Massimo Bottura to open Istanbul outpost
Massimo Bottura, Italy's Modena-based three-Michelin-starred chef-restaurateur, has confirmed that he is opening a restaurant in Istanbul.
The restaurant will be called Ristorante Italia di Massimo Bottura and will be sited within the Eataly complex at Istanbul's brand new luxury shopping mall, the Zorlu Center, in the affluent Besiktas area of the city, on its European shore.
The launch date has yet to be confirmed but the restaurant is expected to open its doors in early summer. A spokesperson for Bottura confirmed that the restaurant would not be modelled on the concepts of either of the chef's existing two Modena restaurants, but that it would be "a very smart" new dining concept aimed at the sophisticated clientele in the area.
Bottura's current, Modena, restaurants are: the three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana, which opened in 1995, and its informal sister, Franceschetta 58, launched in 2011.
Eataly was launched in Turin in 2007. Its premise is to sell and serve premium Italian foods under one roof, through food markets markets, cafés and restaurants.
There are currently 25 Eataly branches throughout the world. Eataly Istanbul opened in December 2013.
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