On a rainy Istanbul evening, high above the historic neighborhood of Pera, Mikla offers a quieter kind of enchantment. The city beyond the windows is softened by the weather, while inside, gentle music and subdued conversation lend the dining room an atmosphere of understated elegance. It is an unexpectedly intimate setting for one of the ancient city’s most celebrated restaurants.
Perched on the 18th floor of The Marmara Pera, Mikla has been a fixture of Istanbul’s fine-dining scene since 2005. Founded by chef Mehmet Gürs and awarded a Michelin star, the restaurant helped pioneer what it calls the New Anatolian Kitchen, a contemporary interpretation of Turkey’s extraordinarily diverse culinary traditions. Rather than disguising familiar ingredients beneath elaborate technique, the kitchen seeks to rediscover their character through thoughtful combinations, precision and an unmistakable sense of place.
The tasting menu began with an exquisite introduction: raw red mullet paired with lemon cream and olive oil, delicately presented on a crisp wafer balanced between smooth pebbles. Refreshing and almost architectural in its simplicity, it was followed by a velvety porcini mushroom soup served in a substantial marble bowl, with crisp rice adding a welcome contrast to its earthy richness. Bread arrived with butter and a soft cheese made from sheep’s and goat’s milk.
“Mikla offers a chance to experience the traditions of Anatolia not as relics of the past, but as a living cuisine continually finding new ways to express itself.”
The first formal course, Zeytinyağlı, drew on the Turkish tradition of vegetables cooked in olive oil and typically served cool. Here, crisp baby artichoke rested on a silky artichoke purée, with sorrel and cranberry vinegar providing acidity and freshness. Beautifully composed, it demonstrated the kitchen’s ability to make a humble vegetable feel unexpectedly luxurious.
Next came dried beef tenderloin, marinated in red wine and rakı and accompanied by turmeric kohlrabi, arugula, plum pickle and isot pepper. The concentrated saltiness of the beef was assertive, but the tart sweetness of the plum pickle brought the flavors into balance. Charred calamari followed, accompanied by rock samphire, shallot and tarator, its tender texture and careful seasoning complemented by the accompanying greens.
The pan-fried fish was a particular triumph of technique, its golden exterior yielding to moist, meaty flesh. Served with erişte, oyster mushrooms, potato, coriander and apple vinegar, it was perhaps a little restrained in seasoning, although the accompanying briny and acidic notes provided welcome contrast.
More substantial was the braised lamb shank, featuring Trakya Kıvırcık lamb with İspir beans, salty yogurt, charred chard and walnut. The meat was extraordinarily tender, falling apart at the slightest touch. Its deep, earthy character and faintly bitter undertones may not appeal to every palate, but the slow cooking was impeccably executed.
Dessert provided one of the evening’s most memorable moments. Burned hazelnut halva formed a delicate, warm layer beneath creamy rice pudding, accompanied by a vivid quenelle of cold strawberry sorbet. Sweetness, tartness and a subtle salty note played against one another, while the contrast of warm and cold made each spoonful a small discovery.
What distinguishes Mikla is not an insistence on overwhelming the palate, but a confidence in subtlety. Some dishes impress more through texture and technical finesse than sheer intensity of flavor, yet the cumulative experience reveals a kitchen deeply invested in the ingredients and culinary heritage of Anatolia. And while the restaurant is famous for its sweeping views of Istanbul, our rainy evening offered another perspective entirely. Without the distraction of a spectacular sunset, attention turned naturally to the food, the elegant presentations and the quiet rhythm of a thoughtfully paced meal.
In a city whose culinary identity has been shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, Mikla offers something genuinely worthwhile: a chance to experience the traditions of Anatolia not as relics of the past, but as a living cuisine continually finding new ways to express itself.
— Ghalib Dhalla
Mikla Restaurant
The Marmara Pera, 18th Floor
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No. 15
34430 Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Türkiye
Telephone: +90 212 293 5656
Website: www.miklarestaurant.com
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 6 p.m.–midnight; last food orders at 9:30 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Reservations recommended.
