Mehmet Gurs built his reputation by asking a question nobody in Turkish fine dining was asking: what happens when you apply Scandinavian restraint to Anatolian abundance? The answer sits on the rooftop of the Marmara Pera Hotel, where a glass-walled dining room opens onto a terrace with the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the minarets of the old city arranged below like a living postcard. Gurs, born in Finland to a Turkish father and Scandinavian mother, channels both lineages into plates that strip Turkish ingredients down to their essence rather than burying them in complexity. A simple pepper from Urfa becomes a complete course. Olive oil from the Aegean coast carries an entire dish. The kitchen works with small producers across Turkey's diverse agricultural regions, and the menu reads like a geography lesson — southeastern spices, Black Sea butter, Cappadocian grains. World's 50 Best recognition brought international attention, but the restaurant earns its reputation nightly through cooking that feels simultaneously ancient and modern. The view is extraordinary, but the food would justify the visit in a basement.
Location
Beyoglu, Istanbul
Insider Intel
The tasting menu is the way to experience Gurs's full range — expect eight to twelve courses moving through Anatolia's regions with technique borrowed from Nordic kitchens. Individual courses rotate seasonally, but the kitchen consistently excels with vegetable preparations and lamb dishes that reflect Turkey's pastoral traditions. The cheese course features small-producer Turkish cheeses that most visitors have never encountered. Wine pairings draw from Turkey's underappreciated vineyards alongside international selections. If ordering a la carte, trust the waiter's recommendations on what the kitchen is most excited about that evening.
Sunset dinner reservations are the most coveted — the light over the old city from this elevation is genuinely spectacular, shifting from gold to amber as the call to prayer echoes from multiple minarets. Book at least two weeks ahead for weekend evenings, earlier during peak tourist season from May through October. Weeknight dinners offer the same kitchen at full focus with easier reservations. The terrace operates seasonally and transforms the experience; indoor seating is elegant but lacks the drama.
The tasting menu runs approximately 2000-2500 TL per person before wine pairings, which pushes this into genuine splurge territory for Istanbul. Smart casual dress code is enforced — no shorts, no flip-flops. The elevator to the rooftop requires passing through the hotel lobby, which can feel disorienting. Reservations are essential and should be made directly through the restaurant rather than through the hotel. Vegetarian tasting menus are available with advance notice. The restaurant is closed Sundays. After dinner, the Beyoglu neighborhood offers excellent walking and nightlife options.