Türkiye: Dishes with Perfect Wine Pairings, Foxy Nişantaşı and Vino Locale

"Opened in 2019 by wine expert Levon Bağış and chef Maksut Aşkar of One Michelin-starred Neolokal, this wine‑centric spot builds the entire experience around pairings: tasting‑size dishes and even tasting pours encourage trying multiple combinations from a cellar of 200+ bottles, with at least one matching dish for every wine and several wines for each dish. The defining focus is local Turkish grapes—Misket, Narince, Öküzgözü, Foça Karası, Keten Gömlek, Boğazkere, Sultaniye—served exclusively from local producers, guided by the mission to unite local grapes with local cuisine. It reminds you that mezes often associated with rakı also sing with wine—think lakerda with a good white, or topik and hummus with a good red—while offering both classic Turkish coupages like Öküzgözü‑Boğazkere and newer expressions such as pet‑nat and natural wines. If you have to choose just one place to try wine in Istanbul, whether newcomer or connoisseur, this is the perfect place." - The MICHELIN Guide