14 Best Burgers in Istanbul: Spots Worth Your Time

Pizza already had its turn, so this time the target is the best burgers in Istanbul: 14 juicy, calorie-packed places that do them properly. Skip the chains. Honestly. A short walk gets you something far better, and whichever one you pick, you’ll leave satisfied.

1. Baltazar

Baltazar has been feeding burger fans in Karaköy since it opened, and the crowds eventually pushed it to open a second location across the water in Caddebostan, on the Asian side of the city. The best sellers are the Baltazar, the Lokum Burger, and the Paris Combo Burger, while the Texas Burger is the one to order if you like heat. It isn’t only burgers, either. Butcher-style köfte (Turkish meatballs), entrecôte, and both T-bone and Dallas steaks round out the menu for anyone after a proper plate of meat.

2. Virginia Angus

This one is for anyone in Eminönü who’s had enough balık ekmek, the city’s famous fish sandwich. Expect a line. Bring a little patience. It’s worth the wait, though, because the New York Burger, with its addictive spicy sauce, is the standout here, even if the Virginia Burger and the Chicago Burger have built their own following. As at most places on this list, fries come with every burger. The twist? They’re made from scratch, “like your mom used to make.”

3. Biber Burger

Head to Beşiktaş for this one. The menu runs through Biber, Romesco, Amarillo, Louis, Rokfor, Pastrami, and the Jetlag Buster, each a different take on the burger. Fries are the obvious side. The signature touch is something else: a side of dried red pepper, a nod to the name. If you’re in the neighborhood, it’s the sauces and cheeses that set this place apart from its nearby competitors, and of everything on that menu, the Jetlag Buster is the one that comes most recommended.

4. Smash Food Works

A Kadıköy institution with a cult following. Alongside the burgers you’ll find hot dogs, crispy fried chicken, and house-made buns, so there’s plenty to choose from, and the kitchen team behind all of it trained at a culinary arts academy. It shows.

If you’re exploring Kadıköy and need to refuel, put this high on your list.

5. Burger Joint

Two burger spots in Beşiktaş? It isn’t overkill. Burger Joint keeps things simple with a five-item menu: Original Burger, Cheese Burger, New Yorker, New Yorker with Cheese, and Mexicana. No fancy sauce or cheese does the heavy lifting here, just well-cooked meat. Fries, unlike at most places on this list, aren’t included by default; if you want a portion with your burger, you can add one, and you get to choose between plain and spiced.

6. Burgerhood

If Karaköy has Baltazar, Eminönü has Virginia Angus, and Beşiktaş has Biber Burger, then Nişantaşı has Burgerhood, tucked into the fast-changing Topağacı area, close to Kozmonot, the beer bar at No. 13. Lineup highlights include the Burgerhood Burger, Swiss Mushroom Burger, and Steak Burger. Each comes with parmesan-and-truffle fries.

Here’s one tip. Before the burger arrives, start with an order of nachos and a glass of Çamlıbağ wine from Bozcaada.

7. Zula İstanbul

Zula sits on an easy-to-miss side street in Harbiye. The burger is good enough that regulars joke about being sad when it’s gone. Turkish food critic Vedat Milor visited and praised both the burgers and the tacos, which brought in a wave of new customers, though the staff still manage the line without much of a wait. Pork bacon is optional. The standard patty runs a little smaller than at other spots. If you’re really hungry, order the 200-gram size instead of the 100-gram one. Try the tacos and hot dogs too.

8. Mini Eatery

In Moda, Mini Eatery is the pick for anyone after something a little different: small, pickle-packed sliders rather than one big burger. Most order a set of three. That works out to roughly the size of one standard burger, so if you’d rather sample three flavors than commit to a single large one, this is the more sensible choice.

9. Nusr-Et

Nusr-Et is the steakhouse chain built by Nusret Gökçe, known internationally as “Salt Bae.” Most come for the premium steaks, and plenty assume the whole menu is priced for show. That’s not quite true. The burger is relatively affordable by the restaurant’s standards and genuinely good, which makes it worth ordering on nights when the steak prices are out of reach.

10. House Of B

Tucked into Akaretler, House Of B does an excellent burger alongside a broad fast-food menu that goes well beyond it. Whatever else you order here is likely to be good. This is a burger list, though. So, plainly put: the burger itself is a highlight.

11. Burger Lab

Karaköy’s other major burger address, Burger Lab, built its name on one idea. Good meat makes a good burger. With Baltazar in the same neighborhood, Karaköy is the one district where you can compare two of the city’s best-known burgers in a single afternoon. Burger Lab expanded from that original Karaköy location into malls including Akmerkez, Zorlu Center, and Uniq. An older branch list also named Atatürk Airport. That one is off the table: the airport closed to commercial flights in 2019. Branch lists change, so it’s hard to say exactly which locations are open right now; check before you go. Food critic Vedat Milor has also recommended this one. The menu covers more variations than most of its rivals. Cheesy, Mad Burger, Olivy, Crack, Hand Made, Lab Burger, Iceburger, Steak & Cheese: odds are good that one of them fits exactly what you’re craving.

12. Noa Burger

Noa Burger, in Beşiktaş, earned its spot on this list with a vegan menu that includes kimchi, a less common pairing in Istanbul, and soft, slightly sweet house-made bread baked fresh each morning.

For lighter eating there’s quinoa, avocado, carrot, and seasonal greens. Meat eaters get their own standout. It’s the Kaburga Burger, built around short rib slow-cooked for roughly five hours. The classic cheddar-and-caramelized-onion version is on the menu too.

13. Kozmonot

Kozmonot opened in Nişantaşı a few years ago, and because nothing quite like it existed in the area before, it’s packed on weekdays and weekends alike. Beer is the real draw. Fries, sandwiches, and burgers are built to go alongside it.

Order the Kozmonot Cheeseburger. It’s a patty in barbecue sauce, served with pickles and fries on the side.

14. Zeplin Pub & Delicatessen

Zeplin Pub has long been one of the better-known bars on the Asian side, known for its music, its conversation-friendly atmosphere, and a wide selection of beers from around the world—plus a kitchen that doesn’t force fries on every order. The burger menu is short. Pick a classic beef patty with caramelized onion, pickles, cheddar, and a house sauce, or go for the bacon burger. Neither sounds right? Fish and chips or a snack platter are the backups.

Sources: Time Out Istanbul, Salt Bae (Nusret Gökçe), Wikipedia