The neighborhood’s new favorite

Manzé İstanbul has become one of Suadiye’s newer meeting points, drawing attention with its broad menu, ambitious sushi, cocktails and DJ performances. The restaurant opened in early May, and after a four-month delay caused by the summer holiday, the writer visited on a Friday night.

The restaurant has a polished entrance, a large bar and softly lit dining room. By around 8:30 p.m., the tables were full and guests were deep in conversation. The menu includes 26 starters, ranging from seafood and offal to hummus, priced from 650 to 3,500 Turkish lira. Main courses cost between 1,550 and 4,250 lira.

The sushi menu initially seemed easy to overlook among the many options. That changed when the writer tried the restaurant’s signature velvet foie on a recommendation. The eight-piece dish, made with foie gras, cost 1,590 lira and quickly became one of the table’s favorites.

The meal also included hummus with grilled fresh broad beans and carrots, miso eggplant with quince and edamame purée and basil oil, grilled baby squid, and charcoal-grilled kokoreç. The sushi, miso eggplant and baby squid stood out. The kokoreç seemed somewhat too oily, while the portions were large enough for two or three people to share.

Chef consultant İbrahim Tunç previously led a restaurant that received a Michelin Green Star and a Bib Gourmand. Manzé also offers an extensive wine list and signature cocktails priced at 1,050 lira. It opens daily at noon and closes at midnight, extending to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with DJ music accompanying the conversation.