The short version: Izmir is Turkey’s lighter, olive-oil table. Eat your way through the Kemeraltı bazaar on boyoz pastry and gevrek (the local sesame ring), lunch on kumru and söğüş sandwiches, and dine on zeytinyağlı vegetable dishes, fresh fish and seafood meze. West of the city, Alaçatı and Çeşme are the Aegean’s food darlings, and Ephesus is close by.
At a glance
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Boyoz | Flaky Sephardic pastry, Izmir’s breakfast icon |
| Gevrek | Izmir’s sesame bread ring (the local simit) |
| Kumru | Sesame-roll sandwich with cheese, sausage and tomato |
| Zeytinyağlılar | Vegetables cooked in olive oil, eaten cool |
| Ot / herbs | Wild Aegean greens, a regional signature |
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 – artichokes, green beans and stuffed vine leaves cooked slowly in good olive oil and eaten cool – with wild herbs and greens (ot), fresh fish and seafood meze. Start in the Kemeraltı bazaar, the old market at the city’s heart, and eat like a local: boyoz, the 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 hotspots – 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. Browse the region’s food experiences on our Izmir & Aegean food page, and compare the richer city in what to eat in Istanbul.
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 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 visiting for food?
Yes – Alaçatı and nearby Çeşme are the Aegean’s food darlings, known for herb-forward cooking, seafood meze and waterside lunches, an easy day trip from Izmir.
Taste Izmir & the Aegean
Browse food experiences on our Izmir & Aegean food page, compare what to eat in Istanbul, or plan from the Turkey hub.
