The Mısır Çarşısı (Spice Bazaar) is the smaller, more manageable cousin of the Grand Bazaar — an L-shaped covered market near Eminönü with 88 vaulted shops selling spices, dried fruits, nuts, Turkish delight, and food products. It is touristy and the prices reflect that, but the quality of the produce is generally good and the atmosphere genuinely lively.
The streets immediately outside the bazaar — particularly Hasırcılar Caddesi running alongside it — are where the locals shop, and prices are better. The waterfront at Eminönü, a short walk away, has the cheapest and best fish sandwiches in Istanbul (balık ekmek, grilled mackerel on a roll) sold from floating boats. This corner of the old city — bazaar, mosque, Bosphorus ferries, fish sandwiches — is the most practical and least precious version of Istanbul.