Restaurant
Turk Fatih Tutak
Chef Fatih Tutak's Bomonti tasting-menu restaurant, holding two Michelin stars and a Green Star, reworking Turkish culinary traditions with modern technique.
Maksut Aşkar's Michelin-starred restaurant inside SALT Galata, reviving forgotten Turkish recipes and ingredients with modern techniques and clear sourcing.
Good to know
Set inside the SALT Galata cultural centre, a grand former Ottoman bank building on Bankalar Caddesi, Neolokal is led by chef Maksut Aşkar and a young team. The kitchen sets out to revive traditional recipes and ingredients that have fallen out of use, cooking them with modern techniques and an emphasis on knowing exactly where each ingredient comes from. It holds a Michelin star in the 2026 guide.
Reservations are taken online through the restaurant's booking system, and booking ahead is wise for weekend evenings. The dining room looks out towards the Golden Horn and the old city. Arrive early to explore SALT's exhibitions and library downstairs, and note that valet parking is available.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
Inside SALT Galata on Bankalar Caddesi in Karaköy, a short walk from the Galata Bridge.
Reservations are made online via the booking link on the restaurant's website, or by phone.
Bar
A long-running bar, restaurant and late-night club on the top floor of the historic Mısır Apartment on İstiklal Avenue, with panoramic city views.
Hotel
A five-star Kempinski hotel built around a restored 19th-century Ottoman palace on the Bosphorus shore, with an infinity pool and 317 rooms.
Tour operator
The neighbourhood food-tour company that began in Istanbul in 2009 as Istanbul Eats, known for its day-long Two Markets, Two Continents walk.
Thing to do
One of the world's oldest covered markets, begun in the 1450s, with 61 vaulted streets of carpet, jewellery, ceramics and textile shops.