Michelin has announced the expansion of the MICHELIN Guide to include the Turkish cities of İzmir and Bodrum.
The inaugural MICHELIN Guide restaurant selections for the two famous cities will be announced during a unique event organised on November 9, 2023, in İstanbul.
From trendy restaurants and modern coffee houses to traditional and popular eateries, İzmir shines with the diversity of its culinary options, which are rooted deeply in Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean culinary traditions. Often run by young chefs who are particularly eager to honour their local heritage in modern ways, numerous restaurants offer mouth-watering menus that include Aegean flavours, freshly caught fish, and rich mezzes.
Located in the province of Muğla, Bodrum is one of the most famous high-end tourism destinations in Turkiye. A great blend of Turkish restaurants praising authentic flavours, with eateries offering Asian, Italian, and other international cuisines, shape a particularly interesting food scene. Bodrum is also home to some of the world’s most luxurious resorts, that concentrate on the most creative and finest dining experiences.
“After a first stop in İstanbul last year, our inspectors are delighted to place İzmir and Bodrum on their roadmap,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “Indeed, these two places are not only great for memorable cultural and tourist experiences, but they also boast culinary scenes that deserve to be discovered. İzmir and its surrounding areas offer restaurants that highlight locally-grown food, and demonstrate the high-level gastronomic skills of many young chefs.
“Bodrum shines with the diversity of its eateries, of which many traditional and accessible ones are located in the city-centre, while innovative concepts are to be found in luxury resorts. By adding these two new territories to the MICHELIN Guide family, we sincerely hope to spread the message worldwide that Turkey is a not-to-be-missed gastronomic destination,” said Poullennec.
“We are happy that after İstanbul, İzmir and Bodrum also come to the forefront as ‘gastrocities’”, said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye. “This gives us the opportunity to showcase to the world our rich culinary culture, which has the concept of sustainability at its core. Thanks to our talented chefs who blend the most qualified products of the region with their farm-to-table approach. We are delighted about these two new additions, which show the growing potential of the Turkish culinary scene, and we strongly believe that many other cities will be added in the coming years.”
The MICHELIN Guide İstanbul, released for the first time in 2022, has demonstrated the gastronomic potential and culinary diversity of the capital city, recommending 53 restaurants. Five of them were MICHELIN Starred (one Two-MICHELIN Star, and four One- MICHELIN Star), one MICHELIN Green Star, and 10 Bib Gourmand ones. A variety of seasonal and specialty dishes have been highlighted in the MICHELIN Guide İstanbul, highlighting different types of restaurants – from traditional to luxury restaurants, and gastronomic bistros. to luxury restaurants to traditional ones.
The MICHELIN Guide uses a tried and tested universal methodology to determine which cities offer the best restaurants. A team of anonymous and independent inspectors, all of whom are former industry professionals, judge these cities based on a criteria, which includes:
- The quality of the ingredients
- The mastery of the cooking techniques
- The harmony of flavours
- The personality of the chef through the cuisine
- The consistency both over time and across the entire menu
The full restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide İstanbul, İzmir, Bodrum 2024, will be
unveiled on November 9, 2023, during the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony held in İstanbul. The
selection will be available on the MICHELIN Guide website as well as on the free mobile App
for iOS and Android.
