Maksut Aşkar: the chef behind Neolokal and Istanbul’s new Turkish cooking
Maksut Aşkar is the chef behind Neolokal, a restaurant in Karaköy, Istanbul, that sets out to rebuild Turkish culinary traditions with contemporary ideas and techniques. It holds one Michelin star in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Türkiye and a Michelin Green Star for sustainable gastronomy.
His argument is simple and a little urgent. As he puts it on Neolokal’s own website, if we don’t take ownership of our heritage, the next generation will have nothing left to inherit. Neolokal is his attempt to do that: to cook dishes that are fading because people no longer eat them, and to make sure each ingredient’s origin is known.
Early life and career
Aşkar was born in İskenderun, on Turkey’s south-eastern Mediterranean coast in Hatay province. He studied tourism and hotel management and worked as a manager at Nupera in Istanbul before moving into food consultancy (Culture Trip).
He then opened his own places. Multi ran from 2007 to 2009, followed by LilBits from 2009 to 2012. Neolokal came next, described by Culture Trip as a farm-to-table restaurant whose tasting menus draw on dishes from across Anatolia.
When Michelin published its first Istanbul selection in October 2022, Neolokal was one of only five restaurants in the city to receive stars. The others were Fatih Tutak’s TURK, with two, and Araka, Mehmet Gürs’s Mikla and Nicole, with one each (Michelin Guide). That put Aşkar among a small group of Istanbul chefs recognised at the top level of the guide.
Restaurants
Neolokal, Karaköy, Istanbul
Neolokal is inside SALT Galata on Bankalar Caddesi in Karaköy. Michelin notes its large windows and a terrace looking out over Istanbul’s rooftops and mosques. Aşkar leads a young team, and the restaurant describes its food as dürüst – honest – in the sense that the source of every ingredient is known.
Michelin lists Neolokal in its highest price band and as open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday; it is worth checking the restaurant’s own website before planning a visit.
There is a vegetarian menu alongside the main tasting menu, and the drinks list is built around Turkish wines. Michelin highlights the restaurant’s work with nearby suppliers, and Aşkar’s emphasis on social and cultural sustainability as well as environmental care. His stated aim, Michelin notes, is to preserve childhood flavours and culinary traditions for future generations.
Cooking style and signature dishes
Neolokal’s cooking blends old and new. The team looks for traditions that have fallen out of use and finds ways to bring them back, using modern technique to sharpen rather than replace them (Neolokal). Michelin singles out two dishes:
- Haddock with celeriac purée and an olive oil and mussel broth sauce.
- A crisp, pistachio-rich baklava – baklava being the layered pastry of thin dough, nuts and syrup that is Turkey’s best-known sweet.
Turkish cooking has a long tradition of vegetable, grain and pulse dishes, so the vegetarian menu has plenty to draw on. Whatever is on the menu, the principle is the same: Turkish produce, local suppliers and dishes rooted in the country’s traditions, which the restaurant describes as blending traditional Turkish cuisine with modern techniques and an innovative outlook.
Awards and recognition
- Michelin star: Neolokal was one of four Istanbul restaurants given one star in the first Istanbul selection, announced in October 2022, when TURK Fatih Tutak received two (Michelin Guide). It holds one star in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Türkiye.
- Michelin Green Star: Neolokal was the only restaurant in that first Istanbul selection to receive the Green Star, Michelin’s award for restaurants leading the way in sustainable gastronomy, and it still holds it in the 2026 guide (Michelin Guide).
- MICHELIN Sommelier Award 2026: won by Ersin Topkara of Neolokal, fitting for a drinks list built around Turkish wine.
Where to eat food like this in London
For contemporary Turkish cooking in London, browse our meze and fine dining listings and our regional Anatolian restaurants, where you are more likely to find dishes from beyond the usual grill menu. For something sweet, see our guide to the best baklava in London. At home, try our baklava recipe or our imam bayıldı (olive-oil-braised stuffed aubergines). If some of the dishes on a menu like Neolokal’s are new to you, our guide to popular Turkish dishes explains the basics.
- Lokma Bermondsey – Turkish meze & fine dining in Bermondsey
- ET House Turkish Restaurant – Turkish meze & fine dining in Camden & Kentish Town
- Galata Pera – Turkish meze & fine dining in Brentford
- Iznik – Turkish home cooking in Highbury
- Deman New Barnet – Turkish meze & fine dining in Barnet
- Hisar Meze Bar Beckenham – Turkish meze & fine dining in Beckenham
See all 95 Meze & Fine Dining places in London
Quick facts
- Born: İskenderun, Hatay, Turkey
- Based in: Istanbul
- Studied: tourism and hotel management
- Earlier restaurants: Multi (2007–2009), LilBits (2009–2012)
- Restaurant: Neolokal, SALT Galata, Karaköy
- Michelin: one star and a Green Star (2026 guide)
- Cuisine: Turkish, modern (as listed by Michelin)
Further reading
- Neolokal – MICHELIN Guide
- The MICHELIN Guide Türkiye reveals its 2026 selection – Michelin Guide
- 53 restaurants in the first MICHELIN Guide Istanbul – Michelin Guide
- Istanbul’s top celebrity chefs – Culture Trip
- Neolokal – official website
Pictured: imam bayıldı. Photo: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
