Istanbul is the hub of a great variety of local culinary traditions embedded between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea; and at the center of gravity for the Balkans, Anatolia, Caucasus, Iran, Syria and Mesopotamia. The unbroken presence of an imperial court over millennia helped, interact, refine and preserve these. Currently, food culture here is undergoing a renaissance, a new generation of chefs overcoming barriers of traditions and sailing out into seas of innovation. Architectures, both on plates and surrounding them are worth to explore. We will tell you where to start.