Last Thursday, the prestigious Michelin Guide announced its selection of Türkiye’s contenders at the third annual ceremony held in Istanbul, at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosporus. It was only two years ago that restaurants in Türkiye were first included in the Michelin Guide, a globally recognized restaurant rating system considered the ultimate accolade for gourmet cuisine. The restaurants in Türkiye that have made the list so far are located in Istanbul, Izmir and Muğla, with a concentration in the latter two provinces, particularly in the popular holiday destinations of Urla and Bodrum.
This year's selection included 32 new restaurants, two of which received Michelin stars, bringing the number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Türkiye up to 14. The only two new restaurants on the list to have garnered Michelin stars are Casa Lavanda in Istanbul’s Şile, known for sourcing a vast majority of produce from its very own garden and Narımor’s, elite five tables in Izmir’s Urla. The remaining 12 restaurants with Michelin Stars in Türkiye are those awarded in 2023 and 2024 that managed to retain their stars this year.
If you're wondering what they are, here is the list: In Istanbul, Araka, Arkestra, Mikla, Neolokal, Nicole and Sankai by Nagaya retained their stars. In Bodrum, Kitchen by Osman Sezener and Maçakızı kept their stars, as did OD Urla, Teruar Urla and Vino Locale in Izmir. The only restaurant to earn two Michelin stars this year was TURK Fatih Tutak, rightly considered the pinnacle of the country’s and Istanbul’s local culinary scene.
Meanwhile, the total number of recommended establishments in Türkiye has reached 132, with 77 in Istanbul, 24 in Izmir, and 31 in Muğla. Among these newly recognized restaurants, two were awarded Michelin Stars, eight received Bib Gourmand awards, and six were given the Michelin Green Star.
Michelin Stars are awarded based on several factors, including the quality of ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the skill of cooking techniques, the chef's personality reflected in the dishes, and consistent success over time.
One Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants where the food is very good, made with high-quality ingredients and consistently high standards. Two Michelin Stars are awarded when the chef’s character and talent are reflected in the dishes. Three Michelin Stars represent the highest honor, given to restaurants where the cooking has reached an art form, led by chefs at the peak of their careers. In addition, there are the Green Stars, Bib Gourmands and Recommendations categories.
The Green Star is an award category introduced by the Michelin Guide in 2020, given to restaurants that stand out for their sustainability practices. Its purpose is to highlight establishments that adopt environmentally friendly practices, use local and seasonal products, reduce food waste and conserve natural resources, while also inspiring others to follow suit. This award aims to raise environmental awareness in the world of gastronomy and emphasizes that restaurants should go beyond simply serving delicious meals to embrace environmental and social responsibilities.
Awarded to the most environmentally conscious restaurants, this year the Michelin Green Star was given to The Barn, located in Grandma’s Wonderland in Silivri, Casa Lavanda in Şile and Telezzüz, a fine-dining vegan restaurant in Istanbul, Mezra Yalıkavak in Bodrum, Agora Pansiyon in Bafa Lake in Milas and to Asma Yaprağı in Izmir’s Alaçatı. Last year, Neolokal from Istanbul and the trio Vino Locale, OD Urla and Hiç Lokanta from Izmir received the Green Star and have managed to keep them.
Another significant award dished out by the Michelin Guide is the Bib Gourmand, which introduced back in 1997, is given to restaurants that offer high-quality meals at reasonable prices. The name comes from Michelin’s mascot Bibendum aka The Michelin Man and the award is geared toward honoring restaurants that are less formal and more affordable than those garnering Michelin Stars. The Bib Gourmand serves as an excellent guide for those looking for alternatives to luxury restaurants and to experience authentic flavors at affordable prices.
Appreciated by foodies and travelers alike, this year, the Bib Gourmand was given to Ali Ocakbaşı, Araf, Nazende Cadde and Tatbak in Istanbul. The ever-so-popular Arka Ristorante Pizzeria in Bodrum’s Yalıkavak has now made the list, although pizza-lovers should note that this year they opened a second branch in Bodrum’s Center. Beynel in Bitez has also made the list as did surprisingly the Agora Pansiyon’s restaurant, which is located in the village of Kapıkiri in Milas’ Bafa Lake, which has now garnered both accolade of a Green-Star and a Bib Gourmand.
In Izmir’s Urla, Aslında Meyhane is now a Bib Gourmand as is Alaçatı’s Asma Yaprağı, the latter of which was also awarded a Green Star. With the new additions and those maintaining their status, the total number of Bib Gourmand restaurants in the 2025 selection has risen to 27, with 14 in Istanbul, eight in Izmir and five in Muğla.
A total of 22 restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide’s recommendation list, which is also a very prestigious honor. From Istanbul, the new entries include: The Barn, Telezzüz, Apartıman Yeniköy, Herise Istanbul, Lokanta by Divan. In Izmir: Birinci Kordon Balık Restoran, Gula Urla, Hus Şarapçılık, Kasap Fuat Çeşme, Ortaya Alaçatı and Scappi, located in downtown Konak’s Swiss Otel made the list. This year’s entries into the recommendation list for Muğla, transcended the borders of Bodrum with Divia, located in Marmaris’s Hisarönü and opened just this year by one of Türkiye’s most revered chefs Maksut Aşkar, who is also the man behind Istanbul’s Neolokal, a Michelin-Star and Green Star holder. Located in the Yacht Classic Hotel, Italian restaurant Mori is Fethiye’s first entry.
Heading back to Bodrum, Barbarossa is not only a new entry but also Türkiye’s southern coastal branch of a restaurant made famous on the Greek island of Paros by chef Dimitris Nikolis. It is located at the Caresse Luxury Resort in Bitez. Karnas Vineyards, situated just outside Bodrum in Mumcular, could now be considered a suburb of the popular holiday destination.
Bodrums’ other central contenders include Kornel in Bitez, Oi Filoi in Koyunbaba, Lucca by the Sea in the Mandarin Oriental and Oro by Alfredo Russo in Gölköy, The Red Balloon Yalıkavak and Mezra Yalıkavak are the newest additions to the total list of the Michelin Guide’s 91 recommended restaurants in Türkiye, which brings the total number of venues listed in the Michelin Guide with stars and recommendations alike reaching 132 all of which are based in the provinces of Istanbul, Izmir and Muğla.
Standing out among these is Bodrum’s Mezra Yalıkavak, which was not only given a Green Star, but whose chef Serhat Doğramacı was also the recipient of the 2025 Michelin Young Chef Award. This award is especially poignant as beloved and up-and-coming chef Doğramacı was actually the champion of the 2020 Turkish cooking competition Masterchef. Also of note, the service offered at the Michelin-starred restaurant Nicole was also honored with the 2025 Michelin Service Award.
