is less than a hundred meters, and even Sultanahmet is not much further.” He chose this place based on good reviews and high ratings. “Visitors write about this institution in reviews that the prices here are nowhere lower, and the taste of the dishes is nowhere better. Both are close to the truth,” the author specified. Service was quick, as usual in such places, he remarked. The tourist and his companion ordered a cup of traditional lentil soup, a portion of cutlets with potatoes and fried liver, several desserts, bread and ayran (Turkish yogurt drink). The food was ordinary but delicious and they were pleased that the portions were large enough to keep them hungry until the evening.
The food bill was about 1,200 rubles at the current exchange rate. In general, the tourist considered that the price for such a meal was quite reasonable compared to how much he would spend for a similar meal in other establishments located in tourist locations. In addition, compared to Russian prices, lunch was also not the most expensive. It is the affordable prices of the locant in the center of the cultural capital of Turkey that ensure an uninterrupted flow of visitors from local and foreign tourists.
However, the traveler had two remarks. Firstly, the actual amount for both for two turned out to be slightly higher than indicated in the reviews, which indicates that prices in Turkey have increased significantly. Secondly, in other areas of Istanbul popular with tourists, but not in Fatih, there were establishments with lower prices. For comparison: in ordinary cafes, not restaurants, near Sultankhamet Square, a modest durum (shawarma with chicken or beef) could cost about 500-600 rubles. Kebabs, kebabs or fish, such as sea bass, could cost 1,200 rubles. If you add a salad and a drink, then the price would rise to 1,500 rubles. “This is the price tag for a light snack if you stay near the Hagia Sophia Mosque and Topkapi Palace,” the blogger warned.
How to spend less money on food while traveling in Istanbul?< /strong>
A Russian gave some advice about this:
- To save money on food in Istanbul, you need to avoid tourist areas such as Sultanahmet Square, where cafe prices can be taller.
- Make do with fast food. For example, he recommended visiting the Eminonu embankment area near the Galata Bridge, where you can try balyk-ekmek (a bun with fried fish) or durum at more affordable prices, for about 300 rubles.
In other cases you will have to put up with the tourist markup for everything and enjoy your vacation.
For those who are important to a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “Light to moderate alcohol consumption has been found to improve heart health.”