After years of watching the latest and greatest restaurants open on the European side of Istanbul, residents of the Asian side no longer have to cross continents to wine and dine on weekends. The newest addition to the Asian side’s growing culinary scene is Emporio Armani Caffe, a branch of Emporio Armani Ristorante at İstinye Park.
The news is especially cheering since most of the many cafés and restaurants on Bağdat Caddesi have similar menus and concepts, leaving little real culinary choice in the area. But the opening of the Armani Caffe brings real Italian cuisine to Bağdat Caddesi; it’s quickly becoming the ‘in’ place for those who appreciate gourmet cuisine, sophisticated ambiance and great hospitability.
Located on a sunny corner in Suadiye, with an airy, well-lit interior, the Armani Caffe is as pleasant in the winter as it surely will be in the summer. Both the décor and the menu are authentically Italian, though high-quality local ingredients such as Antakya olive oil – a perfect match with the homemade focaccia – have been incorporated as well.
Chef Mehmet Gök, best known from Dream, sticks to the original Italian recipes, using Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese aged for 24 months and saffron from Iran in his risotto (29 TL). Also recommended are the artichoke soup (16 TL), the steamed asparagus with balsamic vinegar and parmesan (35 TL), any of Gök’s grilled meats and the tiramisu. With food like this, it’s no wonder the Armani Caffe is already drawing a crowd.