AŞEKA KARAKÖY — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

I am thrilled to share my impressions of this restaurant: the food, service, and atmosphere are outstanding! Pure delight and highly recommended!❤️

Six months ago, I tried to visit the restaurant without a reservation around 7 PM. All the tables were empty, but the staff and manager-woman refused me, claiming everything was booked. Some tables were reserved for later times, but they still didn't seat me.

Last Friday, I decided to give the restaurant a second chance. I called at 6:30 PM and easily booked a table for 7 PM. From there, the magic and my most pleasant impressions of the restaurant began.

Manager Rinaldo, who speaks English fluently, provided excellent service. He allowed me to choose the table I wanted. My waiter Koray was very courteous: not intrusive, but always nearby, introducing me to the menu and anticipating my needs. When I couldn't decide on the wine, he brought several options of rosé for me to taste.

The dinner started with compliments from the chef: bread and butter, which were so delicious I asked for more, and a small sparkling shot to stimulate the appetite. For the appetizer, I chose a dish with the most tender zucchini, pesto sauce, fresh cheese, and speck — a true Italian delight. For the main course, I ordered gnocchi, which turned out to be a full meal for me.

Special thanks to sous-chef Deniz, who also speaks English fluently and was in the dining area all the time, welcoming guests and communicating with them attentively. I was amazed by the teamwork of the entire staff, which created a wonderful atmosphere.

The team works harmoniously, creating a cozy environment. Pleasant interior, background music, clean restrooms, and parking assistance — all of this makes dining at this restaurant unforgettable. By 9:30 PM, there were still a few free tables. I'm very glad I gave this place a second chance and spent 2.5 hours there, enjoying the dinner, atmosphere, and service. I consider this restaurant a true gem in the...

Visited in August 2025 Turkey 🇹🇷 Istanbul

AŞEKA KARAKÖY came up in a Michelin Guide recommendation, promising a refined blend of Turkish and European cuisine. We visited twice, drawn by its sleek, dark, and elegant ambiance.

FOOD:

The menu is concise, split into starters, hot appetizers, mains, and desserts. We tried the pork stomach burger—tasty, but the bun overwhelmed the thin slice of meat, throwing off the balance. The salmon rillette was a standout: silky, juicy, with a delicate flavor that hit all the right spots. The corn soup was smooth and rich, a comforting delight. The tomato with stracciatella was fresh and juicy, unlike street-market tomatoes, but felt too simple, lacking a spark to elevate it. For mains, the beef tail was the star—tender, flavorful, falling apart with a crisp crust for texture. The fish, while well-cooked, was underwhelming, with a slightly chewy texture that didn’t quite satisfy.

SERVICE:

The service was impeccable, truly Michelin-worthy. The chef personally visited our table, tailored our order to accommodate my husband’s dietary restrictions, and made us feel valued—a gesture that brought us back for a second visit.

VERDICT:

AŞEKA KARAKÖY delivers high-quality food with thoughtful details, earning its Michelin Guide nod. It’s a great pick for an elegant evening with refined, yet approachable flavors. However, the experience comes at a steep price—prices jumped 20-30% between our visits in just two weeks, which feels unjustified. If you’re after a sophisticated vibe and don’t mind the cost, it’s worth a visit, but the rising prices might make you...

Overall, we had a great dining experience at Aşeka. However, while each dish was delicious, only a few were exceptional. The complementary balloon bread they brought as a starter used to be included in the restaurant’s fall menu and it was one of the best bites we had tonight!

The tater tots might come across as simple yet I would 100% recommend ordering them. We found the butter lettuce salad to be quite heavy and salty as we had expected something more refreshing. The cauliflower steak was good but could be better, combining more complex flavors; it was rather ordinary. The agnolotti however, was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in my life, so rich in flavor and was cooked to perfection. As the main course, we tried the duck confit cassoulet and the oxtail pave, both of which were very delicious as you would normally expect from a Michelin recommended restaurant, but nothing exceptional unfortunately. As for the dessert, we got the crème brûle, which was amazing when mixed with the oat crumble and the coffee/banana cream💯

When it comes to the service, twice the dishes were taken without asking for permission, and while we still had not entirely finished. Otherwise, good service. The ambiance is almost too dark and we found the music to be too loud at times, which made it difficult to hold conversations. But overall, I’d recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a delicious fine dining...