Basta Neo Bistro

A True Insider’s Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Staying in Istanbul

"A minimalist Asian-shore spot launched in 2021 by chefs Kaan Sakarya and Derin Arıbaş (both alumni of Paris kitchens such as Astrance and Arpège) featuring an open zinc-counter kitchen and a streamlined menu of modern Mediterranean dishes prepared with local ingredients — from a soulful offal stew dotted with croutons to a diaphanous springtime special of artichokes in a velvety vichyssoise of Sultani peas. Arıbaş emphasizes the fragile ecosystem sustaining such places: “We’re lucky to have a community of young, worldly chef-owners who are daring to open small, personal places, despite inflation and alcohol taxes,” he says. “And to have customers who come to support us.”" - Anya von Bremzen