Nopa is another entry to The House Group’s list of trendy restaurants in Istanbul. Nopa is located at Atiye Street, near Tesvikiye. This up and coming neighborhood has been getting a lot of attention lately and it’s fair to say most of it is due to first The House Cafe that was opened on the same street in 2002.
Nopa’s all marble entrance might not be the first thing you’ll notice on the bustling Atiye street. What’s inside is sure to surprise anyone stepping in.The all marble look continues inside, on the floor and even partially on the walls. Corridor leading to main dining area also has a seating area that could accommodate large groups.Right after the corridor, colored marble-top bar comes into your view. We didn’t have much time to try a cocktail this time but would definitely like to do that on our next time.Once past the bar, whole ‘Nopa experiences unfolds in front of your eyes. Open air dining area surrounded by lush green wall. It’s rare to find such a gem at the heart of Istanbul. We were very lucky to come across two such places (Cukuruma’da Bahar was the other one) on this trip.It’s just plain glamorous to be able enjoy sunshine in this exquisite setting. Even with white cloth tables and leather seats the ambiance is not too ‘heavy’ and formal.Water element adds the ‘refreshing’ touch. Combination leather’s coloring with brown-toned marble is very elegant. Small touches of color in flowers is subtle enough to avoid being kitsch.There a few variety of seating combinations, with all of them being perfectly comfortable and none of them making you squeeze in with strangers as in Paris cafes.For very sunny days, open ceiling can be covered with semi-transparent net. A welcome solution, considering how hot it can get in Istanbul in summer.Mizuna (Japanese mustard) salad we tried was a really good starter. Simple mix of mizuna leaves with lettuce, dried tomatoes and olives relying mostly on mizuna’s strong flavor.Grilled salmon with asparagus, green peas and porchini mushrooms was as good as it was presented on the plate.Grilled sirloin salad with asparagus, artichoke and dried tomatoes. Steaks are Nopa’s specialty and this is really proven in this plate.Nothings beats a good dark chocolate desert to finish your meal off. Chocolate tart was a bliss and could be a reason on its own for us to go back to Nopa in the future.
