Best Baklava in Istanbul: 9 Shops, Kilo Prices and Flying Home

The best baklava in Istanbul is sold at three addresses that keep turning up in the lists of Yemek.com, Istanbul.com and The Guide Istanbul: Karaköy Güllüoğlu, Hafız Mustafa 1864 and Köşkeroğlu. A kilo of good pistachio baklava costs about 1,800 to 2,600 lira in 2026, which is roughly €32 to €46.

If you would rather not hop from shop to shop on your own, the easiest way to taste your way through the neighbourhoods and their desserts is our Istanbul street food tour, from $90 for six hours. Otherwise this guide helps you choose: nine shops with addresses, an honest comparison of the two classics, kilo prices from autumn 2026 and the question of what may go into your suitcase at the end.

Where is the best baklava in Istanbul?

Nine addresses made our list because at least one current source names them (Yemek.com from September 2026, The Guide Istanbul from July 2026, Istanbul.com). Seven are on the European side, two are in Kadıköy on the Asian side. Addresses and opening hours change faster in Istanbul than elsewhere, so a quick look at Google Maps before you set off is worth it.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

According to the company website, the shop at Kemankeş Caddesi 67 in Karaköy is the Güllü family's first baklava shop in Istanbul and the first outside Gaziantep, opened in 1949. There is only this shop and the store at the factory on Mumhane Caddesi, no other branch. Order classic pistachio baklava, kuru baklava, şöbiyet or havuç dilimi; Yemek.com praises the havuç dilimi served with ice cream, while some guests find the syrup too sweet.

Hafız Mustafa 1864

The brand goes back to 1864, when İsmail Hakkı Bey started making sugar sweets in the basement of his building in Bahçekapı near Eminönü. Today, according to the company history, there are shops in Taksim, Sultanahmet, Sirkeci and Bahçekapı, and according to Yemek.com also at İstiklal Caddesi 121, in Nişantaşı and in Beyazıt. In Nişantaşı you can sit down with tea or coffee, says Yemek.com, and besides baklava there are lokum and milk desserts.

Köşkeroğlu

Yemek.com picked Köşkeroğlu at Kemeraltı Caddesi 46/A (Hacımimi, Beyoğlu) as its favourite of 2026 on the European side and praises the balance between crisp pastry and syrup. A kilo of classic pistachio baklava costs 2,050 TL there, according to the same article. Ask for fıstık sarma too, the rolled pistachio version.

Faruk Güllüoğlu

The shop at Sıraselviler Caddesi 7/A in Gümüşsuyu is close to Taksim Square and comes first in Yemek.com's list of the eleven best addresses. The recommended items are fıstıklı midye baklava, şöbiyet and fıstıklı dürüm. Do not confuse it with Karaköy Güllüoğlu: according to the Karaköy Güllüoğlu website, Faruk Güllü left the family company in 1993 and runs his own business.

Bilgeoğlu in Kadıköy

This single small shop has stood in Nail Bey Sokak 1/B near Bahariye since 1956 (Yemek.com, 18 September 2026). Its reputation rests on şöbiyet, which The Guide Istanbul says tastes best before noon. You reach it by ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy, a good detour to the Asian side.

Emiroğlu in Sahrayıcedit

Emiroğlu has been baking since 1986 at Atatürk Caddesi 29/B in Kadıköy, and there are more branches, for example in Üsküdar. Besides classic pistachio baklava and havuç dilimi, the menu has sütlü nuriye, a softer, milky version. Some guests find the prices high.

Hacı Bozan Oğulları

The house with the year 1948 in its name has several branches; Yemek.com names the one in Levent, Çarşı Caddesi 28, and The Guide Istanbul recommends the one in İncirli for baklava after a kebab. Plan a meal here rather than a quick kilo purchase.

Seç Baklava

With more than ten branches in the city, Seç Baklava is the reliable chain for şöbiyet, dolama and bülbül yuvası. Yemek.com names the branch at Akdeniz Caddesi 40/B in Fatih and highlights its havuç dilimi.

Develi in Samatya

Develi, founded in 1912, in Samatya is a kebab restaurant where baklava closes the meal, and according to The Guide Istanbul the only address on our list with the price level "special occasion". It is the wrong place for a quick kilo purchase.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu or Hafız Mustafa: which is better?

For gifts and a fresh portion at the counter Karaköy Güllüoğlu is the first choice, for a sit-down break with tea in the Old City Hafız Mustafa 1864. Both serve pistachio baklava, and you will taste the difference in style best if you try both on the same day.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu lists tray prices on its website, but for Hafız Mustafa we found no per-kilo prices online on 2 November 2026, and Yemek.com gives no prices per branch either. Both also ship: Karaköy Güllüoğlu by DHL to all countries, Hafız Mustafa within Turkey and abroad according to its online shop.

How much is baklava in Istanbul per kilo?

In autumn 2026 a kilo of pistachio baklava averages 1,800 to 2,600 TL and walnut baklava 1,400 to 1,900 TL, roughly €32 to €46 and €25 to €34 (Yemek.com, 22 September 2026; rate 56.04 TL per euro, ECB, 2 November 2026).

The ranges and the Köşkeroğlu prices come from Yemek.com (22 September 2026), the Karaköy Güllüoğlu prices from its online shop, read on 2 November 2026; in the shop itself it can differ. According to Yemek.com the price depends less on the neighbourhood than on the amount of pistachio and the brand. The Better Vacation gives 150 to 350 TL (about €3 to €6) for a single premium piece and 400 to 800 TL for a portion at the table with tea.

The trap in the tourist streets is price per piece instead of per kilo: where sellers approach you, baklava is often sold without a clear price per weight, while established baklava shops price by weight. Ask for the total before they wrap it. We could not confirm a usual service charge, so we do not state one. A little cash is still worth carrying, because small counters do not always take cards for tiny amounts.

Which baklava to order: fıstıklı, şöbiyet, sarma, havuç dilimi, soğuk baklava

Start with the classic pistachio baklava (fıstıklı): thin sheets of pastry, butter, green pistachios and syrup. Walnut baklava (cevizli) costs less, as the table shows.

• Şöbiyet: rolled baklava with pistachios and cream, recommended at Bilgeoğlu, Seç and Faruk Güllüoğlu.
• Fıstık sarma and dürüm: rolled pistachio baklava, on offer at Karaköy Güllüoğlu and Köşkeroğlu.
• Havuç dilimi: the "carrot slice" shape, served with ice cream at Karaköy Güllüoğlu.
• Kuru baklava: dry, with little syrup, ideal to take home.
• Sütlü nuriye and soğuk baklava: sütlü nuriye is the softer, milky version (Emiroğlu, Faruk Güllü), soğuk baklava the one served cold (at Faruk Güllü, according to Yemek.com).

In Istanbul a glass of tea goes with it, in some shops ice cream as well. If you want to try everything, order a mixed platter at the counter; Karaköy Güllüoğlu offers one.

Baklava near the sights

From the Sirkeci tram stop, where Hafız Mustafa stands according to Istanbul.com, the T1 tram takes you through Gülhane two stops to Sultanahmet; on foot it is roughly 15 minutes. According to The Better Vacation, Karaköy Güllüoğlu is only a few minutes from the Tophane tram stop and Galataport. The walking times are our estimate from the city map, not measured.

• Sultanahmet and Eminönü: Hafız Mustafa in Sirkeci and Sultanahmet; a café guide calls the Sultanahmet branch a safe choice because some cafés there charge very high prices. You will find more options in our text on eating in Sultanahmet.
• Galata and Karaköy: Karaköy Güllüoğlu and Köşkeroğlu, both in Karaköy.
• Taksim and İstiklal: Faruk Güllüoğlu in Gümüşsuyu and the Hafız Mustafa branch at İstiklal Caddesi 121.
• Kadıköy: Bilgeoğlu and Emiroğlu, reached by ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy; the Kadıköy food walk fits here.

The Old City with Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque is the district where Hafız Mustafa has several shops. Our tour of the Old City with Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar costs from $120 for six hours, so ask us about a baklava stop.

Is baklava at Istanbul Airport worth it?

We could not confirm that Güllüoğlu or Hafız Mustafa have a shop in the terminal of Istanbul Airport (IST). In the shop directory on istairport.com, which we checked on 2 November 2026, neither brand appeared, although only six of 164 shops were visible.

We did not find airport prices either, so we do not name a mark-up. Do the sum: divide the tray price by its weight and compare it with the city prices above. Buying in the city is safer, on the last day or by courier: Karaköy Güllüoğlu delivers orders placed by 19:00 the same day to addresses in Istanbul.

How to take baklava home on a plane

Take kuru baklava in a sealed box: dry, with little syrup, kept for several days according to a travel guide, while normal baklava tastes best within a day of baking. Karaköy Güllüoğlu sells a "Long Lasting" pistachio baklava in a 2.5 kg tray for 6,200 TL and ships by DHL to all countries. Lay the box flat in your hand luggage so it is not squashed, and check your airline's rules on sweets in cabin baggage.

Customs when entering Germany: The federal ministry (BMLEH) writes that it is prohibited to bring meat, milk and products made from them into the EU from non-EU countries; exceptions apply to infant milk powder, baby food and special medical food up to 2 kg, and to other animal products such as honey up to 2 kg. The same page lists bread, cake, cookies, chocolate and confectionery without a quantity limit as long as they are not mixed or filled with meat products, and other food that contains no milk or dairy products.

Baklava is not named there, and it is baked with butter. Whether an officer classes it as pastry or as a milk product we could not work out from any official source, and the customs pages we read say nothing about pastry. If you want to be sure, ask customs or the food inspection authority of your state before you travel, and show the box at the checkpoint yourself.

United Kingdom and USA: GOV.UK lists meat, milk and dairy products for travellers from non-EU countries as prohibited in principle, with narrow exceptions; we found nothing clear on pastry, and Border Force can advise. The US agency CBP generally allows bakery items and requires you to declare all food; items baked with milk or egg can be inspected more strictly.

Turkish delight and other sweets worth buying

Lokum is made of starch and sugar, usually with nuts, and needs no butter. Hacı Bekir opened in 1777 in Bahçekapı near Eminönü according to its own company history and has shops in Eminönü, Beyoğlu (Parmakkapı), Kadıköy and Maslak. Hafız Mustafa sells lokum as well.

In the Spice Bazaar by the Eminönü pier, lokum, spices and tea line up side by side. If you would rather not go in alone, book our private shopping tour of the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market, from $90 for six hours.

Against market tricks our text on scams in Istanbul and how to avoid them helps.

Baklava on a food tour

On a guided tour you taste more kinds than you would order alone, and you get the difference between fıstıklı, şöbiyet and kuru baklava explained. Our street food tour with a local guide costs from $90 and takes six hours. If you would rather go only with your own group, we also offer a private food tour in Istanbul.

You will find all of our Istanbul tours in the overview, and our text on the meyhane in Istanbul describes a dinner in the local style. From the water, the Bosphorus lunch cruise with hotel pick-up is an option, from $75 for three hours. Prices vary by season, hotel and inclusions, so for a current quote just message us on WhatsApp.

Travelling from abroad: Germany, the UK and the USA

For Germans, the Federal Foreign Office says (as of 2 November 2026) that an ID card is enough; a passport, provisional passport and child passport are also accepted, and the office advises against the provisional ID card. No visa is needed for up to 90 days in 180 days, and documents that expired no more than a year ago are accepted.

According to comparison portals, nonstop flights run from Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Hamburg to Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen (SAW), among others with Turkish Airlines and Pegasus. The flight takes about 3 hours from Frankfurt and about 2 hours 50 from Berlin. You will find more about the city on our page about Istanbul and in the Turkey tour packages.

From the UK and the USA other entry rules apply, so check them with GOV.UK and the US State Department respectively.

If you want to plan your trip with baklava stops, message us on WhatsApp with the date and number of people, or open the page of the street food tour and pick your date.

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