A hallmark of Turkish culture and the ultimate way to begin a good day starts with a good "kahvaltı" – breakfast in Turkish. With long tables and many dishes that include a different array of cheeses, olives, omelets, menemen – scrambled eggs cooked with tomatoes, green pepper and spices – honey with heavenly kaymak – clotted cream, homemade jams, fresh cucumber and tomatoes and many other mouth-watering foods, breakfast is not only meant to please your stomach in Turkish culture, it is also the best time of the day to engage in long conversations over freshly-brewed tea. A breakfast, especially on weekends, is meant to create peace and tranquility and foster better relationships between people. This is one of the most entertaining and important meals of the day for Turkish people from the east to the west of the country. The entire family as well as friends gather around a crowded breakfast table and the meal lasts until a huge teapot is finished and Turkish coffee is served. For those living in the Turkish heart of Istanbul, there are many different alternatives available to enjoy breakfast. According to ones tastes and preferences, one can visit cafés serving Turkish village breakfast, a breakfast from the eastern city of Van or a little café serving Western breakfast. Whatever you fancy, just know that there is always a breakfast café in the city that will meet your expectations.l Yeşilköy Van Breakfast HouseLocated near central Istanbul, Van Breakfast House in Yeşilköy is one of the most frequented breakfast destinations in the city with its eastern Turkish-style breakfast services and Kurdish breakfast culture. A Van breakfast starts with traditional Turkish breakfast items such as tomatoes, menemen and cucumber and then a different array of Van cheeses, herbs, famous honey from Van and pekmez – molasses made from grapes that contains authentic Van tastes. Like all other renowned breakfast destinations in Istanbul, however, this one may also be packed when you visit. So wake up early to experience Turkey's eastern breakfast culture.Address: Eski Havacılar Cd 70-82 Bakırköy, İstasyon Cd., Istanbull Beşiktaş Breakfast StreetIn Beşiktaş, a large easily-accessible district on Istanbul's European side, there is an inexpensive, local breakfast haven tucked away in Beşiktaş's narrow alleyways – Breakfast Street. On this street, there are nearly 20 breakfast cafés and it continues to grow thanks to the huge demand and economical prices. On weekends, it is almost impossible to find a café with an empty table so you should either leave your cozy bed earlier or wait until after 2:00 p.m. However, you can always experience the possibility of waiting for a table. Most cafés on the street have similar breakfast menus but some of them are renowned for their friendly atmosphere. If you are looking for such a café to sample Turkish breakfast, you can visit Çakmak Breakfast Saloon. This place is nearly packed every day of the week and not only is it one of the cheapest cafes on the street, but also one of the most delicious. The price is around TL 15 to TL 20 ($6.70 to $8.93) per person and you can taste different types of menemen as well as enjoy a huge breakfast platter. Another famous breakfast food on this street is pişis, a type of fried dough found in the cuisines of Central Asia and the Balkans. Even though it is not a light breakfast meal, it is delicious. Pişis Breakfast and Zeytindalı Breakfast Café are the best pişis cafés on the street. These cafés have different types of pişis made from Nutella, cheese or olives, but the pişis is undoubtedly my favorite.Address: Çelebioğlu Sokak, Beşiktaş, Istanbull Munchies Crepe and PancakesMunchies is a boutique café serving the best and biggest variety of pancakes on the Asian side of Istanbul. Located in Mod in Kadıköy, Munchies is a small pancake house so you have to wait for a table in order to taste their delicious crepes and pancakes. There are two options in this small house as well – salty dishes and sweet dishes. Even though these two selections are very similar, the selection of salty dishes includes items such as cheeses and salami. With the sweet plate selection, numerous homemade jams are served with the dish. You can also mix items from each of the plates together to create a sweet and savory breakfast. Munchies is a unique way to mix American and Turkish culture and if you are an expat in Turkey looking for some breakfast options different from traditional Turkish ones, Munchies is the perfect alternative.Address: Caferağa Mahallesi, Dr. Esat Işık Caddesi, 62/A, Kadıköy, Istanbul