Mimolett, Siraselviler, Istanbul

Update to the post: Unfortunately Mimolett is now closed.

A friend of mine has suggested Mimolett to me and said the owner of the restaurant has an experience on various Michelin star restaurants as a chef. The goal he sets for this restaurant is to become a three star Michelin restaurant she added. My friends’ proposal immediately attracted my attention because a real gastronomic fine dining genre is what it seems to be lacking in Istanbul. I wanted to see if the place could live up to expectations.

Lets start from the location and ambiance. I think  Siraselviler is an excellent choice for such an ambitious fine dining restaurant. I will explain why I believe so in the end. The decoration in interior is fancy. It is obvious that a huge effort had been done to make up this place.  I may describe the atmosphere as elegant and classy. An extra touch of cosiness factor  may  even bring even more liveliness if you ask me. This is a personal matter of taste however. For an elegant fine dining restaurant however it is perhaps more proper to be described as “cool” and “fancy” rather than “cosy” or “friendly”

When it comes to the service and the setting of the table it is well worth applauses. All the cutlery and china was at high quality and they were set properly. I checked those details because they are important in fine dining setting. The staff were kind, helpful and informative. The way they handle the service and their interaction with guests were excellent.

I was a bit late for the dining therefore I missed the wine selection process but Emre had chosen an excellent wine for us. The tasty and fresh breads served were great with butter and quality wine. For the main course perhaps it is best to rely on what the chef has to offer you by selecting the tasting menu but the mistake I had done was not to come here with an empty stomache. The good news is, Zulal; who arranged this evening for us, opt for the menu and we had a chance to see the presentation and listen her comments about the food. Moreover, the chef was more than kind to treat us with delicious samples from their menu.

The food was high class. It was a real gastronomic festival for us. The presentation of the food were also excellent. Zulal also commented very positively about her selections. In the end we were really happy with this experience. Mimolet is in my top recommendation list right now for a fine dining event in Istanbul. I hope we can see more places like Mimolet that brings new dimensions to the Istanbul’s dining venue.

I would like to add some extra comment on the location. The Siraselviler Street is one of the well-known locations for many restaurants and nightclubs. Taksim and İstiklal Street are transforming in a good way. It is for sure that this can be done a bit faster but still this is a good thing. The narrow streets linking to Istiklal are getting renovated one by one. For instance have a look at Asmalimescit; the progress is amazing…

What I always believe is the fact that the main attraction centre of a city should both have a historical architectural landscape blended together with the cosmopolitan feel. If can be handled properly then such a location becomes a prime centre of attraction with visionary entrepreneurs investing on that heritage.  Shops, Cafes, Restaurants, Clubs that created a unique character all contribute to the popularity of the area. In that sense I like the idea of elegant restaurants opening in İstiklal area and Taksim.