Dine Istanbul’s best, where Ottoman excess meets contemporary luxury in the city’s most refined cuisine.
At the heart of Istanbul, where East and West meet, the luxury dining future is pleasuring discerning palates. The city’s cuisine is a rich tapestry of excess, heritage, and innovation, with more than meals to become the stuff of once-in-a-lifetime excesses.
TURK Fatih Tutak leads this gastronomic revival. Turkey’s initial and only two Michelin-starred chef, Fatih Tutak reinvents Anatolian cuisine using modern methods but stays rooted in tradition, presenting food nostalgic to the past yet forward in its methodology of sustainability. The ever-evolving menu based on micro-seasons presents each meal as an ongoing exploration of the richness of Turkey’s gastronomic heritage.
Perched atop the Marmara Pera Hotel, Mikla offers a bird’s-eye view of Istanbul’s horizon line. Chef Mehmet Gürs’s “New Anatolian Kitchen” combines Turkish ingredients with Scandinavian sensibility, resulting in a sophisticated but earthy dining experience. Such treats as lamb loin with eggplant smoked and Turkish coffee ice cream with mastic emphasise this blissful union.
For a combination of history and quality cuisine, Hacı Abdullah Restaurant brings the visitor back to history of the Ottoman Empire. The restaurant, founded in 1888, offers over 500 Turkish traditional dishes, the world-famous hünkârbeğendi and lamb tandoori among them, cooked in hand-made copper pots in order to preserve traditional flavours. Traditional Turkish tiles adorning the luxurious interior design and VIP salons of the restaurant contribute to the atmosphere of a palace.
Nusr-Et Steakhouse, designed by the proprietor and Nusret Gökçe, more popularly known as “Salt Bae” to the rest of the world, is shorthand for high-drama dining nowadays. Aside from the frequently-viral salt-shakes, the restaurant also dishes out expensive cuts like tomahawk steaks and lamb chops in a lively atmosphere that’s a magnet for A-list stars and foodies.
For a mixed meal with culinary excellence and scintillating views, nobody is superior to Sunset Grill & Bar at Ulus. This restaurant capped with the Bosphorus view has an idiosyncratic mix of Japanese, Turkish, and Mediterranean cuisine and is equally suited for romantic evenings and memorial dinners.
Redeeming the dining experience as sensory experience, Karaköy’s Mürver Restaurant is a wood-fire specialist adding its own smokiness to the classic Turkish. Its sleek interior and crisp local ingredients have won the hearts of foodies.
For a flavour of culture, a Bosphorus Dinner Cruise is an evening of luxury and bliss. Cruising past illuminated Ottoman palaces, dine on a classical Turkish meal while entertained by live folk dance and music performances, capturing Istanbul at night.
Istanbul’s upscale dining is a testament to its rich past and lively now, offering cuisine for the most discerning palates. From innovative works of art by Michelin-starred chefs to the old-fashioned charm of Ottoman cuisine, the city offers you a gastronomic experience unlike any other.
