Destination Historic Peninsula: The Komana Binbirdirek and Sentez Restaurant on Oksijen's Route

Oksijen / June 2025

In her article “Destination Historic Peninsula”, published in Gazete Oksijen on 20 June 2025, Senem Bal Ay invites readers to be tourists in their own city for a day and to head for the Historic Peninsula. Her route starts from Hamidiye Street in Sirkeci and, passing historic bazaars, hans and the view terraces of historic buildings, leads on to the Spice Bazaar, the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet Square.

A New Place to Discover: The Komana Binbirdirek

For a new discovery very close to Sultanahmet Square, the article recommends adding The Komana Binbirdirek to the route. Bal Ay notes that every room of the hotel is designed with its own story and special architectural touches, and that works of art greet guests at every turn. At the hotel entrance, L'entrée welcomes guests with its café, bar and brasserie concept.

Sentez Restaurant on the Terrace

According to the article, stepping out of the lift into the newly opened Sentez Restaurant on the hotel's terrace floor, guests are greeted by a view stretching from the Bosphorus to the Islands. The menu, signed by Chef Fatih Anıl Demirci and inspired by Anatolian and Mediterranean cuisine, opens with a meze section featuring hummus, tahini aubergine, tarama and muhammara, followed by a robata grill section with sweetbreads, octopus tentacle and ribeye. Hot starters include shrimp mücver and boiled içli köfte; the sourdough pides include 'morel mushroom and short rib', 'meadow cheese and fresh herb paste' and 'pear and Niğde blue'; and among the main courses are Elbasan tava, Sivas köfte, seafood erişte, stone bass and mantı stuffed with roasted aubergine.

Bal Ay also notes that the restaurant sources its ingredients from local, reliable producers: Karayaka lamb from the Black Sea highlands comes from Nebyan Doğal, olive oils from Ayvalık from Novavera, morel and sarıkız mushrooms from World of Fungus, and salted yoghurt from Habib Günsa in Antakya. She closes by recommending that the route also take in historic sites such as the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, the Basilica Cistern, Sultanahmet Square and Topkapı Palace.

Source: Oksijen