Basta Neo Bistro

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.

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.

🤓🤩🥳 A sophisticated dining experience in a relaxed bistro setting. We had a very pleasurable experience at Basta Neo Bistro, which we can confidently say is one of our top choices. The restaurant's offerings were consistently excellent, with high-quality ingredients and well-balanced dishes. Service was friendly yet professional, and the overall experience was memorable. We anticipate returning to this dining establishment in the future. 🤓🤩🥳 Our meal: Söğüş Dana Beyin, Kapari Salsa, İsot Yağı, Kruton. Tuzlanmış Palamut, Mısır Ekmeği, Karides Mayonez, Mandalina Vinegret İşkembe, Paça, Kuzu Gerdan, Sucuk! S A K A T A T Y A H N İ !

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.

@basta_food , which opened in Kadıköy in 2016, brought a different mindset to both the district and the “Street Foods” concept. In the following years, @basta_neobistro , which they opened in Fenerbahçe with the Bistro concept, became a business that both served wine and presented more deep plates. Hummus with the Dry Meat was a good plate. The plate they served with Stracciatella and Baby Artichokes did not satisfy me in terms of taste or balance. Purslane with yoghurt, which was enhanced with strawberries, was the simplest and most successful plate on the table. Onion Ravioli was also one of the simple and beautiful plate. Offal Stew, which we heard rave reviews about, did not satisfy us as an offal loversu. It was far from the desired density and complex structure. Offal is one of the easiest products to create both. They have a limited wine menu. If the service quality and wine menu improve, they can reach optimum levels more quickly.