Dilara Sabra Cadabra is a food magician living in Istanbul.  Recently she opened a new restaurant that she calls Abracadabra, right on the Bosphorus water front. She has previously run her own restaurants along with doing consulting and creative styling for kitchens all over the city.

Dilara is know for her traditional Turkish cuisine with a mashup of flavors she found on her many trips around the world. She travelled and lived in India, South America, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and did a apprenticeship at the Tribecca Grill Restaurant in New York in 2001.

Dilara Erbay's lovely personality and charm shines out over the delightful restaurant as she roams the kitchen with a loud laughter.

The food is displayed and served on large wooden paddles, placed right on the table. Each board gets a small food installation with a variety of dishes, snacks, sauces and drinks.

Located right by the water with an outdoor terras, the combination of the breeze from the Bosphorus, the hot Istanbul summer and the magic dishes served from Cadabra's kitchen is pure joy.

One can almost smell the garlic oil from the above snails and with the local beer Efes, some cheese, some nuts and a Raki on the side makes a tear come to the eye. 

View from the top window of the restaurant overlooking Bosphorus and the bridge, connecting the East to the West.

Dilara Erbay also has a degree from the Economical and Management Sciences from the Galatasaray University. Her thesis was on “The Role of Non-Government Organizations in Turkish Political Life, and the Bergama Event”. In other words, if you come to visit Dilara at her place, you will be able to talk to her about other things than the spectacular view and what you are eating.

Links:

www.abracadabra-ist.com

www.dilaraerbay.com 

Facebook Group