Under the Stars: Istanbul’s Michelin Trail

1. 01
   Food

   Trace Seed-to-Table Cooking in a Former Bank

   Begin at Neolokal inside SALT Galata, the former Ottoman Bank headquarters. Opened in 2014 by chef Maksut Aşkar, the restaurant builds its menu around ingredients from the Tat Kancası list to support biodiversity, and its wine program is entirely Turkish. It received Turkey’s first Michelin Green Star in 2022.

   SALT Galata, Bankalar Caddesi entrance, Karaköy, Istanbul, Turkey
2. 02
   Food

   Climb to the Terrace Named After a Nun

   Head up to Nicole in Tomtom Suites, opened in 2013 on the rooftop of a 1901 building. The restaurant takes its name from Mother Agnès Marthe Nicole, a Franciscan nun who lived here when the building served as a monastery. Since 2021, chef Serkan Aksoy has steered the kitchen from its original French influence toward contemporary Anatolian cuisine.

   Tomtom Suites, Boğazkesen Caddesi entrance, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey
3. 03
   Photography

   Face the Historic Peninsula from the Rooftop

   Stop at Mikla on the rooftop of The Marmara Pera. Opened in 2005, it redefined its cuisine as 'New Anatolian Kitchen' in 2012. Founder Mehmet Gürs transferred his shares and departed at the end of 2023, but the restaurant remained open and kept its Michelin star in the 2026 selection. The real centerpiece here is the panoramic silhouette of the historic peninsula through the glass.

   The Marmara Pera, Meşrutiyet Caddesi entrance, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey
4. 04
   Food

   Find Antakya on a Cihangir Slope

   Continue to Casius Antioch Kitchen, one of Istanbul’s Bib Gourmand addresses in the 2026 guide. The kitchen presents Antakya cuisine with a strong emphasis on stone-oven cooking. Bib Gourmand is Michelin’s category for very good food at a more moderate price, listed in the same guide as starred restaurants but in a completely different budget range.

   Casius Antioch Kitchen, Akarsu Yokuşu Sokak, Cihangir, Istanbul, Turkey
5. 05
   Food

   See How Two Michelin Stars Arrived in Bomonti

   Finish day one at TURK Fatih Tutak, opened by Fatih Tutak in Bomonti in December 2019. Before launching it, Tutak worked at Noma in Copenhagen and in a three-star kitchen in Tokyo. In Istanbul’s first Michelin selection announced in October 2022, the restaurant went straight to two stars, and by 2026 it had also added a Green Star.

   TURK Fatih Tutak, Yeniyol Sokak entrance, Bomonti, Istanbul, Turkey
6. 06
   History

   Choose a Stew at a Century-Old Counter

   Start day two at Yanyalı Fehmi Lokantası in Kadıköy Market. Opened in 1919, it was founded by Fehmi Efendi, who migrated from Ioannina, now in Greece, and learned cooking later in life. The kitchen prepares around 140 to 150 dishes a day, including about ten soups, sixty hot dishes, and forty olive-oil dishes. Signature plates include onion stew and Ioannina-style meatballs.

   Yanyalı Fehmi Lokantası, Kadıköy Çarşısı, Istanbul, Turkey
7. 07
   Food

   Read the Menu That Changes Every Day

   Move on to Parvus Kalamış, another Kadıköy Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide. Founded by Alican Yağcı, the kitchen is vegetable-focused and built around a daily changing menu. Nothing is fixed; the board is written according to what arrives that day. That flexibility is exactly what sets it apart from more formal starred kitchens.

   Parvus Kalamış, Rüştiye Sokak, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey
8. 08
   Food

   Take a Bib Gourmand Pause in Kozyatağı

   Continue to Mutfakkoz in Kozyatağı, one of the six Istanbul venues added to the Bib Gourmand list in 2026. This category also captures neighborhood-scale dining: in the same selection, Michelin can recognize a tasting-menu restaurant, a market lokanta, and a kitchen that looks ordinary within its district but stands out for its food.

   Mutfakkoz, Kaya Sultan Sokak, Kozyatağı, Istanbul, Turkey
9. 09
   Exploration

   Sit Opposite the Fire at a Twelve-Seat Counter

   End the adventure at Araf İstanbul, the roughly twelve-seat counter restaurant opened in March 2023 by Kenan Çetinkaya and Pınar Korgan Çetinkaya. The menu is built around wood fire, and the kitchen’s signature is bringing offal into fine dining. It was on the Bib Gourmand list in 2025, then rose directly to one Michelin star in 2026.

   Araf İstanbul, Sümer Sokak entrance, Kozyatağı, Istanbul, Turkey

Check opening hours before you go. Hours, access conditions and weather can change.