I love a good restaurant recommendation, and I love it even more when not only the food is mind-blowingly good, but the setting is also incredible. We were lucky enough to have this fantastic experience at Mikla Restaurant in Istanbul.
It was the first night in Istanbul for myself and the group of girls I was travelling round Turkey with, and we’d booked Mikla on the recommendation of a workmate. We knew it had good views of Istanbul, but weren’t quite prepared for the 30-storey lift journey and the stunning panoramas that greeted us at the top. I barely stopped at our table, instead dashing outside to drink in the beautiful sunset over Istanbul.
Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
Luckily, we’d timed it absolutely perfectly, and were able to admire the gorgeous orange colours of the sunset and pick out the landmarks. Mikla is located in Beyoğlu, across the river from the Golden Horn so we could see Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and many more.
When we were finally able to drag ourselves away from the panoramas, we were treated to an absolute feast. We had three main courses plus a ceviche amuse-bouché, delicious fresh bread, and baklava, and it was all incredible. As always when I’m on the coast, I went straight for the seafood and had mouth-wateringly good octopus to start and then huge juicy prawns. They were also fantastic with my dairy-intolerance and very attentive to our table – brilliant service!
The views after dark were just as awesome – a perfect first night!
Where’s the best setting you’ve ever dined?
