Country dossier
Restaurants, hotels, bars and wineries across Turkey in the En Primeur Club guide.
Accolades in Turkey
The four Istanbul picks cover a two-star tasting menu with an exceptional list in Cumhuriyet, a one-star restaurant in Asmali Mescit with an exceptional, sommelier-led list, an exceptional 1,100-bottle list with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in Levent, and a Caferaga wine bar pouring nearly all of its 300 Turkish wines by the glass.
Cumhuriyet, Modern Turkish Fine Dining. Turk Fatih Tutak holds two Michelin stars and runs a tasting menu with an exceptional wine program and an extensive list. Its modern Turkish focus and city-view lounge place it at the top end of Istanbul’s serious dining scene.
Asmali Mescit, New Anatolian Kitchen. Mikla holds one Michelin star and an exceptional wine program, with a sommelier-led extensive list. Formats include a tasting menu, à la carte and prix fixe. The restaurant is rooftop fine dining, with New Anatolian cooking, Scandinavian influences and panoramic Bosphorus views.
Levent, Contemporary Turkish-Mediterranean. Şans serves contemporary Turkish-Mediterranean cooking à la carte in a historic garden villa and holds a Michelin Plate (2025). Its exceptional wine program runs to 1,100 bottles and 200 selections, with particular depth in Turkish, Greek, French and Italian wines, and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
Caferaga, wine bar. Wayana Wine Bar & Tapas in Istanbul holds a Star Wine List award for 2026 and runs a wine list. It serves Hittite-named tapas with nearly all 300 Turkish wines available by the glass using a Coravin system.
These four Bodrum restaurants are in Göltürkbükü, Yalikavak, Yalıkavak and Dereköy. Maçakızı, Kitchen By Osman Sezener and Mezra Yalıkavak hold Michelin stars, Dereköy Lokantası holds a Michelin Plate, and the wine programs are exceptional.
Göltürkbükü, Modern Aegean. Maçakızı holds a Michelin star and serves modern Aegean cooking, with bay views and à la carte, buffet and tasting menu formats. It has an exceptional wine program and sommelier-led service, and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. The list spans premium Turkish producers alongside major European regions.
Yalikavak, Contemporary Turkish Coastal Cuisine. Kitchen By Osman Sezener holds a Michelin star and a wine list, with sommelier-led service and an extensive list. Formats include tasting menu, prix fixe and à la carte, and the room has marina bay views. The kitchen uses produce from the hotel gardens and from local farms.
Yalıkavak, Modern Turkish Farm-to-Table. Mezra Yalıkavak holds a Michelin star (2026), after Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025, and keeps an extensive wine list. The tasting menu uses open-fire cooking, preservation techniques and produce from the chef’s own farm in a garden setting.
Dereköy, Modern Turkish. Dereköy Lokantası holds a Michelin Plate (2026) and a Star Wine List (2026), with an extensive wine list. Chef Zişan Altınçaba draws on Konya heritage and Aegean seafood and fruits, in a garden, with à la carte and small plates.
The Izmir picks are all in Urla. They pair Michelin-starred set menus or tasting menus with wine lists, in vineyard, estate and boutique-hotel settings.
Urla, Seasonal Mediterranean Fine Dining. Vino Locale holds two Michelin stars in a vineyard setting, with seasonal cooking and Italian and Asian influences. Rooted in the Aegean’s emerging appellations. The restaurant runs a set menu with sommelier-led service.
Urla, Mediterranean with French Contemporary and Italian Influences. Teruar Urla holds a Michelin star and an extensive wine list. The tasting menu follows a zero-waste approach with Italian influence, in a stone building overlooking Urla’s vineyards.
Urla, Modern Turkish Farm-to-Table. OD Urla holds a Michelin star, an extensive wine list. Open-fire cooking uses the garden and producers within a 10km radius, with tasting menu and à la carte service in a glasshouse among olive groves.
Urla, Modern Turkish Fine Dining. Narımor holds a Michelin star and runs a set menu with an extensive wine list. Chef Atilla Heilbronn’s small, precise menu sits in a boutique hotel setting, with the wine list leaning on Hus Wines from the surrounding peninsula.
The four picks are Revithia’s Michelin-starred tasting menu in Kayakapı, Argos in Cappadocia and Museum Hotel, both cave hotels in Uchisar, and KOCABAĞ, a Uchisar winery with underground cellars and native Turkish grapes.
Kayakapı, Modern Cappadocian Tasting Menu. Revithia is the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Cappadocia, with one Michelin star (2026), an extensive wine list. The tasting menu works from near-forgotten Cappadocian recipes in a UNESCO-listed setting. The menu changes three to four times a year.
Uchisar, hotel. Argos in Cappadocia is a cave hotel carved from a historic monastery in volcanic tufa, with panoramic views of Cappadocia’s valleys. It holds Michelin 2 Keys (2026) and Leading Hotels of the World membership. A subterranean tunnel network houses a restaurant, wine cellar and concert hall.
Uchisar, hotel. Museum Hotel is the world’s first museum concept hotel, with historical artifacts from the Hittite, Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman periods in its cave rooms and museum-certified Ottoman and Roman antiques. It holds Michelin 2 Keys (2026) and is the only Relais & Châteaux member in Turkey, with a 270-degree panorama over Cappadocia.
KOCABAĞ is a Cappadocian cave winery in Uchisar operating since 1972, recognized by Falstaff in 2026 and focused almost exclusively on native Turkish grape varieties. Its underground cellars are cut into volcanic tuff, and the grapes include Emir, Narince, Kalecik Karası, Boğazkere and Öküzgözü.
Istanbul has the strongest concentration of serious wine lists in our guide. Exceptional wine programs sit on venues in Cumhuriyet, Asmali Mescit, Levent, Yildiz, Kurucesme, and in Ulupelit, Şile. Wine Spectator awards sit on venues in Levent, Yildiz, Harbiye, Kemankeskaramustafapasa, Sultan Ahmet, and in Ulupelit, Şile. Wayana Wine Bar & Tapas in Caferaga holds a Star Wine List (2026).
Turkey has 16 Michelin-starred restaurants in our guide, and 18 Michelin stars in total. Turk Fatih Tutak and Vino Locale hold two Michelin stars each. Istanbul venues include Turk Fatih Tutak, Neolokal, Mikla, Nicole, Sankai by Nagaya, Araka, Casa Lavanda and Arkestra. Bodrum venues include Maçakızı, Kitchen By Osman Sezener and Mezra Yalıkavak. Izmir venues include Vino Locale, OD Urla, Teruar Urla and Narımor. Ürgüp has Revithia.
Tasting menus in our guide are in Istanbul, Bodrum, Izmir and Ürgüp. They include Turk Fatih Tutak in Cumhuriyet, Mikla in Asmali Mescit, Maçakızı in Göltürkbükü, Kitchen By Osman Sezener in Yalikavak, Mezra Yalıkavak in Yalıkavak, OD Urla and Teruar Urla in Urla, and Revithia in Kayakapı.
Seven venues in our guide hold Wine Spectator awards: Maçakızı (Göltürkbükü), Şans Restaurant (Levent), AQUA (Yildiz), Gallada (Kemankeskaramustafapasa), Casa Lavanda (Ulupelit, Şile), Lokanta by Divan (Harbiye) and Avlu Restaurant (Sultan Ahmet). Maçakızı, AQUA and Gallada hold Best of Award of Excellence. Şans Restaurant, Casa Lavanda, Lokanta by Divan and Avlu Restaurant hold Award of Excellence.
By Emmett Haley · Updated October 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
City atlas
Turkey
Selected entries from the current guide for Turkey.
Istanbul, Turkey
Neolokal elevates traditional Anatolian cuisine to Michelin-starred heights within Istanbul's historic SALT Galata, where Chef Maksut Aşkar transforms forgotten Ottoman recipes into contemporary masterpieces. This sustainability-focused restaurant offers far-reaching Golden Horn views alongside innovative tasting menus that preserve Turkey's culinary heritage through modern techniques.
Istanbul, Turkey
On the 18th floor of the Marmara Pera, Mikla has spent two decades refining what New Anatolian Cuisine means in practice: producers from across Turkey, technique shaped by Nordic discipline, and a Michelin star earned in 2024. The 360-degree rooftop view over Beyoğlu and the Bosphorus is the backdrop, but it is the cooking that keeps the reservation list full.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul's most decorated modern Turkish restaurant, Turk Fatih Tutak holds two Michelin stars and ranked 66th on the World's 50 Best list in 2023. Operating from a Şişli address with dinner service running Tuesday through Saturday, the restaurant represents a specific strand of contemporary Turkish cooking, technically rigorous, referentially deep, and positioned within a small peer group of fine-dining addresses redefining what the cuisine can do on a global stage.
Bodrum, Turkey
Maçakızı holds a Michelin star (2024) and sits at the summit of Bodrum's dining tier, operating from a hillside hotel in Türkbükü where Aegean tradition and modern technique meet under chef Aret Sahakyan. The wine list spans premium Turkish producers alongside major European regions, placing it in a different competitive set from most Bodrum restaurants. Open daily 11am to 11pm; ₺₺₺₺ pricing.
Istanbul, Turkey
A Michelin-starred address in Beyoğlu's historic Tomtom quarter, Nicole occupies a former Franciscan convent and ranks #378 among Europe's top restaurants according to Opinionated About Dining (2025). Chef Aylin Yazicioglu works through the full breadth of Turkey's regional larder, presenting dishes built on sourced terroir and traditional technique. The rooftop setting, with views across the old city, makes it one of Istanbul's clearest choices for a milestone meal.
Izmir, Turkey
OD Urla sits on a family estate above Urla, west of Izmir, where Chef Osman Sezener cooks over open fire using produce grown in the on-site garden and sourced within a ten-kilometre radius. Ranked 218th in Europe by Opinionated About Dining in 2025 and holding a Michelin star since 2024, it operates at the serious end of Izmir's dining scene while pricing below most comparable Western European destinations at ₺₺₺.
Istanbul, Turkey
In Yeniköy on Istanbul's upper Bosphorus shore, Araka operates at the intersection of creative cooking and seasonal Turkish produce. Chef Zeynep Pınar Taşdemir's vegetable-forward menu draws Michelin recognition for its balance of spice, acidity, and regional ingredients. At the ₺₺ price point, it sits well below Istanbul's Michelin-starred fine dining tier while occupying serious creative ground.
Istanbul, Turkey
Arkestra holds a Michelin star (2024) in Etiler's villa-dining tier, where chef Cenk Debensason runs a fusion menu shaped by French training and American experience. The 1960s villa setting includes a dedicated Listening Room upstairs and Ritmo, a separate mezze space in the same building. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 PM, closed Sunday and Monday.
Istanbul, Turkey
Casa Lavanda holds a Michelin star and sits roughly 40 kilometres from central Istanbul in the coastal town of Şile, attached to a family-run hotel whose garden supplies 80 percent of the kitchen's vegetables. Chef Emre Şen draws on Turkish culinary tradition and Italian technique, pairing a 300-label wine list with terrace tables overlooking a working kitchen garden. It is one of the few starred restaurants operating well outside the city's Bosphorus corridor.
Bodrum, Turkey
Kitchen by Osman Sezener holds a Michelin star at The Bodrum Edition in Yalıkavak, placing it among the small tier of fine-dining addresses on the Bodrum peninsula that combine local Aegean produce with technically precise cooking. The kitchen bridges Turkish culinary tradition and international technique through a focused à la carte format, with views over the marina bay framing every service.
Bodrum, Turkey
A Michelin Plate-recognised farm-to-table address in Yalıkavak, Mezra grounds its modern Turkish menu in open-fire cooking, preservation techniques, and produce sourced from the chef's own farm. The industrial-style space, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a tandoori oven visible from the dining room, sets the tone for cooking that treats local terroir as both ingredient list and editorial statement. Priced at the upper tier of the Bodrum dining scene (₺₺₺₺), it books ahead.
Izmir, Turkey
Set within a boutique hotel in Urla, on the western edge of Izmir province, Narımor holds a Michelin star for its cross-cultural approach to Turkish cuisine. Chef Atilla Heilbronn draws on German training and deep research into Anatolian culinary tradition, producing a small, precise menu that pairs Aegean produce with European technique. The wine list leans on Hus Wines, sourced from the surrounding peninsula.
Ürgüp, Turkey
Set within the UNESCO-listed Kayakapı neighbourhood of Ürgüp, Revithia works through a seasonally rotating menu that revives near-forgotten Cappadocian recipes with considered textural contrasts. The terrace opens over the valley below, and the kitchen draws on hyper-local ingredients to ground dishes in genuine regional identity. The menu changes three to four times annually, making return visits worthwhile.
Istanbul, Turkey
Yoshizumi Nagaya's Istanbul outpost brings his Düsseldorf-honed precision to a Bosphorus-facing room in Bebek, earning a Michelin star in 2024. The kitchen positions Japanese technique against locally sourced Bosphorus fish and European preparation methods, with sushi cut and formed by Hiroko Shibata. A free luxury shuttle connects guests to this dinner-only address on Cevdet Paşa Caddesi.
Izmir, Turkey
Teruar Urla holds a Michelin star in Turkey's most compelling wine-growing region, where Chef Osman Serdaroglu applies a minimalist approach to Aegean produce with a clear Italian influence. Set in a local stone building overlooking Urla's vineyards, it operates evenings Tuesday through Sunday, with afternoon service added on weekends. Guestrooms make an overnight stay a practical option.
Izmir, Turkey
A two-Michelin-star country kitchen in Urla, on the western edge of Izmir province, Vino Locale runs a set menu that rotates every six weeks in step with the growing season. Chef Ozan Kumbasar sources what he cannot grow himself from local producers, while his partner Seray manages a wine program rooted in the Aegean's emerging appellations.
Istanbul, Turkey
Şans Restaurant in Levent brings Mediterranean and Turkish cooking to a ₺₺₺ price point that sits a tier below Istanbul's dominant modern-Turkish fine-dining names, yet holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025 and an Opinionated About Dining ranking among Europe's top 500 restaurants. The wine program, 1,100 bottles, 200 selections, with particular depth in Turkish, Greek, French, and Italian labels, is one of the more serious in the city at this price level.
Istanbul, Turkey
Aheste occupies a vaulted dining room in Beyoğlu's Asmalı Mescit quarter, where Chef Sara Tabrizi reframes the mezze tradition through a modern Turkish lens. Holding a Michelin Plate since 2024 and ranked #360 in Opinionated About Dining's European listings that same year, it sits in a distinct tier below Istanbul's starred modern Turkish restaurants, more intimate in format and more grounded in communal sharing than the tasting-menu flagships a price bracket above.
Istanbul, Turkey
A Michelin Plate holder for 2024 and 2025, Lokanta by Divan sits inside the Divan İstanbul hotel in Harbiye and delivers traditional Turkish cooking at a price point well below Istanbul's modern-Turkish fine-dining tier. The menu runs to generous mezze spreads designed for sharing, with a wine list of 190 selections drawn largely from Turkish producers.
Istanbul, Turkey
Gallada holds a Michelin Plate (2025) and sits at the summit of Istanbul's price range, serving a Chinese-Turkish menu at dinner from a Kemankeş Caddesi address operated by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. Wine Director Nebiye Kaya oversees a 435-selection, 11,000-bottle cellar strong in Turkish and French producers, priced at the $$$ tier with a $100 corkage fee.
Istanbul, Turkey
Kıyı is a long-running Istanbul seafood address built around the city’s classic fish-house grammar: mezze first, fish chosen from the display, and a marina-facing room that rewards an upstairs table. Recognition from Michelin Plate in 2024 and 2025, plus Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe rankings, places it in Istanbul’s serious seafood bracket rather than its casual tavern lane.
Istanbul, Turkey
A Michelin Plate-awarded Turkish restaurant in Ulus, Beşiktaş, Restaurant 29 occupies a terrace position above the Bosphorus that frames minarets and the Istanbul skyline across the water. The kitchen works traditional Turkish foundations through a modern lens, with Mediterranean inflections running alongside the mezze and charcoal-grilled meats. The wine list carries enough depth to hold its own against the view.
Istanbul, Turkey
AQUA sits on the Bosphorus waterfront inside the Four Seasons Çırağan Palace, bringing together regional Turkish seafood and a wine list of 385 selections built around Turkish, Greek, French, and Italian producers. A 2025 Michelin Plate recognises the kitchen's consistency under Chef Görkem Özkan. For Istanbul's serious seafood dining tier, it is one of the few addresses that pairs Bosphorus-edge setting with verifiable culinary credentials.
Istanbul, Turkey
Set within the historic courtyard of the Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet, Avlu holds consecutive Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025) for its modern approach to Anatolian cooking. The kitchen works from a wood-fired oven and offers both an à la carte Anatolian menu and a set menu with a vegetarian option, positioning it a tier below Istanbul's starred Modern Turkish restaurants at a more accessible ₺₺₺ price point.
Turkey
Selected entries from the current guide for Turkey.
Nevsehir, Turkey
A Leading Hotels of the World member carved into the volcanic tufa of Uçhisar village, Argos in Cappadocia sets the reference point for cave hotel accommodation in the region. With 71 rooms across repurposed monastery stone, a subterranean tunnel network housing a restaurant, wine cellar, and concert hall, and rates from $383, it occupies the upper tier of Cappadocia's boutique lodging market.
Istanbul, Turkey
A neoclassical former political prison converted by Four Seasons in 1996, this 67-room Sultanahmet property sits within walking distance of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. Scoring 96 points on the La Liste Top Hotels 2026 ranking, it pairs Ottoman-inflected interiors with a rooftop lounge, a glass-enclosed courtyard, and a restaurant running a dedicated kebab menu alongside Mediterranean cuisine.
Istanbul, Turkey
The only Ottoman Imperial Palace operating as a hotel on the Bosphorus, Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul holds 310 rooms across the historic palace wing and a modern E-shaped building, almost all with water views. Recognised as World's Leading Heritage Hotel at the 2025 World Travel Awards and ranked ninth on Condé Nast's Best Hotels list for 2025, it occupies a tier of its own among Istanbul's luxury addresses.
Istanbul, Turkey
Opened in 2023 as part of the Galataport waterfront redevelopment, The Peninsula Istanbul occupies three restored historic buildings in Karaköy, with 177 rooms starting from $839 per night. Bosphorus views, two distinctive dining venues, and a subterranean hammam spa place it among Istanbul's most-discussed luxury openings.
Istanbul, Turkey
A 19th-century Ottoman palace on the European shore of the Bosphorus, Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus holds a La Liste Top Hotels score of 91.5 points (2026) and 170 rooms across the historic main building and two annexes. Rates from $914 per night position it at the upper tier of Istanbul's waterfront luxury market, with a complimentary shuttle connecting it to the brand's Sultanahmet property.
Istanbul, Turkey
Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul commands 16 waterfront acres in prestigious Kuruçeşme, where Tihany Design's Ottoman-inspired architecture houses ultra-luxury suites with panoramic Bosphorus views. This sophisticated retreat features Novikov and Hakkasan restaurants, a 38,000-square-foot spa with marble hammams, and the magnificent 5,100-square-foot Royal Bosphorus Suite.
Bodrum, Turkey
Set above Cennet Koyu (Paradise Bay) on Turkey's Aegean coast, Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum spans 60 hectares of hillside gardens and operates across two private beaches, four pools, and eleven food and drink concepts. Rooms are designed around floor-to-ceiling sea views, warm wood panelling, and private terraces or balconies. La Liste ranked the property at 91.5 points in its 2026 Top Hotels list.
Nevsehir, Turkey
Perched above the Uchisar Valley in Cappadocia, Ariana Sustainable Luxury Lodge occupies eleven rooms and suites that span cave dwellings cut directly into the rock and contemporary above-ground structures. At around $408 per night, it sits in the upper tier of Cappadocia's boutique hotel set, distinguished by a glass-fronted restaurant with its own gardens and vineyard serving farm-to-table Mediterranean fare.
Istanbul, Turkey
Positioned in Nişantaşı, Istanbul's most refined commercial district, The St. Regis Istanbul holds a One MICHELIN Key designation and a 95-point La Liste Top Hotels ranking for 2026. Its 118 rooms overlook Macka Park or Abdi Ipekci Street, with two Michelin Guide-recognised restaurants, including one of the few European outposts of Spago, and a 10,225-square-foot Iridium Spa anchoring the property's case for serious consideration.
Nevsehir, Turkey
The only Relais & Châteaux member in Turkey, Museum Hotel occupies the slopes beneath Uçhisar Castle in Cappadocia, where 30 cave rooms and suites, each furnished with museum-certified Ottoman and Roman antiques, look out across a 270-degree panorama of the region.
Istanbul, Turkey
Positioned within Zorlu Center above the Bosphorus in Beşiktaş, Raffles Istanbul has held a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star rating for three consecutive years and took the Travel+Leisure World's Best Awards No.1 City Hotel in Europe title in 2020. The property runs four distinct dining and bar outlets alongside a 3,000-square-metre spa, with La Liste placing it at 96.5 points in 2026.
Istanbul, Turkey
Occupying a 19th-century French school building in Galata, Ecole St. Pierre Hotel offers 17 rooms set in former classrooms, each marked with an abacus, alongside Il Cortile, a restaurant and pizzeria in the original refectory. At around $410 per night, the property sits in Istanbul's compact tier of design-led historic conversions, trading amenities breadth for neighbourhood depth and architectural character.
Akbük, Turkey
Named Türkiye's Leading Luxury Resort at the 2025 World Travel Awards, Six Senses Kaplankaya sits on the Aegean coast across the bay from Bodrum, accessible only by speedboat, helicopter, or road. Its 141 accommodations span hillside rooms and ridge-top villas, set within low-slung architecture that draws on authentically Turkish visual references. A 38-treatment-room spa anchors the wellness program, supported by multiple restaurants covering everything from grilled meats to raw and vegan menus.
Istanbul, Turkey
A 186-room property occupying a historic 1930s building on the European shore of the Bosphorus, between Dolmabahçe Palace and the Maritime Museum in Beşiktaş. Ranked #5 in Condé Nast's Best Hotels (2025) and awarded 94 points by La Liste Top Hotels (2026), it combines some of Istanbul's most spacious guest rooms with Cantonese dining, a CHI spa, and three hammams.
Istanbul, Turkey
Unlike the minimalist boutique hotels that dominate Istanbul's design conversation, AJWA Sultanahmet takes a different position: a 61-room property in Fatih that fuses Azerbaijani cultural identity with Ottoman-era craft traditions, placed directly within the historic peninsula.
Hisarönü, Turkey
Set across 156,000 square metres of protected pine forest on the Datça Peninsula, D Maris Bay is especially remote and most substantial luxury resort in a region still largely unknown to international visitors. A Leading Hotels of the World member with 196 rooms, six beaches, and six restaurants spanning Japanese to Italian, the property operates at a scale that most Aegean competitors cannot match.
Istanbul, Turkey
A converted Ottoman shipyard on the Golden Horn, Aliée Istanbul spans 99 rooms across a site that once served as the Aynalıkavak Pavilion. Stone walls, arched windows, and a 600-year-old hammam under restoration anchor the property historically, while pink Murano chandeliers, handwoven silk rugs, and an Olympic-sized lap pool signal the direction of the present. Rates from $678 per night.
Büyükada, Turkey
On Büyükada, the largest of Istanbul's car-free Princes' Islands, Princes' Palace Resort translates Ottoman summer-retreat architecture into a seventy-room Leading Hotels of the World property. Colonnaded walkways, sea-facing suites, and sculpted gardens frame a stay defined by the island's particular quiet, with rates from $522 per night and the Marmara as your horizon.
Istanbul, Turkey
A converted Ottoman distillery on the Asian bank of the Bosphorus, Vakko Hotel Sumahan Bosphorus operates just 12 rooms, all facing the water. The unobstructed view across the strait toward Istanbul's European skyline is the property's central argument, reinforced by a terrace breakfast, an Italian restaurant, a Caviar Kaspia outpost, and ferry access that keeps the city within reach without sacrificing the residential calm of Çengelköy.
Göcek, Turkey
Ahãma sits in a sheltered bay along the Turkish Riviera, where 59 rooms and cabanas draw from Japanese wabi-sabi principles, earthy materials, sun-washed textures, and a deliberate absence of screens. Two distinct dining formats anchor the property: Êge Umi for Japanese coastal cooking and Ay for fire-driven Aegean dishes. Rates are available on request through the Relais & Châteaux-affiliated property.
Istanbul, Turkey
A 63-room boutique hotel occupying a former bank building on Bankalar Caddesi, The Bank Hotel Istanbul places guests at the centre of Karaköy's creative revival. The sixth-floor restaurant Serica serves modern Turkish cuisine with views over Sultanahmet, while the Bank Roof Bar above it catches the full Bosphorus panorama at dusk. Local architect and designer credentials run throughout, with a dedicated in-house art curator anchoring an active programme of cultural events.
Alacati, Turkey
Six Ottoman stone houses, joined and restored into 25 individually decorated rooms, make Alavya the reference point for boutique lodging in Alaçatı. Rates start at $370 per night. The hotel sits in a coastal Aegean town that European sailboat crowd has long known about, and everyone else is now discovering.
Bodrum, Turkey
At Yalikavak on the Bodrum Peninsula, Allium Resort & Spa occupies a quieter register than the area's more ostentatious ultra-luxury developments. Across 38 rooms, all with direct Aegean views, the property trades spectacle for considered materiality: warm wood surfaces, handmade textiles, a heated infinity pool, and spa facilities that feel proportionate rather than performative.
Bodrum, Turkey
Amanruya occupies a hillside above the Aegean on Turkey's Bodrum Peninsula, arranged as 35 freestanding stone pavilions, each with a private marble pool and garden. Dining spans several pavilions specialising in locally sourced Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, with views across forested coastline. Airport transfers from Milas-Bodrum International Airport (BJV) take approximately 30 minutes, with complimentary service available for qualifying stays.
Turkey
Selected entries from the current guide for Turkey.
Istanbul, Turkey
Mathilda's Cocktail Bar sits in Kadıköy, Istanbul's most drink-forward neighbourhood on the Asian shore, and carries a 2025 Top 500 Bars ranking (No. 423) that places it in a selective tier of globally recognised bars. The address on Sakız Sokak puts it within the dense web of independent venues that have made Caferağa one of the city's most concentrated bar districts.
Istanbul, Turkey
Moretenders' Cocktail Crib occupies a side street in Asmalı Mescit, Beyoğlu's most concentrated bar district, and earned a place in the Top 500 Bars ranking for 2025 at position 480. The bar draws a committed local following to its compact address on Müeyyet Sokak, where the program holds its own against Istanbul's growing international cocktail reputation.
Istanbul, Turkey
A Star Wine List-recognised wine bar in Kadıköy's residential backstreets, Wayana Wine Bar & Tapas operates in the quieter, more local register of Istanbul's drinking scene. Its recognition from Star Wine List in August 2024 places it alongside a small cohort of Istanbul wine bars that take their lists seriously. Kadıköy's position on the Asian side gives it a different rhythm from the Beyoğlu crowd.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Araf occupies a quiet address on Balo Sokak in Beyoğlu, the district that anchors Istanbul's most concentrated bar and late-night scene. The venue sits in a neighbourhood where independent bars have long competed on atmosphere as much as programme, and its Beyoğlu address places it within walking distance of the street's wider circuit of bars and creative spaces. For visitors working through Istanbul's drinking scene, Balo Sokak is a reliable anchor.
Bodrum, Turkey
Attiko reads as a cove-facing Bodrum bar for travelers who want the night to begin with the water in view rather than a closed-room cocktail sermon. With no public awards or listed signature drinks attached to the venue, the draw is the setting and the coastal-night rhythm: a place to judge by mood, timing, and crowd energy rather than trophy signals.
Istanbul, Turkey
Balıklı Han sits on Kemeraltı Caddesi in Beyoğlu, placing it in Istanbul’s Galata-side drinking circuit rather than a hotel-lobby or resort-bar category. Treat it as a city-bar address to verify before arrival, especially if rare bottles or a serious back bar are the reason for going.
Bodrum, Turkey
Bar Blue belongs to Bodrum’s quieter resort-bar register: away from the marina-first circuit, at an address in Kizilagac Mahallesi, Yaliciftlik. With, it reads less as a trophy cocktail room and more as a place to judge by setting, timing, and the clarity of the drinks program on arrival.
Istanbul, Turkey
Bellini belongs to Istanbul’s Bosphorus-side dining circuit, where the setting carries as much weight as the plate and sourcing is judged against the city’s access to the Marmara, Black Sea, Aegean, and Anatolian pantry. The draw is less about spectacle than position: Beşiktaş, Çırağan Caddesi, and a restaurant culture shaped by waterfront rooms, hotel dining, and produce-led Turkish seasonality.
Istanbul, Turkey
Beyoğlu is Istanbul's most historically charged entertainment district, where Ottoman-era meyhanes and late-night bars share narrow streets with modern cocktail programs. The neighbourhood's drink-and-food culture runs deep: rakı and meze have been inseparable here for over a century, and today that pairing tradition sits alongside a growing range of wine bars and craft spirits venues. For anyone reading the city seriously, Beyoğlu is where the drinking conversation begins.
Istanbul, Turkey
Efendi Topağacı occupies a quiet street in Teşvikiye, one of Istanbul's more residential corners of Şişli, where the pace slows enough to notice what's in the glass. The address places it inside a neighbourhood defined by understated local regulars rather than tourist circuits, situating it closer to the city's bar scene than its headline dining strip. For visitors oriented by ingredient quality and setting over spectacle, it merits attention.
Istanbul, Turkey
Gar Müzikhol occupies a converted station building in Bahçelievler, on the European side of Istanbul, where live music programming meets a full bar and social dining format. The venue sits within a city that has long treated nightlife as an extension of its hospitality culture, placing it alongside a generation of Istanbul spaces that blur the line between concert hall and meyhane tradition.
Istanbul, Turkey
A Cihangir bar occupying the Beyoğlu neighbourhood's long tradition of neighbourhood gathering, Geyik draws a local crowd to Akarsu Yokuşu, one of the quarter's most atmospheric side streets. The address places it squarely in the creative, bohemian tier of Istanbul drinking culture rather than the tourist-facing Galata strip. Booking details and hours are best confirmed directly before visiting.
Istanbul, Turkey
An Irish pub on Beyoğlu's Balo Sokak, The James Joyce brings a recognizable format, draught beer, worn wood, and the low hum of a mixed crowd, to one of Istanbul's most historically layered entertainment districts. It occupies a narrow but well-worn slot in the neighbourhood's drinking culture, functioning less as a novelty act and more as a reliable anchor for visitors and locals who want exactly what a proper pub delivers.
Istanbul, Turkey
Positioned mid-block on one of Istanbul's most-trafficked pedestrian corridors, this address on İstiklal Caddesi places visitors at the crossroads of Beyoğlu's layered bar and dining culture. The street's density of options, from neighbourhood meyhanes to cocktail-focused venues, makes it a useful base for understanding how modern Istanbul drinks and eats. Check individual venues at this address for hours, format, and booking requirements.
Istanbul, Turkey
Nevizade Sokak is Beyoğlu's most concentrated stretch of meyhane culture, where the logic of a Turkish evening out, meze, rakı, and extended conversation, plays out across dozens of adjacent tables spilling into the street. The alley sits off İstiklal Caddesi and operates as a social institution as much as a dining address. Planning a visit requires understanding the format, the timing, and the neighbourhood before anything else.
Istanbul, Turkey
Reina sits on the Bosphorus waterfront in Ortaköy, one of Istanbul's most recognisable entertainment addresses. The venue draws a loyal crowd back to its terrace views and high-energy nightlife format season after season. For those who want to understand Istanbul's upscale after-dark culture, Reina is a fixed point of reference.
Istanbul, Turkey
A wine boutique occupying a narrow stone building in Galata, Sensus sits at the foot of the well-known tower on Büyük Hendek Caddesi, where the neighbourhood's historic trading character still shapes the atmosphere. The format leans toward considered wine selection over cocktail theatre, making it a reference point for Istanbul visitors who want a glass anchored in place rather than spectacle.
Istanbul, Turkey
Solera Winery occupies a Beyoğlu address that positions it inside Istanbul's growing interest in wine-led hospitality, a city historically shaped by raki culture but now producing a generation of venues oriented around Anatolian and international wine. Located on Yeni Çarşı Caddesi in the Tomtom quarter, Solera sits where neighbourhood character and wine seriousness converge.
Istanbul, Turkey
Perched above the Sultanahmet district with the Bosphorus and the silhouettes of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia as backdrop, The Rooftop is among Istanbul's most dramatically positioned bars. The elevation alone earns its place in the city's bar circuit, but the cocktail programme is what keeps a knowing crowd returning season after season.
Istanbul, Turkey
A Kadıköy wine house on Moda Caddesi, Viktor Levi Şarap Evi sits inside the neighbourhood's established bar corridor, where local-facing venues have long run alongside the area's café and meyhane culture. The atmosphere leans unhurried and conversational, suited to extended evenings over wine rather than fast-turnover rounds. Walk-ins are common, though Friday and Saturday evenings draw fuller rooms.
Istanbul, Turkey
A Kağıthane address that sits outside Istanbul's established bar circuit, Yamaç Sk. No:7 draws attention through its spirits curation rather than its postcode. The back bar skews toward depth over showmanship, placing it in the quieter, collector-leaning tier of the city's drinking scene. For those willing to cross the Bosphorus axis, the detour has a clear rationale.
Turkey
Selected entries from the current guide for Turkey.
Bozcaada, Turkey
Amadeus / Ayana belongs to Bozcaada’s small-producer wine culture, where vineyard visits are shaped by Aegean wind, island agriculture, and a red-wine focus rather than grand estate theatre. The draw is terroir expression through Cabernet Sauvignon and still reds, with Falstaff recognition giving the winery a clear quality signal inside Turkey’s contemporary wine scene.
Istanbul, Turkey
BÜYÜLÜBAĞ gives Istanbul drinkers a direct line to Avşa Island, where Marmara Sea winds shape Ada Karası, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay across roughly 20 hectares. The estate’s appeal is not urban glamour but terroir: island viticulture, a gravity-flow winery, garden tastings and a Turkish wine story that sits outside the usual restaurant-and-bar circuit.
Bozcaada, Turkey
Corvus gives Bozcaada’s wine revival a clear modern address: an architect-founded estate at Tuzburnu Bay working with island grapes such as Kuntra, Karalahna, Çavuş and Vasilaki alongside Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. The draw is the relationship between Aegean wind, island agriculture and a broad tasting format, rather than cellar-door ceremony.
Cerkezkoy, Turkey
Doluca is a large-scale Turkish wine house in Cerkezkoy, rooted in the country’s modern winemaking history and shaped by fruit sourced across Thrace, Eastern Anatolia, and Cappadocia. The draw is not a boutique cellar-door romance but a production-led view of Turkish wine: indigenous grapes, broad distribution, and architecture that turns the barrel room into the focal point.
Akyurt Ankara, Turkey
Kavaklidere is a production-minded Ankara winery with a role larger than its visitor experience: founded in 1929, it helped define modern private-sector winemaking in Turkey. Its interest lies in scale, Anatolian grape identity, and a terroir-led portfolio that stretches from Kalecik Karası and Boğazkere to Syrah and still rosé.
Istanbul, Turkey
Kayra is a compact Kadikoy hotel for travelers who value Istanbul access over resort theatre. Its 14-room scale, quiet minimalist interiors, parquet floors, and urban setting make it a practical base rather than a destination property, with the useful tension of a claimed 5-star category and a modest 7.0/10 guest score from 6 reviews.
Uchisar Nevsehir, Turkey
KOCABAĞ puts Cappadocia’s wine identity in direct contact with its geology: cave cellars cut into volcanic tuff, native Turkish varieties, and a small-scale hospitality format in Uchisar Nevsehir. The draw is not trophy-label theatre, but a grounded look at Emir, Narince, Kalecik Karası, Boğazkere, and Öküzgözü in the region that shapes them.
Antalya, Turkey
LIKYA brings Antalya wine into the Taurus Mountains rather than the coastal-resort frame. The family-run estate works at 1100m altitude near Elmali, combining vineyards, a winery, a garden tasting area and a casual restaurant with a focus on local and international grape varieties.
Denizli, Turkey
Pamukkale Sarapcilik is a large-format Denizli winery rooted in the Güney plateau, with estate vineyards, cellar tours and standard tastings in a production-led setting. The appeal is less luxury cellar-door theatre than scale, regional context and a clear view of how Aegean Turkey turns vineyard country into still red, white and rosé wine.
Ege Bolgesi, Turkey
Pasaeli belongs to the quieter, small-production side of Turkey’s Aegean wine culture, where indigenous grapes carry as much editorial weight as international varieties. Its strongest signal is a portfolio built around regional material such as Karasakız, Çalkarası, Yapıncak and Emir, with Cabernet Sauvignon used as a familiar bridge rather than the whole argument.
Pasaport Izmir, Turkey
PRODOM is a boutique Aegean wine name with an urban presence in Pasaport Izmir and production tied to Aydın and Denizli’s Güney Plateau. The interest here is not spectacle but geography: estate vineyards, a compact production scale, and a portfolio that includes Petit Verdot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Kalecik Karası, Öküzgözü and Bornova Misketi.
Istanbul, Turkey
Selendi belongs to the quieter side of contemporary Turkish wine: small-scale, organic-minded, and tied to Narince rather than international-variety spectacle. Its Aegean vineyard setting near Akhisar gives the story more force than the Istanbul listing suggests, with Moralılar and Sarnıç shaping a portfolio built around still whites, still reds, and estate-grounded restraint.
Gaziemir, Turkey
Sevilen gives Gaziemir a modern winery address tied to Turkey’s Aegean and Central Anatolian wine map. The draw is less a romantic cellar myth than a large-scale producer format: vineyard sourcing across regions, guided and retail tasting, food pairing, and a restaurant atmosphere that makes the Turkish wine category easier to read in one sitting.
Urgup Nevsehir, Turkey
Turasan puts Cappadocia’s wine identity in direct contact with the region’s volcanic stone: a quiet Ürgüp tasting house built around cellars, local grapes, and a format suited to drinkers who want context rather than spectacle. The draw is the chance to taste Turkish varieties such as Emir, Kalecik Karası, Narince, Öküzgözü and Boğazkere in the place that shaped them.
Ankara, Turkey
Vinkara gives Ankara’s wine scene a serious native-grape anchor: Kalecik Karası, Narince, Boğazkere and Öküzgözü interpreted through a modern Central Anatolian lens. The point here is terroir rather than spectacle, with cool inland conditions, vineyard views and an appointment-only format suited to drinkers who want Turkish wine explained through place, not branding.
