Our Story

From Craftsmanship to Hospitality

Palatium Cafe and Restaurant exterior in Sultanahmet Istanbul

Palatium Cafe & Restaurant is the latest chapter of a family business with more than six decades of experience in handmade rugs, kilims, furniture and interior decoration. By the 1980s, our work had grown between Istanbul and the United States, combining retail, production and traditional craftsmanship.

Guests enjoying dinner together at Palatium Cafe and Restaurant in Sultanahmet

Our Roots in Sultanahmet

In 1994, our family established its roots in Sultanahmet. For many years, this location continued our work with handmade carpets, kilims, furniture and traditional decoration — a background that would later have a lasting influence on the character of Palatium.

Historic entrance and passage at the Palatium property in Sultanahmet Istanbul

A Historic Discovery

Historic Roman remains associated with the Magnaura area beneath the Palatium property

In 1996, historic remains associated with the Magnaura Palace area and the Roman Palace complex (Great Palace) were uncovered beneath the property. Over the following years, our family supported the work to uncover, protect and preserve the site with its own resources — a responsibility that has continued across generations and remains part of our work today.

From Decoration to Palatium

When we transformed the space into Palatium Cafe & Restaurant in 2010, we carried our earlier work with us rather than leaving it behind. The textiles, furnishings, traditional seating and much of the restaurant’s visual character grew naturally from our background in handmade rugs, kilims, furniture and decoration.

Traditional cushioned seating and handmade textile decor inside Palatium Restaurant

Palatium Cafe & Restaurant
Since 2010

Main dining area of Palatium Cafe and Restaurant in Sultanahmet Istanbul

Palatium opened as a restaurant in 2010, bringing together Turkish cuisine, hospitality and a setting shaped by our family’s long connection with craftsmanship and Sultanahmet. What had developed here over many years became the foundation for a new kind of family business.

Today, guests from around the world visit Palatium for Turkish mezze, pide, kebabs, clay-pot specialties and a distinctive dining atmosphere just minutes from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Palatium Today

More than three decades after our family came to Sultanahmet, Palatium continues to evolve while remaining connected to the same place, craftsmanship and history that shaped it. At the same time, our family continues its commitment to the preservation and restoration of the historic remains connected with the property.