Nicole
Restaurant · Tomtom ·
Modern Turkish cuisine with creative dishes and stunning views
Modern Turkish cuisine with creative dishes and stunning views
"Let Nicole's finesse be your guide on the Route and shape your unique perception of this City." - MICHELIN Guide
"This restaurant is named after Agnés Marthe Nicole, one of the Franciscan nuns and owners who lived here in the early 20C. A series of narrow lanes leads to the building, which, as you will see, has undergone major renovations. At the entrance, you are greeted by works of modern art. On the top floor, the elegance and luxury of the place is taken up a notch. From here, the view of the old town is fabulous. Both the exquisite dishes and the well-heeled clientele go to show that this fine dining restaurant is of the highest calibre. The chef revamps traditional recipes, adding delicate nuances. Take, for example, the dolma, a typical dish of stuffed vegetables, to which smoked yoghurt is added to put a novel spin on the familiar flavours. Then there are the Middle Eastern spices that give an extra dimension to the classic, intensely reduced red wine jus served alongside the butter-soft lamb. Here, creativity is deployed with respect and a sense of purpose." - Michelin Inspector
"Chef Serkan Aksoy has been cooking ever since he was 14. However, his love for food stretches back even longer, to stories he heard at home as a kid. Coming from a family from Bolu, Chef Serkan Aksoy's appetite for cooking was whetted by witnessing his father's and his chef friends' professional narratives, memories and experiences in professional kitchens at home as a child, and listening to their stories about the power of chefs in business. Aksoy realized early on that a chef’s personal style doesn’t develop overnight. He believes that when you find just the right path for yourself, you must follow it (ups and downs included) and do so without allowing others to sway you otherwise. He finds inspiration in how ingredients simply reveal themselves to him and adores thinking about what he can cook with them. His own take on cooking relies on getting to know every ingredient up close and personal. He applies various cooking techniques to them, and then creates dishes around how they respond. The shape and design of the plate – i.e., what he serves his meals on – also stirs his imagination. Whenever he looks at a plate, he envisions how he’s going to present his creation – as though he is talking to them and they are talking back to him. In short, he focuses himself on ingredients and serving dishes. Aksoy understands that there’s always something new to be learned from others – a far cry from the “we know best” attitude of his forefathers and fellow Bolu-rooted chefs alike. Having grown up in nature, his restaurant too follows the four seasons. That said, he isn’t shy about rejecting ingredients he dislikes, even if they happen to be in season. He won’t introduce any new ingredient to his menu until he is completely satisfied with the product. Likewise, he won’t replace any dish until he finds the best ingredient there is. Chef Serkan Aksoy feels identified with every dish on his menu and is becoming more and more purist every day, adopting the idea that simple is the best and wants to simplify his dishes masterfully." - MICHELIN Guide
"In the Beyoğlu district, this refined address proposes a subtle cuisine where traditional Turkish recipes rub shoulders with Middle‑Eastern spices. Chef Serkan Aksoy pays close attention to origin and works with a network of ethical local producers; his dolmas, served with smoked yogurt and tender lamb, accentuated by a grape jus reduction, captivated the Guide’s teams." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Housed in a former Franciscan nunnery facing the Italian consulate, Nicole occupies a smart fourth-floor space with white tablecloths, a jazz soundtrack and floor-to-ceiling windows giving sweeping views over Karaköy, Beyoğlu and the Princes’ Islands; Aylin Yazıcıoğlu’s ten-course tasting showcased exquisite cooking — the lamb with jewelled siyez bulgur and young carrot might be the best lamb I’ve ever tasted, rich, tender and complex — and the rightfully famous mille-feuille arrives with a custard so intense it temporarily dominates the palate before fading." - Dene Mullen
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