Izmir eats with one foot in the bazaar and the other by the sea. This quick primer covers the old-school meyhanes, neighborhood markets, bars, restaurants, and essential dishes that help define the city’s food culture.

A family-run esnaf lokantası in İzmir’s Kemeraltı Bazaar known for fish soup, lamb kokoreç, ciğer sarma, tripe with chickpeas, and seasonal olive-oil vegetables from the family garden.

At the Olive Oil Library of Orhanlı, visitors taste oils from across Turkey and beyond while learning how olive cultivation shapes culture, landscape and memory.