Basta Neo Bistro

Founded a few years after its Basta Street Food sister spot, the Neobistro is chef Kaan Sakarya and chef Derin Arıbaş’s second “fuck you” to their Michelin-star spangled experiences in French kitchens. This casual spot is the perfect rendition of a bistro with slightly more inventive recipes using local produce and making them shine in elegant recipes. Both founding chefs are considered the naturally gifted and unnaturally industrious wunderkinds of Turkey’s gastronomic elite. They are the types Bourdain would probably hangout with, tough boys in leather jackets, who don’t make a deal out of it.

What to order:
Neobistro has a changing menu, but luckily anything that comes out of the kitchen is usually a well-crafted, tasty meal. My favorites in my last visit were the seabass tartare made with finely diced apple, cucumber and a fresh citric sauce and the braised lamb in thin, flaky pastry with harissa sauce. Basta has proven over and over again they excel at lamb, so it’s the safest bet if you are torn between dishes.