Changa

Location :

Müzedechanga (meaning “Changa at the museum” in Turkish) is located within the lush gardens of Sakip Sabanci Museum overlooking the Bosphorus: The historical Atlikosk (Horse Mansion) and the new gallery annex equipped with the latest technology are now a museum of many accolades hosting exhibitions of fine art (http://muze.sabanciuniv.edu ). The restaurant was invited to this exquisite space by Sabanci family and opened its doors in November 2005 with a dinner party given in honor of Picasso family. Müzedechanga is the younger sister of Changa Restaurant (currently closed), an award-winning establishment that has changed the restaurant scene in Istanbul from its beginning in 1999.

Müzedechanga serves a light, all-day menu for museum visitors as well as mostly business clients at lunch and becomes a fine dining restaurant in the evenings, serving a selection of interpretations/renditions of Turkish dishes accentuated with Mediterranean tastes and textures. Culinary Consultant Peter Gordon’s (world famous chéf from New Zealand living and working in London) influence in the kitchen is strongly visible.

The new “glass box” building of Müzedechanga is adjacent to the historic Horse Mansion (Atlıkosk). Highly regarded Autoban design team (Seyhan Ozdemir and Sefer Caglar) has done the interiors. All the furniture used in the restaurant designed especially for Müzedechanga by Autoban. The owners wanted an atmosphere “that gives the feeling of their parents’ homes in the 60s and 70s in Ankara” and mid 20th century Scandinavian style seemed just right. Architects used natural oak wood, brass and copper-toned mirrors to set the general mood and Poul Henningsen and Noguchi lamps are used for lighting. Indoor space seats 80 people and, when the weather allows, terrace overlooking the Bosphorus can accommodate up to 140 people at a single sitting …

Muzedechanga recently won prestigious Wallpaper* Best New Restaurant Award in 2007 (http://www.wallpaper.com/news/Design_Awards:_the_winners/1258). The world famous magazine describes the awards as “the ultimate in global design, architecture and style, as selected by this year's elite panel of international judges”. The restaurant also won Time-Out Magazine’s Most Creative Dish Award in 2008. Finally, the restaurant was also selected as the Best Restaurant in Turkey by the judges of Central and Eastern Europe Food Awards in 2011.