Doner Kebab

Doner kebab is Turkey’s greatest gift to the global culinary map. “Doner kebab” loosely translates to “rotating kebab” as it is a gigantic stack of meat roasted vertically in a rotating manner.

The most popular variant of doner kebab in Istanbul is a mixture of lamb and beef, with the fat melting away as if to marinate the leaner parts of the meat to result in succulent, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth layers of charred meat.

There are several ways of serving doner kebab – on a plate with a side of onions, tomatoes, pickles, and yogurt; rolled in flatbread; and naked – with no sides, no garnishes.

Here are the best places to have doner kebab in Istanbul:

• BAYRAMOGLU DONER | Beykoz
  For no-nonsense melt-in-your-mouth doner kebab
  What to order: Doner with rice, Baklava, Rice pudding
  Price range: 6 to 24 TRY ($1.70 to $6.81)
  When: 11:00 – 23:00 Daily
  Where: Ruzgarli Bahce, Seyfi Baba Sk. No. 2, 34805 Kavacik, Beykoz, Istanbul
• ADANA OCAKBASI | Sisli
  For mouthwatering kebabs and offal
  What to order: Doner kebab, Eggplant kebab, Sweetbread
  Price range: 7 to 25 TRY ($1.99 to $7.09)
  When: 12:00 – 01:00 Daily
  Where: Bozkurt Mahallesi, Ergenekon Caddesi, Baysungur Sk. No. 2/D, Sisli, Istanbul
• KARADENIZ PIDE VE DONER | Besiktas
  For doner kebab that is worth the phenomenally long queue
  What to order: Doner kebab, Iskender kebab, Kemalpasa
  Price range: 4 to 17 TRY ($1.13 to $4.82)
  When: 11:00 – 16:00 Daily except Sundays
  Where: Sinanpasa, Mumcu Bakkal Sk. No. 6, 34353 Besiktas, Istanbul