UEFA announces eatery guide for Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has prepared a recommendation list of 53 luxury restaurants in Istanbul for football fans coming to Türkiye to watch the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter at Atatürk Olympic Stadium on June 10.

UEFA has created a section called “Istanbul 23 Final” on its website and added a link to a guide for those who will come to Istanbul to watch the final match.

The “Istanbul Gastrocity Guide” is available on the website of GoTürkiye, the country’s official tourism platform created for promoting Türkiye on an international scale by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA).

GoTürkiye’s “GastroCity Istanbul” guide features 53 restaurants from the Michelin Guide Istanbul 2023 selection. Michelin-starred restaurants are at the top of the restaurant recommendations.

The Michelin Guide Istanbul 2023 was chosen to represent the variety, culinary heritage, and openness of the local culinary scene. Istanbul’s culinary scene offers unique dining experiences for gourmets around the world with its 53 eateries, the guide reads.

The list of restaurants in the guide includes 10 Bib Gourmand restaurants, one restaurant with a Michelin Green Star, one restaurant with two Michelin stars, four restaurants with one star, and 38 top-recommended restaurants.

Only Fatih Tutak’s “Turk,” located in the Şişli neighborhood on the European side of the city, is awarded two Michelin stars for its exceptional cuisine.

According to the Michelin Guide, Turk is a restaurant where “traditional flavors take on an extra dimension.” The guide explains that chef Tutak’s originality “lies in his nuanced use of delicate acidic and smoky flavors.”

Four other restaurants with one Michelin star include Araka in Yeniköy district and Mikla, Neolokal and Nicole, all located in the historical district of Beyoğlu.

Chef Maskut Aşkar’s Neolokal also holds a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, as they “attach importance to seasonality and use a system where [their] guests choose their menus in advance in order to create minimum waste.”

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has also organized a series of events to promote Istanbul before the final match.

Tourism sector representatives estimate that the final match in Istanbul will generate more than $120 million in revenue.