Basta Neo Bistro

A visit to Basta Neo Bistro is definitely worth it… You actually don’t need to read any further. Five stars are not an exaggeration. But if you’d like to know why, here are a few reasons. During our stay in Istanbul, we visited Basta Neo Bistro twice, first on a relaxed Tuesday evening, just after arriving in this vibrant and busy city. From the moment we stepped in, we felt welcomed and comfortable. It was the perfect place to arrive, settle in, and start our trip on a high note. After that first dinner, we already knew we wanted to return. Our second visit fully confirmed our initial impression on a busy Friday evening. The menu is diverse, blending European and Turkish influences in a modern and creative way. Each dish reflects a thoughtful process, from preparation to presentation. You can see and taste the care and effort that goes into every plate. The combinations are exciting and distinctive but not overcomplicated. On both evenings, we followed Derin Aribaş’ recommendations and enjoyed a beautifully curated selection. What stands out most is how harmoniously the flavors come together. The freshness and quality of the ingredients are working out. It’s hard to name a single highlight because there wasn’t just one. For example, the stracciatella offered a wonderfully balanced palette of flavors, and the thinly sliced raw fish carpaccio was delicate and refined. Every dish felt carefully composed and balanced. All tasted outstanding. We were also told that the menu is continually adapted to the season, reflecting available ingredients. Just another reason why this is a place you’ll want to return to. Next time we are in Istanbul, we will definitely come back. Just for the record (although I truly believe you can’t go wrong with any choice here): On our first evening, we had the hummus, stracciatella, roasted vegetable salad with its amazing vinaigrette, ravioli, and grilled octopus … every single dish was outstanding. On the second evening, we enjoyed tarama, chicken liver pâté, fish carpaccio, roast beef with satay sauce, truffle-accompanied chicken, and the fish of the day. Again, everything was absolutely delicious. Again, both the starters and the main courses show a clear commitment to creativity and well-balanced compositions. What remains in the end is a truly high-quality culinary experience in a relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere… a combination that is rather rare and one we personally value very much. We felt genuinely comfortable throughout both evenings, enjoyed every course, and left already thinking about coming back. Note: The pictures show what we had on Friday night. Even looking at them now makes us want to return. For us, Basta Neo Bistro is an absolute recommendation for anyone looking to enjoy exceptional food in Istanbul.

This is what I’d call a wannabe fine dining restaurant in Istanbul. My girlfriend and I discovered this place a few years ago and have been there a few times since. We were never completely satisfied with the experience, but it was still good enough to keep us coming back. However, when she took me there recently for my birthday, the experience was far from what it used to be. To begin with, I’ve never been a fan of their terrace. It’s very noisy, filled with exhaust fumes from passing vehicles and simply not a pleasant place to dine. Anyways, we started with the tomato plate. Visually, it was fun, but that’s where the excitement ended. The tomato sorbet on top had an overpowering garlicky–oniony flavour that dominated everything else, while the cream cheese underneath tasted like salty whipped cream, not in a good way I don’t know how to describe. It completely killed the freshness of the dish. The tomatoes themselves were nice, but one good ingredient (even if it’s the main one) doesn’t save the whole plate. The sardines also felt unnecessary and out of place. The next plate, featuring smoked meat, was okay, nothing special… But the fish was a complete fiasco. We should have known better… They’ve never been great with seafood (their minekop was disappointing in the past too), but we decided to give it another try for the sake of variety. Big mistake… The fish wasn’t good and the shrimp was terribly overcooked. It was dry to the point of being unpleasant to eat. On the positive side, the lamb was fantastic. To be fair, they’ve always been excellent with lamb and veal. Their dana yanağı (beef cheek) was one of the best we’ve had before. But even here, there was a catch: the portion was ridiculously small, maybe 70–80 grams of meat at best. It felt more like a tasting sample than a main course. Overall, Basta Neo Bistro used to be a great place, but it’s lost its charm. The food no longer justifies the prices and while there are still glimpses of what once made it special, they’re few and far between. At this point, we have more reasons to stay away than to come back.

Food was OK kind of unique, but really did have much depth in any flavors. Ok place - service was slow and inattentive. Not a single item we ordered I would order again. So enough said about that.

Cute little spot. I ordered the hummus and the crudo and oh my was it delicious! Seriously some of the best I’ve had. Humus was simply yet so flavor and the crudo was phenomenal. I’m honestly getting hungry just witting this review and thinking about it again. Glad I found this little spot.

Epic experience, real experienced chefs, you are able to watch whole process if you book bar like us. Definitely try haggis(sakatat yahni), and brain(beyin). Vitello Tonatto is as you know nothing special for me. Also if you like pistachio, Paris Breast is the way to go for desert. Central and really satisfying experience. Prices are not cheap but decent for that kind of experience.

A small, cosy restaurant serving great food. Menu mostly reflects modern European interpretation of Turkish flavours and ingredients. Our favourite dish was the stracetellia with beet root. Catch of the day deserves a shout out too; sea bass was cooked beautifully, so you get tender moist fish with glass like crispiness on the skin.

I had chance to try two appetizers and mains. Each plate was quite tasty and engraved in my memory. Personal favorites are Cold Veal brain and organ stew. They were phenomenal. Looking forward to visiting again in the future.

Had a nice experience with Basta Neo Bistro. No doubt, it's my favorite place so far and #1 in Istanbul currently (meaning, Feb. 2023). Food combinations are fabulous, amazing, and extraordinary. Service, atmosphere are great. Gourmet-worthy place. Ordered salmon, "kuzu pirzola" and Stracciatella with beetroot (my fav for now 😍). Delicious, perfectly cooked. As for minuses: 1) sausage pieces combined with salmon (I don't like any sausages, just to my personal taste), 2) pricey. Around 50 EUR for 2 persons.