Yeni Lokanta — Restaurant in Beyoğlu

Sometimes well-reviewed restaurants are simply over-hyped and underwhelming. Yeni Lokanta deserves every bit of the attention...and more. I ate at several amazing restaurants in Istanbul, yet this is the only one that made me stop in the middle of my meal to begin a review!

Let me start by giving a shout-out to the absolutely delightful service from beginning to end. Nevin was my server, and she made the evening special from beginning to end.

I also need stress that the space and vibe is anything but pretentious. It's adorable - the kind of place that makes you want to stay a while. It's not a big place - small enough to be intimate and yet large enough to fit about 10 tables plus bar seating. There's soft music blending into the background, just below the level of friends having fun conversation over incredible food. The front door remains open on a beautiful late summer night, which provides a fresh breeze through the restaurant. And while it is located in the very popular Beyoglu, Yeni tucked away on a little side street. It's...perfect.

I opted for the seven course tasting menu, and the restaurant was nice enough to accommodate one modification for me due to not eating prawns. I ordered a glass (and soon to be two!) of an amazing 2024 Kavaklidere Cotes d' Avanos Sauvignon Blanc wine...and that has me searching the US wine distributors already.

A delicious, freshly baked round açma pastry began the night with garlic butter, and then the first course was a beef manti (Turkish dumpling) in the most delicious, flavor-packed sauce. Wow. I wanted to dive into that bowl!

The second course combined morel mushrooms with hummus, capers and pieces of crispy maraș tarhana (a fermented wheat cracker). Absolutely delicious.

Next was an incredible salad (substitution) comprised of green apples, plums, arugula and almonds, tossed perfectly in a vibrant lemon and olive oil dressing and sweet chili sprinkled throughout. Oh...My...

And when it couldn't get any better, my 7 course meal became an 8 course meal! Navine really wanted me to try this beautifully balanced and unique blend of artichokes, strawberries, peas, mint and pureed fava beans. It was so flavorful yet light and refreshing.👌

Next up was a plate of stewed tomatoes with watermelon and a sour cherry puree. While I am not the biggest fan of tomatoes, this dish was playful and bold - using the similar colors of all three main ingredients that very different flavors, blended together in a refreshing twist!

Next was a really interesting balance of textures and flavors: a warm eggplant, tulum cheese, dried figs and almonds with some sort of sauce underneath that I don't know. I was worried the strength of the cheese would overpower the eggplant, but it did not. It worked! The crunchiness of the almonds also added depth to the dish unexpectedly. Well done!

And the star of the show: a slow (perfectly) cooked lamb neck with sea beans (a long,thin green vegetable that was new to me) and oyster mushrooms in a tarhana soup (based in yogurt and flour with spices). This was superb.

The three pieces of baklava did not make me decline the final dessert course, a katmer (flaky pastry) with pistachio and coconut ice cream. Just enough sweetness to creat the final sense of balance to an absolutely wonderful meal.

And now I need a nap. :)

If you're traveling to Istanbul and need a special dinner that doesn't completely break the bank (a 7 course meal, without drinks, for under $100) and remains vibrant, this is your spot. Don't hesitate...

It is better to book a table in advance, but if you come to the evening opening, then you can have time to take a seat at the bar. I did so. The establishment itself is quite chamber and dark, there must be an ideal place for tinder dating, this is a joke 🙂 The waiters and the guys at the bar are very nice and helpful. I chose the tasting menu — 10 courses and 525 liras per person. Drinks are not included. Cocktails are not cheap here — 125 liras, so I ordered a glass of wine for 90 liras and water. Please note that water is also paid — 18 liras. The invoice includes a 10% service charge. Since I did not understand the whole picture from the reviews, I decided to write for future visitors so as not to feel anxious.

So, the tasting menu. 6 starters, 2 main courses and 2 desserts. Beef dumplings — more precisely one dumpling. It's delicious and the sauce is great, just a little. I wish there were at least 3 of them. A buttered bun was served as an aperitif. Cured bonito — is an excellent salty fish snack. A portion is sufficient for a sample. Beetroot salat with clotted cream — I was surprised, but I also liked the vegetable snack, although I don't like beets. Goats's cheese — pan-fried cheese on a pillow of greens and a small piece of cured beef. A bit greasy breading, but tasty too. Antep sausage with yoghurt — of all dishes, too rich for my taste. The experience is interesting. Öcce with ezine cheese — a snack made from breaded cheese with an original sauce. The breading is a little greasy. Bluefish — very tasty fish with good sauce, the portion is already large enough. I really liked. Oven-roasted lamb neck — very tender meat, full serving. At the end of the dish, I came across a small piece of baking foil. Of course, I was upset, the waiter offered to remake the dish for free - but I refused, as I was already full. Then they treated me to a glass of wine as an apology — I was pleased. Rice pudding orange — pieces of traditional kadajifi pudding with ice cream. Panna cotta — delicate dessert with pampkin souse and mahlab aromatic spice.

I liked all the dishes. Next time, I will definitely order separately full portions of beef dumplings, bluefish, and an oven-roasted lamb neck - very tasty. For two it turns out not cheap if with wine, but you will not regret it. Recommended for a cozy special evening together. I was alone and I really wanted to share with someone, so I sent my friends photos of dishes in the...

Before my trip to Istanbul, I compromised a list of up and coming chefs and restaurants for my Turkish gastronomical adventure. As a Turkish person residing in NYC, I can honestly say I am extremely proud of the preservation of our culture through our renowned cuisine and young entrepreneurial chefs who wish to present the world with the breadth of Turkish cuisine. Yeni Lokanta clearly establishes for patrons that Turkish cuisine isn’t merely kebap or doner as most foreigners believe. I tried the 9 course sampler and each and every dish was sheer perfection and a masterpiece visually, presentation wise, and with their flavor combinations. The Hatay province manti or Turkish dumplings’ flavors were intense, bold and delightfully represented the eastern province without over powering your palate. The strawberry and fava bean salad made me fall in love with fava entirely. The morel mushrooms looked unfamiliar but extremely tasty especially if you are vegetarian. The watermelon and tomato salad flavors gave a party inside my mouth. I loved the taste of the Erzincan cheese in the roasted eggplant salad and how it gently melts when you choose to mix it. The bread looked like a round, soft pretzel or bagel tasting like Easter or paskalya bread but soft, buttery and complemented the small portions of bread. As a Turk, I really wanted more bread because we tend to over eat them during meals but thought it was the right decision to stick with one. The roasted beef ribs were slowly cooked to perfection and literally fell off the bone as they say in America. It reminded me of the beef ribs my grandmother would prepare. The piece de resistance was the katmer dessert. Wow, wow, and wow. I arrived uncertain about the gastronomical adventure and left güle güle or smiling from cheek to cheek. The location of the restaurant was perfect off a quiet corner of istiklal caddesi. The decor was calming, relaxed, and combined traditional with contemporary Turkish culture just like the cuisine. I told the staff that I eat at a lot of upscale restaurants in New York and none of them have remotely compared to these gastronomical jewels Istanbul and our restaurants like Yeni Lokanta have offered. If you come to Istanbul, please opt for something other than a kebap and try this unassuming culinary masterpiece. Yeni Lokanta is amongst the amazing establishments who epitomizes the breadth of Turkish cuisine and heritage. They also opened in London which I will need to...