WITH A SIDE DISH OF SWAGGER
It hovers above the water like it knows it’s being photographed. A silver-skinned disk, all poise and provocation, projecting out over the Golden Horn as if Istanbul needed another reason to turn its head.
Foster + Partners calls it a restaurant. That’s like calling the Orient Express a commuter train. This is architecture with swagger. The saucer’s cantilever is pure power move—no timid columns to spoil the view, just a clean sweep of glass and steel, holding court over centuries of cityscape.
Inside, the space is a cinematic ellipse, all panoramic glass, warm wood accents, and lighting that makes every diner look like they’re about to sign a movie deal. The setting is part of a larger Foster + Partners rethink of Istanbul’s waterfront—retail pavilions, shaded promenades, and leafy courtyards designed to lure people away from their cars and into the public realm.
But the saucer steals the show.
You don’t just eat here; you orbit. From the table, Galata’s tower cuts the skyline, ferries stitch across the water, and the city’s call to prayer rolls in like an ambient soundtrack. It’s both ultramodern and utterly Istanbul—a reminder that this city has always been about layering the old with the audacious.
Yes, there’s the usual grumbling about pricy exclusivity—whether this hovering halo will be a democratic perch or just another trophy for the well-heeled. But for now, it’s the boldest new address in town.
And like any great seduction, it doesn’t ask permission—it just shows up, dressed to kill, and leaves you wondering what’s for dessert. And since you’ve asked, here’s a prime example: a plate of pistachio baklava, served warm, with clotted kaymak cream so rich it could fund its own startup.
So, what's this space age marvel called?
No name yet. Waiting for galactic diner to clear customs. And, until they hire a PR type there's no news on ownership, menu or chef.
No one asked our post for a name but we'd call it the Carl Sagan or in a nod to 2001 flick about Hal's Place?
Dish: Holden DeMayo, PillartoPost.org daily online magazine's dining guru
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