Oh come on Istanbul, is this really your candidate for the haute Turkish cuisine? If this is what the New Anatolian Kitchen will be about, I'd much rather stick to the good old version. Don't get me even started with their choices of paired wines. Right, they have an unmatched terrace with splendid views. But I suppose I wasn't entirely blown away with it to forget why I was there in the first place (dinner, perhaps?) and what they failed to deliver. read more

Top Notch Dining A friend suggested we make the plunge for a gourmet dining experience, and we were thrilled with the results. Though the cuisine isn't exactly Turkish, it's absolutely stunning--just like the view from the terrace. If you come for dinner, be sure to enjoy a cocktail with one of the finest views overlooking the Golden Horn and Sultanahmet. And then, there's the FOOD! This place is rated #38 on the world with good reason. We enjoyed a leisurely evening with the three-course option, along with fresh crunch whole-grain bread and two astonishing mezes--just a taste, which I appreciated. I always overdo on mezes and don't have room for a main dish. Every plate was served with style, and the wait staff (all men--so Turkish, sadly) were attentive and positive. All three courses were beyond compare. I seldom spend so much on a meal, and it was well worth the price. (Lucky the exchange rate was in our favor, or I may have declined.) read more

Mikla was an amazing experience with world class views. The guy at the front was a bit bouncerish but table service was on point. I highly recommend the tasting menus. There were 7 courses on the menu but with appetizers we ended up having 11 courses. read more

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Sheep butter from Konya, Lor cheese ice cream - splendidly natural and rare ingredients, a creative chef and excellent service - that's Mikla. The sardine dish knocked my socks off! Add to this some wonderful Turkish wines and you have a superb evening, complete with a great view from the terrace. A very ejoyable evening - do not miss if you are in Istanbul! read more

Mikla - Sardines, very good and very creative - Scandinavian Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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I'm writing a review for the rooftop bar, not the restaurant. Absolutely stunning view from the rooftop bar and definitely THE place to be to take photos of and enjoy the sunset over Istanbul. HOWEVER, don't get your hopes up to have a drink at the bar if it is fall/winter. We went on a Thursday in November and the place was completely closed up and the restaurant didn't open till 6:30pm so post sunset. Thank goodness we were still able to access the rooftop and see the sunset but no bar. As I wrote on an other review, we unfortunately bumped into a number of places that had great reviews on Yelp that were closed. I don't know if it is seasonal closing or all together closed but basically don't get your hopes up to go hear or somewhere else before calling to check if they are open first. read more

This was certainly the best food experience I had in Turkey and so far, among the best I had in my life. I would like to start saying that this is a great value experience, and what you pay is very fair for what you get. I emailed them from Brazil a few weeks before my trip to Istanbul and got a reservation without any problem. We arrived at the venue a few minutes before our reservation time and were warmly greeted by everyone in the staff. They offered us to enjoy a drink before dinner and watch the amazing sunset view, this was something we couldn't say no. My gin cocktail with hibiscus was well prepared and tasted delicious. The view is breathtaking, and this was certainly a big treat. Once we sat down we decided to go for the pre-fix menu where you can choose between an appetizer, a main course and dessert for 185 Turkish Lira. I choose Octopus (North Aegean Octopus, Sakız Artichoke, Nettle, Sucuk, Sour Cherry Vinegar), İskenderun Prawns (Humus, Sakız Artichoke, Fish Roe, Bolet Mushroom, Halhali Olive) and Chocolate (Intense Chocolate, "Birdshit" Pistachio Sour Plum, Blackberry Sorbet, "Hardaliye"). My company had Dried Tenderloin (Dried Beef Tenderloin, "Hardaliye", Sugar Snap Pea Humus, Farfara Root, Wheat), Braised Lamb (Cibes, "Birdshit" Pistachio, Cornelian Cherry, Salted Yoghurt, Unripe Almond, Cumin Crumb) and Sütlaç (Rice Pudding With Mastic, Roasted Hazelnut, Black Mulberry Crisp, Arap Kızı Apple Sorbet). All of the options were delicious but our favorite was by far the octopus. Service was outstanding, very polite and always offering to explain the dishes and that all of the ingredients were locally sourced. Total bill for two people was 485 Turkish Lira, including drinks and Turkish coffee. This is something like 140 US dollars. A great value for the experience we had. Completely recommend it. read more

Mikla is one of my favourite restaurants in Istanbul. Food, service, atmosphere is 5 stars. They have a fantastic tasting menu for about 225 TL and matching wines for 165 TL (we've been there last in May'16). It's worth every lira. This is a restaurant for a romantic cozy quiet dinner. I would definitely recommend going to the bar upstairs before dinner. It has a fabulous view, which is especially beautiful at the sunset. Bartender knows what he is doing, the drinks are great and are served quickly. The only little thing that I always find surprising at Mikla is that the waiters (in a typical old-fashioned Istanbul manner) very clearly prefer to communicate with male than female guests. So if there is a man at the table they will ask him "How do you like it?" and won't even look at the lady. This surprised me at first but it now happened few times so assume it's some kind of a rule in Mikla to talk to the "main" person. At the end, it's a minor issue, so I won't decrease stars for it. Make sure you make a reservation, it is a popular restaurant. read more

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Probably the best view in Istanbul. Seven course meal with six course wine. No works to describe, sorry read more

Mikla - Scandinavian Near Me - Istanbul, 34

The view is amazing but that is about it. I would highly recommend you to take the elevator to the roof terrace, take all the selfies you need and buy one overpriced drink. When that's done, take the elevator down and walk straight to [insert another Yelp-approved restaurant]. The food you ask? Well, I had the tasting menu and I don't remember anything that I eat during my visit so I think I'll leave it like that. But the service, the service must have been good right? Nope, the service was actually just weird. Our assigned waitress was (I'm not joking here) _really_ clumsy and I think that was due to the fact that she was stressed. Why she only felt that she had 10 seconds - to make our table, serve the food and explain it for us - I don't know since the place was at most 50% full. Conclusion, my take-aways apart from the bigger than expected hole in my wallet was the view (and the fact that I can't see this place ever getting a star if they don't do anything drastic about their service personnel). read more

Discussing food. Terrible service .bad maner manager. Nice view but Would Never Let You seated besides Windows even you booked a week ahead. Bad experience ever ！ read more

So glad we started off our visit to Istanbul here! We arrived a bit early for dinner and began by browsing the wine list at the bar while enjoying the view. We chose a 2008 Primitivo and were served a 2006--a real bonus! We ordered dinner from the prix fixe menu and the waiter was very helpful in accommodating my food allergies--the kitchen made adjustments seamlessly. They even served amuse-bouche that I could eat. The quality of the food was excellent; it was prepared perfectly and presented creatively. I particularly enjoyed the sardines on toast presented standing up in river rocks. We left feeling satisfied but not uncomfortably full, in contrast to the usual sensation after a Turkish dinner. Prices are a high but the experience is well worth it; everything was impeccable. Our waiter was sharp--he spotted an error in our bill before we did, preventing an overcharge. This is a great place for a special occasion--I cannot wait to return! read more

We were a party of 8 whereof 4 children. The staff paid excellent attention to our children and gave them an excellent service. About the food... an incredible mix of Anatolian cuisine with a Scandinavian touch. We want to come back!!! Thanks for a great service!!!! read more

The restaurant was recently ranked #96 in San Pellegrino's best restaurants in the world - the only one listed in Turkey. While I realize these lists are marketing exercises for the sponsor - I was really hoping to be blown away..but the reality was just a pretty good meal with a spectacular view of Istanbul and really good service. The chef, known for delving deep into the roots of Anatolian cuisine, put together an interesting menu...from Aegean octopus, local seafood, contemporary Turkish lamb dishes, and a nice array of Anatolian desserts. And while the food was nicely presented and solid, after the meal I didn't feel like I had "discovered" ancient or traditional Anatolian flavors like I had hoped. The wine list was international, but also included several pages of Turkish blends and single obscure varietal wines - however there was no sommelier so we got a few recommendations from the waiter. The recommended single varietal Turkish red was ok, but not complex - and a bit young, like most of the wines on the list with no real unique expression ...I probably wouldn't order it again. We thought 3 of the dishes were A-/B+ (octopus, lamb chop, and the mulberry soup dessert), and the other three more B or B- (lamb neck, dried tenderloin, rice pudding). Again, nicely presented, solid taste, but nothing a demanding a return to visit to explore the rest of the menu. It was a great night, a good meal, but I wonder if it's really the best of Istanbul. read more

Mikla was a highly recommended restaurant both online and by our expert concierge who was dismayed to find that our experience wasn't stellar. I want to point out that nothing went "wrong" during our meal there. There simply wasn't anything great. Everything was just ok. We ordered a bottle of wine: 900 Fume, which was okay but not really a fume, to compliment the tasting menu that had a lot of seafood forward elements. The meal started off with three finger foods and they were creative and pretty in presentation. The waiter failed to instruct the order in which to eat these and unfortunately we started with the more flavorful and ended with the bland tuna - had it been reversed that would have been a better intro to the meal. The first dish was probably the best - an artichoke heart with a vegetable puree that was just delicious. The dried beef dish was basically a pastirma that was overwhelming with the totally unnecessary truffle. Why would you juxtapose two very powerful flavors like that on a plate. That's the dish where i knew the meal wasn't going to live up to the hype. The octopus had been prepared well; the protein was not chewy and the flavor was good. The sea bass was the best protein of the evening and it was simply and elegant. The only dish that was salted correctly due to the base of olives and capers. The braised lamb was beautifully presented and certainly the highlight of the meal with its composure and flavor. It was stunning in presentation. Beautiful rich colors and it just popped on the table. The meal ended with a yoghurt coupled with a strawberry sorbet. If you were able to get a bit of yoghurt with the sorbet and the mint oil beneath on your spoon and into your mouth - it created a great mouthfeel and flavor combo. At this price point in istanbul today, the service should have been better. Our wine glasses ran empty and waiters were asked repeatedly to fill our glasses. Overall it was an okay experience. Truthfully there is so much competition for good food in istanbul. This wasn't the highlight we were hoping for unfortunately. read more

This was the worst food I have tasted for a long time . The positive reviews here must be fake . The lemon anchovies were the worst , octopus salad was really dreadful , we left before the mains . The view was fab , the bar was good . but the food is trash , and over priced . Maybe people who have never eaten any better , but we usually eat in family fish places , in Greece and turkey that would blow this out of the water at a fraction of the price . read more

We went to Mikla for dinner with a late-night reservation on our recent trip to Istanbul. It looked like a really nice restaurant online so we decided to check it out. Since we showed up a bit early, we went up to the bar for a few drinks beforehand. The view was really excellent and we were treated to a firework show over the Süleymaniye Mosque. The bartender was very friendly and when my drink was clearly taken (presumably on accident) by another group, he made me another one for free. The food itself at Mikla was excellent overall. We opted for the 7-course tasting menu which cost 250TL per person and we ordered a bottle of wine to accompany it. All of the food was delicious as was the wine. The service was a bit slow and inattentive which contrasted sharply from Nicole Restaurant which we also dined at on the trip. read more

Owned by one of the most known chefs in Istanbul, Mehmet Gürs is creating turkish-scandinavian courses as his background. Definitely worth a visit if the budget is not limited. read more

Excellent service, delicious and modern food with traditional Turkish roots, amazing view. What more can you ask for? We went on a Monday night and both the restaurant and roof bar were full. We did the 3 courses and wine pairing which was definitely worth the $$$. The waitstaff was attentive but let us take our time with dinner, we were seated facing the city view rather than the Bosphorus so we took several breaks to enjoy our wine on the patio and take in the view of Sulthanamet. If you reserve early you will have a better table, so call in advance. Then we headed up to the rooftop bar, which was worth the trip even if you don't want to shell out the cash for dinner. The only downside was that there didn't seem to be any locals there, it was 100% tourists. read more

Two words: rooftop bar! Awesome views of the bosphorous. The terrace is a bit small but if you're looking to impress or just see a gorgeous view, go there for a drink! A bit pricy, sure, but when in Istanbul! read more

Six weeks ago, I went to Mikla the first time. A few days earlier, I had been to Leb-i Derya and really enjoyed it a lot - leading to a bit of a difficulty in making my mind up about Mikla. So I decided to wait for another dinner on the top of the Marmara Pera, and then write something. Well, yesterday was that second dinner. So here we go: Yes, it's a fine place to have a dinner. No doubt about it. You can taste and see and feel that they have a concept about what they do, and I haven't had anything there that would have disappointed me. Yesterday night was no different, and my friends felt the same way. We did the usual - bir, iki, üç - three courses, fixed price menu, which is, of course, appetizer, main course, and dessert. bir: The dried tenderloin with hummus was fine - contrary to other reviewers I really didn't mind that the tenderloin wasn't cut thin like Swiss Bündner Fleisch, but prepared like little thick pellets that could be decorated with the hummus and/or the "birdshit" paste (isn't there a more culinary name for it? it's funny, yes, but still a little strange). My colleagues were raving about the octopus, and I tried the bonito, it was really tasty too. It was a good start, and I had the feeling that they want to give us strong, but not all too intense taste sensation - or in other words, the cook seems to have a clear idea what he wants us to experience. Nice. iki: There is a nice selection of seafood dishes, and several lamb selections, but this time I went for the grilled beef tenderloin with the potato and bergama tulum cheese terrine, onions, mushrooms, and spinach. Delicious. Great meat, expertly grilled, and the terrine is a tasty addition. The reduced Çalkarası wine sauce was very reduced and was almost preferring to stay on the plate rather than acoompanying the meat, but it was delicious. It would have been better if the dish had reached me a little earlier. Which leads me to my first bit of slight criticism. When the main courses reached our table, the head waiter wanted to serve them, but somehow the plates must have been mixed up, and he got massively angry with the other waiter, leaving our table, cursing the other waiter, and placing our dishes at the bar next to us. This is a scene that just shouldn't be witnessed by guests, especially not if the reduced wine sauce turns into something like a paste when it's waiting on the bar, abandoned by the head waiter. But just a few moments later, the mixup was fixed and everybody had the right dish. On my first night at Mikla, I had the Iskenderun prawns - they were quite delicious too, and my colleague tried the Dentex (yes, it's a fish, even though the name would suggest something completely different) - a fine selection too. So if you want to eat something that you probably can't get around where you live, try the Dentex. White fish with a firm texture, ideal for being grilled. üç: Dessert is just marvelous. I do have a mixed image of dessert in Turkey, some of the traditional dishes are a little too syrupy for me, a good bit too sweet. But the selections at Mikla are all really delicious, as if the chef had reserved the largest part of his creative talent for this section of the menu. I really loved the warm mulberry soup with cinnamon crumbs and tahini ice cream - so wonderfully not-sweet, very rich in aroma. The chocolate mousse was closer to a truffe cake, and I clearly didn't mind, and the pomegranate sorbet was delicious. Sour apple sorbet, bulghur ice cream, candied pumpkin, grape molasses, sesame paste - just reading the ingredients of the items on the dessert menu gives you an idea how it is not the usual sugar attack on your senses. The surroundings: Of course, you get a magnificent view from up there, and you should really consider having your aperitif on the terrace outside. Generally, you do get a good service, and the waiters will be very happy to tell you more about the dishes they serve you. At times, they can be a little bit rushed, hard to get, impatient, and the head waiter seems to be a little short tempered. Plus - they should have someone that is really deeply knowledgeable about the Turkish wines on the list. We are lost otherwise. The place is popular, and as a consequence it's quite busy. If you have the bad luck of being placed next to a group of 20 business people, you might not have the exquisite experience you should expect for the price. And it is a pricey affair. Maybe that's why I hesitated to write about Mikla three days after Leb-i Derya - I had a wonderful evening there, with great food, but paid massively less. The Mikla is aiming high, with the concept, the quality, and the service - and they have to have a really good night every night. Reportedly, they normally do. My two nights weren't perfect, had a few glitches, and still the food was great, the evening a nice memory. On a really good night, I'd gladly give them a fifth star. read more

Great restaurant with modern Turkish food located in the rooftop of The Marmara Pera hotel, overlooking Sultanhamet. As tourists, we wanted to explore a high end Turkish restaurant during our trip. We were not disappointed! Restaurant offers a fix-price 3-course menu, in which you get to choose starter-main-dessert, or a 7-course tasting menu. Being clueless about most of the dishes, I followed our waiter's suggestions and was pleased with his advice. Local wine was algo pretty good!! I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a high-end dining experience in Istanbul! For more details, see photos! AWESOME!!!! read more

Wow. I spent 4 months in Istanbul last winter and while I enjoyed much of the native Turkish fare (kebab,etc.) I really had a hard time finding exceptional cuisine. That was until I discovered Mikla. On the top floor of the Marmara Hotel in the Taksim area of Istanbul, the restaurant has almost 360° views of the entire city. The cuisine is Turkish-Scandanavian fusion which sounds strange but works out very well. My advice is to get the full tasting menu which can go toe-to-toe with any Michelin star menu in the world. All of the dishes are super creative and delicious from the vegetables to the meat. If I remember correctly I think you get 12 or so courses of wonder with the most expensive tasting menu. Despite the exotic theme, every dish has a familiarity about it that makes the food accessible to your more squeamish of eaters. Additionally their wine list is exceptional and will introduce you to the best Turkish wines. In terms of service, as with their food, it is equal in quality to any Michelin star restaurant. While pricey, Mikla is worth every penny if you're looking for some top-notch haute-cuisine in Istanbul. Hopefully the Michelin guide will discover them soon! read more

Came here while on a business trip. We ordered the 7 course tasting but they allowed us to swap in a different dish and order an extra one (the octopus which was an amazing choice). All of the food was very well prepared and the portions and speed were just right. We were not too full nor were we waiting for long periods of time. The view from the top of the restaurant was amazing as you can see all the way to Galata tower. This would be a great place for a date rather than my business partners. I'd definitely come here again read more

On the top floor of the Marmara Pera hotel, Mikla serves up perfect modern Mediterranean cuisine to an international clientele. The chef strictly use the top-notch ingredients. Kıvırcık lamb cutlets is a favorite choice. Also follow it with pistachio and halva ice cream and it'll be your new addiction. The rooftop in summer, inside in winter time and make sure to ask for a table with a view of the Old City. read more

I came here just for drinks on the rooftop. When you get off the elevator, take a sharp left and then another sharp left up a flight of stairs, this will lead you to the rooftop area with its own bar. I suggest going just for drinks as of course this place is very pricey and the rooftop bar has the best view anyway. Fantastic view of the whole city, we actually (surprisingly) came with a local and he said the roof is always not crowded everytime he has come, so you can probably count on having an easy time coming and getting a spot. I had a glass of wine for 24tl, so about $12 dollars (reasonable by NY standards) The wine goes up from there. Altogether for the glass of wine, a gin&tonic and a Jack Daniels it came to 80tl. Cost more than dinner but what can you expect from a rooftop! Great view, good place for an early drink but it doesn't get wild up there so may want to go elsewhere after. read more

Mikla - View from rooftop bar - Scandinavian Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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Amazing views and decor, felt like we were in a trendy place stateside. The food was expertly presented as the service was fantastic- overall a great stop on any visit to Istanbul. What I had: - cold fish soup which was like a fishy tasting civiche - the dried beef tenderloin which reminded me of a tender fuet - the bluefin fish which was a little fishy and not as flakey as I would have liked but good and served with wonderfully prepared lentils - and the chocolate dessert which was like eating a solid chocolate bar -too dense in my opinion. PS Birdshit = hummus read more

Outstanding view of the city, great environment and atmosphere and a great selection of food. You won`t regret. My wife and I had a wonderful night in this restaurant. read more

One of the most memorable meals I've had thus far in my life. Making the reservation was simple via email and we received one of the best tables in the place. We were seated on the outdoor terrace and the view is absolutely breathtaking. Our reservation was on the earlier side and we had the pleasure of watching the sun set over Istanbul; a truly unforgettable experience. However, the food also lived up to the hype. We opted for the tasting menu with wine pairings, which price wise is a steal if you're accustomed to comparable meals in major US cities. They threw in a few surprise courses not list on the menu, and the wine pairings complimented perfectly. All the wines were Turkish, which was a fun and educational experience as I was not familiar with many of them. If you find yourself in Istanbul, please do yourself a favor and make a reservation. read more

We crashed to this amazing restaurant on our first night in Istanbul. The foods, the wines, the service, the top roof view , all are amazing! Come at sunset! read more

Life has plenty of ways and directions to take. As Metin Helva family, we have chosen the "sweet side" of life. We have always intended to bring posibly the most natural tastes of the sweet world with halva, jam and honey... http://www.metinhelva.com.tr/en/ read more

4.5 Review. We spent our May Bank Holiday weekend in Istanbul with some friends. In rare fashion, we actually did a small amount of research so it wasn't our usual "Walk Until We See Something Cool" exploration. I read several articles around the top restaurants in Istanbul and one that seemed to be on every list, was Mikla. I expected something this well known must be a huge tourist trap but it got rave reviews and had a lovely menu so figured, why not? The first thing you notice when you walk into the restaurant is the view. It is on the top floor of the Marmara Pera Hotel and you can see for miles and miles. We decided to place our food orders and then take the wine to the outside terrace while we waited. Enjoying wine outdoors = nice. Enjoying wine outdoors, on a rooftop, while watching the sun set over the Bosphorus = EPIC. For the meal we went with the Prix Fixe a la carte option so each of us selected our own three courses. For a starter, two of us ordered the Octopus, one ordered the Balık Ekmek and the fourth ordered the beef tenderloin and humus. I found the octopus really nice - good texture and tossed in a lemon sauce. I did not try the beef but my friend seemed to enjoy it and the other starter was some kind of a smoked fish on bread. For mains we had a nice variety with the Grouper, Lamb Shank, Trakya Kıvırcık, and Beef. My grouper was delicious. It came with fava beans, asparagus and some kind of vinaigrette. A little on the rare side but extremely enjoyable. J had the Trakya Kivircik which was Shredded Lamb Shank with mushrooms and green lentil humus. So tender and well seasoned - definite winner. Our friends had the Lamb Shank and Beef which they devoured nearly as quickly as we did, so I'd say good reviews on that front as well. To end our evening I was the odd man out as everyone else ordered the chocolate dessert. It was a delicious mousse of sorts with unique flavors and a strawberry sorbet - and don't worry - the "birdshit" was made from pistachios. I went with the sour cherry dessert and loved every bite. Honey ice cream with cherry compote, almonds and graham cracker like crumbs. Mikla is definitely one of the more expensive places to eat in Istanbul but had high quality food, great service and a memorable view so I would highly recommend. read more

Spectacular views, outstanding service, world class cuisine. I can not praise our experience here enough. If you are worried about the price point then don't... this place was worth every lira. read more

Very cool place with the food and service to match. We ordered the 3 course prix fixe with wine pairing and cheese/honey plate. Despite the level of food and decor, Mikla is not pretentious. Like most everything and everyone in Istanbul, it is very welcoming. I look forward to eating there again on my next trip. read more

This restaurant has a beautiful, chic rooftop bar with phenomenal views of the city. Drinks are priced accordingly, but it's worth it for a romantic, leisurely evening. Great to take in after dinner out in Beyoglu. Just take a left out of the elevator to find the stairs to the roof. There is also a lovely restaurant on the floor below for those who are hungry. read more

this place easily has the best views in istanbul, a must

We had drinks at the rooftop bar: stunning views, great cocktails and friendly staff. 5 stars!

a triumph in the kitchen, service, location and views. enjoyed the tasting menu which delivered excellence and surprise at every turn. stunning views over istanbul, with a small terrace section. service is attentive and professional. mikla does cheeky interpretations of classic ottoman, turkish ingredients. bar on the 17th floor is perfect for after dinner. fairly priced. a must experience. read more

Four of us all agreed it was one of best dinners we have ever had! Outstanding service, fabulous views, great food with interesting twists. Not inexpensive, but in any large city in US or UK it would have been twice that for a comparable meal. read more