Rome, Istanbul, London and perhaps Paris. They are among the first cities that come to mind when you think of places where history and modern metropolitan life exist side by side. In Istanbul, though, the best way to understand how different cultures have crossed paths over centuries is through its gastronomy and architecture. And in this city divided, or perhaps connected, by the sea, Çırağan Palace remains one of its most iconic landmarks. With Kempinski managing both the hotel and palace sides, it is also one of the places where these two faces of Istanbul come together particularly well.
For visitors to the city, Tuğra Restaurant has long been one of the first addresses associated with “Ottoman cuisine”. Located inside the historic Palace building, it has been serving this tradition for years. This year, however, Çırağan has added another dimension with Rüya, the restaurant that began its journey in London with a contemporary interpretation of Turkish cuisine before taking that idea to the world.
A new Rüya for Çırağan
Behind the decision to bring global restaurant appeal together with local gastronomy is Çırağan Palace General Manager Ralph Radtke. Having worked in Türkiye for many years, Radtke had interest from several internationally renowned restaurant brands for the space inside the hotel, but he insisted on Rüya. Add D.ream’s operational experience and Umut Özkanca, who comes from a restaurant family and has a particular instinct for the business, and the concept quickly found its place.
Among the restaurant’s most popular dishes, the caviar on simit and truffle pide are perhaps the most effortless expressions of what Rüya is trying to do. And after seeing that the restaurant was attracting not only hotel guests but also plenty of Istanbul regulars, Çırağan decided to bring its legendary traditional brunch under the Rüya roof as well. There is still an entire room dedicated to desserts and chocolates, as before, but Rüya’s more ambitious dishes now give the brunch a different identity in the city.
While Rüya represents the modern face of Turkish cuisine, Tuğra Restaurant on the Palace side enters the new season with a menu that stays close to its roots while allowing room for innovation. They have called it “Taamat-i Sahil-i Hassa,” an Ottoman Turkish expression referring to the rich culinary heritage shaped along the shores of the Ottoman geography.
Ottoman cuisine, without standing still
Created by Tuğra’s Executive Chef Onur Dönmez and his team, the new menu does not try to freeze Ottoman palace cuisine in time. Instead, it brings it into today’s gastronomic language through ingredients sourced from different parts of Anatolia. From Çeşm-i Nigâr soup made with Mardin lentils to hummus served with octopus from the Gulf of Saros, stuffed onions with grapes and Sitare Mantı, the starters alone travel across a surprisingly wide geography.
The connection between past and present becomes even clearer with the main courses. Hünkâr Beğendi 2.0, made with slow-cooked lamb shoulder and crispy aubergine, is one of the menu’s strongest contemporary takes on a palace classic. Even the vegan Türlü, prepared with porcini mushroom köfte, black chickpeas and mung beans, shows that the menu is interested in doing more than simply referencing the past.
My favourite, though, was the new interpretation of kelle söğüş. This offal dish, eaten in this part of the world for centuries, has been reworked almost like a parfait. For me, it has become something like the foie gras of this geography.
The meal ends with familiar flavours such as Süt Helvası and Baklavalı Dondurma, presented with lighter and more contemporary touches. And perhaps this is where the strength of the new menu becomes clearest.
