Do you have an office in Istanbul, and how do you run a restaurant project?

Our base is in Ankara; we do not maintain a physical office in Istanbul. We run restaurant and café projects through remote project management, scheduled site visits, online approval via photorealistic 3D presentations and video tours, and coordination of the local execution team on site. In districts such as Nişantaşı, Karaköy and Kadıköy we handle the measurement and site supervision ourselves, and you work with a single point of contact.

Can we run the design and execution remotely without seeing the space in person?

Yes. We built the process to be remote from the start: with digital measurement, photorealistic 3D visuals, video tours and online approval steps, you can make every decision remotely. During scheduled site visits we oversee the measurement, subcontractor coordination and execution, and we share progress with you regularly through visuals.

Can a restaurant be designed in a historic building in Karaköy or Beyoğlu?

Yes, and these are in fact the most characterful venues. Rather than tearing out the vaulted ceiling, stone walls and original fabric, we restore and highlight them, bringing contemporary additions together with the old in an honest contrast. We conceal plumbing, flues and ventilation without spoiling the historic surface, and we produce lasting solutions to old-building issues such as damp and insulation.

Do you include the permit, fire safety and ventilation process in the design?

Yes, this is the most critical dimension of the design. We compose the hood and flue line, fire escape routes, emergency lighting, accessibility and capacity calculations in compliance with regulations from the sketch stage. For open-kitchen concepts, we plan odor and smoke extraction with a flue solution that will not disturb neighbors, and we deliver the project so it passes municipal and fire-department approval smoothly.

How do you size the space for a concept that needs high table turnover?

In Istanbul's high-rent locations, every square meter and every minute means profit. We resolve the kitchen workflow, service lines, table density and circulation distances against the establishment's turnover target. We strike the right balance between seating many guests with few tables and guest comfort, and we set up a seating and service arrangement that keeps flowing even at peak service.

Istanbul · Restaurant

Istanbul Restaurant Design

Ankara-based Kaya + Partners delivers concept interior architecture for restaurants, cafés and bistros across Istanbul. We do not maintain a physical office in Istanbul; instead, we run the entire process through remote project management, scheduled site visits and close coordination with a local execution team. We work with an Istanbul interior design approach that reads the fierce competition, the demand for a strong concept and the operational realities of Nişantaşı, Karaköy, Bebek, Kadıköy, Beyoğlu, Etiler and Arnavutköy all at once. Our goal is to create a space that is photogenic on opening day yet still profitable in its fifth year.

A Strong Concept That Stands Out in Fierce Competition

In Istanbul, a restaurant's biggest rival is the ten other restaurants on the same street. In Nişantaşı, along the Bebek waterfront or in the narrow lanes of Karaköy, a guest decides from the storefront before ever sitting down, so the clarity of the concept must register in the very first minute. We first position the establishment's culinary identity, price segment and target audience strategically, then translate that concept into a single story through material, light and spatial language. A refined fine-dining venue in Etiler and an intimate neighborhood bistro in Kadıköy call for two diametrically opposed design languages.

Clear concept positioning based on culinary identity and price segment
A façade language readable from the storefront that prompts a decision in the first minute
A holistic narrative that weaves brand identity into material, color and detail
A segment suited to the area's profile: Etiler fine dining – Kadıköy bistro
A signature corner, back bar or ceiling composition that sets you apart from rivals

A Photogenic Space: Design That Markets Itself on Social Media

In Istanbul, a guest sees a venue on Instagram before ever walking in; a well-designed restaurant advertises itself for free. A window seat framing the Bosphorus light in Bebek and Arnavutköy, a vaulted ceiling inside a Beyoğlu arcade, or a signature back bar in Nişantaşı all create moments worth sharing. We leave photogenic corners nothing to chance; we deliberately compose the right angle of daylight, warm accent lighting for the evening and the brand's color palette. This turns every table into a frame that carries the space to the next guest.

Photogenic corners planned around daylight and evening lighting
Window and terrace seating that frames Bosphorus or street views
A signature back bar, neon, green wall or ceiling detail
Surfaces aligned with the brand palette that photograph well on a phone
High-CRI lighting that renders the colors on the plate accurately

Kitchen Workflow and High Table Turnover

The unseen kitchen determines the visible profit. In Istanbul's high-rent locations, every square meter and every minute means money; the service line must not stall for even a second at peak hours. We resolve cold and hot stations, the pass line, the dishwashing axis and waiter circulation as a choreography that keeps flowing even at the busiest moment of the evening service. We size table density, circulation paths and service distances against the establishment's turnover target, striking the right balance between seating many guests with few tables and preserving comfort.

Kitchen, storage and dishwashing axis sized for peak service
Short service distance between cold and hot stations and the pass line
Circulation paths where waiter movement does not clash with guest flow
Table density and seating typology set against the turnover target
A balance of noise and odor control in open-kitchen / bar-show settings

A Restaurant Inside a Historic Building: The Karaköy and Beyoğlu Reality

Istanbul's most characterful venues often sit in its most demanding structures. The hans and warehouses of Karaköy, the vaulted cellars of Beyoğlu and the timber buildings of Arnavutköy hold as much history as steel and glass. In these spaces, ceiling height, load-bearing walls, vaults and original stone surfaces are not constraints but the space's strongest asset. Rather than tearing out the existing fabric, we restore it and bring new additions together with the old in an honest contrast; we resolve plumbing and ventilation discreetly without disturbing the historic surface.

Restoring and highlighting vaults, stone walls and the original fabric
Bringing the old structure and a contemporary addition together in an honest contrast
A plan composition respectful of the structural system and ceiling height
Plumbing, flues and ventilation concealed without spoiling the historic surface
A lasting solution to old-building issues such as damp, flooring and insulation

Permits, Fire Safety and Ventilation: Design That Gets the Business Open

Even the finest venue cannot open if it fails to obtain a permit; in Istanbul, this is a dimension of design at least as important as aesthetics. We compose the extractor hood and flue line, the fire escape and exit routes, emergency lighting and accessibility in compliance with regulations from the sketch stage onward. For concepts wanting an open kitchen and grill, we plan odor and smoke extraction together with a flue solution that will not disturb neighboring flats. Our goal is to deliver the project so it passes municipal and fire-department approval smoothly, without delaying the permit process.

Regulation-compliant resolution of the hood, flue and odor extraction
A plan ready for fire escape routes, emergency lighting and fire-department approval
Accessibility, restrooms and capacity calculations compliant for the permit
A flue and ventilation line that does not disturb neighboring structures
Municipal and fire-department requirements observed from the sketch stage

Remote Process from Ankara and On-Site Coordination in Istanbul

We have no physical office in Istanbul; our base is Ankara, but for you that is not a limit, it is a controlled advantage. We run the project transparently through scheduled site visits, digital measurement, photorealistic 3D presentation, video tours and an online approval flow. We take the measurements of your shop in Nişantaşı, coordinate your site in Kadıköy with the local execution and subcontractor team, and oversee design quality end to end. You work with a single point of contact and make every decision remotely through visuals; your space comes to life faithfully and on time.

Scheduled site visits, digital measurement and on-site supervision
Remote design approval via photorealistic 3D presentation and video tour
Single-source coordination of the local execution, subcontractor and kitchen team
A single point of contact: end-to-end quality control from design to handover
A transparent process flow across Istanbul districts, unconstrained by distance

Our services in Istanbul

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about your interior design project

Do you have an office in Istanbul, and how do you run a restaurant project?
Our base is in Ankara; we do not maintain a physical office in Istanbul. We run restaurant and café projects through remote project management, scheduled site visits, online approval via photorealistic 3D presentations and video tours, and coordination of the local execution team on site. In districts such as Nişantaşı, Karaköy and Kadıköy we handle the measurement and site supervision ourselves, and you work with a single point of contact.
Can we run the design and execution remotely without seeing the space in person?
Yes. We built the process to be remote from the start: with digital measurement, photorealistic 3D visuals, video tours and online approval steps, you can make every decision remotely. During scheduled site visits we oversee the measurement, subcontractor coordination and execution, and we share progress with you regularly through visuals.
Can a restaurant be designed in a historic building in Karaköy or Beyoğlu?
Yes, and these are in fact the most characterful venues. Rather than tearing out the vaulted ceiling, stone walls and original fabric, we restore and highlight them, bringing contemporary additions together with the old in an honest contrast. We conceal plumbing, flues and ventilation without spoiling the historic surface, and we produce lasting solutions to old-building issues such as damp and insulation.
Do you include the permit, fire safety and ventilation process in the design?
Yes, this is the most critical dimension of the design. We compose the hood and flue line, fire escape routes, emergency lighting, accessibility and capacity calculations in compliance with regulations from the sketch stage. For open-kitchen concepts, we plan odor and smoke extraction with a flue solution that will not disturb neighbors, and we deliver the project so it passes municipal and fire-department approval smoothly.
How do you size the space for a concept that needs high table turnover?
In Istanbul's high-rent locations, every square meter and every minute means profit. We resolve the kitchen workflow, service lines, table density and circulation distances against the establishment's turnover target. We strike the right balance between seating many guests with few tables and guest comfort, and we set up a seating and service arrangement that keeps flowing even at peak service.

Let's talk about your restaurant or café project in Istanbul.

If you are planning a restaurant, café or bistro in Nişantaşı, Karaköy, Bebek, Kadıköy, Beyoğlu, Etiler or Arnavutköy, get to know Kaya + Partners. The first consultation is free; we manage the process end to end, including scheduled site visits, photorealistic 3D presentation and a remote approval flow.