Izmir & Aegean Food
Izmir and the Aegean coast are Turkey’s lighter, olive-oil table – zeytinyağlı vegetable dishes, fresh fish and seafood meze, herbs and greens, the street snacks boyoz and gevrek, and the whitewashed food towns of Alaçatı and Çeşme – with the ruins of Ephesus close by. This is our Izmir hub. Browse the experiences below and read our notes.
Top-rated food tours in Izmir
The best food tours to book in Izmir
Food tours in Izmir, compared. Izmir eats Aegean: boyoz and gevrek for breakfast, kumru sandwiches, meze, olive oil dishes and seafood, around the old Kemeraltı bazaar; Urla, nearby, is a wine and gastronomy town.
| Experience | Length | Rating (reviews) | Best for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kemeraltı Bazaar Street Food and Culture Walking Tour | 3.5 to 4 hours | 5.0 (5) | Street food | Check availability |
| City Walking Tour with the Historic Bazaar | 4 hours | 5.0 (7) | The city | Check availability |
Our pick: the Kemeraltı Bazaar Street Food and Culture Walking Tour, rated 5.0 from 5 reviews on GetYourGuide.
Ratings and review counts as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.
How to choose
The Kemeraltı bazaar street food and culture walking tour is the best-rated food walk. The city walking tour with the historic bazaar covers more of the city. Both are small and new.
What to do: eat your way through the Kemeraltı bazaar, try Izmir’s own breakfast snacks (boyoz pastry and gevrek, the local simit), and take a day to Alaçatı and Çeşme for herb-forward Aegean cooking and sea urchin and seafood meze.
What to eat: zeytinyağlı (olive-oil vegetable dishes), fresh fish, kumru and söğüş sandwiches, and Aegean herbs like şevketi bostan.
Read next: What to Eat in Izmir.
The Aegean table
If Istanbul is rich and meaty, Izmir is bright and green. This is olive-oil country, and the Aegean kitchen is built on zeytinyağlılar – vegetables such as artichokes, green beans and stuffed vine leaves cooked slowly in good olive oil and eaten cool – alongside wild herbs and greens (ot), fresh fish and seafood meze. Start in the Kemeraltı bazaar, the old market at the heart of the city, and eat like a local: boyoz, a flaky pastry brought by Sephardic Jews, and gevrek, Izmir’s sesame ring, for breakfast; kumru and söğüş sandwiches for lunch.
Alaçatı, Çeşme and Ephesus
An hour west, the whitewashed town of Alaçatı and the resort of Çeşme are the Aegean’s food darlings – herb-forward cooking, sea-urchin and seafood meze, and long lunches by the water. To the south, the great Roman city of Ephesus makes the region an easy pairing of ruins and the table. It’s a lighter, sunnier side of Turkish food, and a natural add-on to an Aegean coast trip.
FAQ about Izmir & Aegean Food
Frequently asked questions
What food is Izmir known for?
The lighter Aegean table - olive-oil vegetable dishes (zeytinyağlılar), fresh fish and seafood meze, wild herbs and greens, and street snacks like boyoz pastry and gevrek (the local sesame ring).
What should I eat in the Kemeraltı bazaar?
Breakfast on boyoz and gevrek, grab a kumru or söğüş sandwich, and browse the olives, cheeses and spices of Izmir's historic market.
Is Alaçatı worth it for food?
Yes - Alaçatı and nearby Çeşme are the Aegean's food hotspots, known for herb-forward cooking, seafood meze and long waterside lunches, an easy day trip from Izmir.
Which food tour is best in Izmir?
On GetYourGuide the most booked is the Kemeraltı Bazaar Street Food and Culture Walking Tour, rated 5.0 from 5 reviews. Also highly rated: the City Walking Tour with the Historic Bazaar. The table above compares them by length, rating and who they suit.
What does a food tour cost in Izmir?
In October 2026 prices on GetYourGuide started from about €36 per person, and most of the top-rated options cost between €36 and €36. Longer experiences with a meal, private options and day trips cost more. Check the listing for the live price.