As people begin return to Istanbul after a long holiday season, venues are quickly becoming crowded and social life is on the move again. This week, I will tell you about a few important details of the city's diverse dining world.Our first stop is TOI in the Kuruçeşme district of Istanbul. Chef İsmet Saz is the manager of this popular venue and his success is largely attributable to his cultural background. Raised in a westernized culture, Saz loves his job and is both knowledgeable and creative, fusing modern twists with culinary traditions to make the most delicious dishes.Upon moving the TOI restaurant from its location in Akaretler to Kuruçeşme, Saz decided to vamp up the venue with a larger, more spacious dining area built around a huge, old olive tree situated in the center of the restaurant which gives it a uniquely Mediterranean look.Complete with cute table lamps, turquoise-colored seating and red drinking glasses, TOI has a dining style of its own. If you're seeking a beautiful view with your dining experience, TOI will not disappoint. Situated on the top floor, the restaurant's roof is retractable and offers a sky-high experience on an open terrace, ideal during the summer months. As soon as the weather begins to warm up, TOI will be buzzing with visitors enjoying the unique rooftop scenery.On the other hand, the restrooms here are quite stylish, designed to be pleasant to the eye and functional at the very same time. Apparently, they use the Pera series of Rebul Eau De Cologne. Love it!Moving forward, the greatest pleasure at TOI would have to be the experience of the chef table. The food is served before your eyes on a custom-made pecan table courtesy of Chef İsmet Saz. The whole team works wonders on a Spanish, Jasper-make cast iron stove.I loved the New England clam chowder among other dishes. Likewise, the marinated, thinly sliced duck was a fantastic dish. As for the main course, the seafood plate served with salmon, pagan fish, mussels and shrimp is rather impressive. The sauce inside is made by cooking the mussels, so it is indeed a healthy treat. Another delicious main course is the meat dish which consists of lamb cutlets and shoulder of lamb. The meat is cooked in an oven for 16 hours over a charcoal fire, so they say. A huge work, you see.However, my favorite dish was the Beetroot Risotto. I loved its zesty lemon flavor. The pink risotto cream, beetroot and lemon are absolutely fantastic.As for the desserts, I suggest the cinnamon apple pie but, I loved their homemade ice cream the most. I must say the restaurant's Mastic ice cream is amazing. Especially the spinach powder served with it, which looks like pistachio, is a treat not to be missed.The long and short of it, TOI is full of creativeness and tastes so visit here the first chance you get, but remember to book.Another venue I would like to talk about this week is Spago in Istanbul's Nişantaşı district. Situated on the roof of the St. Regis Hotel, this venue is always in high demand. The bar is rather crowded and it offers creative cocktails with names that are sure to entertain with my favorite being 'Angels & Politicians.'The works of art inside the venue are highly assertive, too. I especially recommend that you view the self-portrait in the foyer, on which Andy Warhol has depicted himself. The terrace section of Spago is used year round with heaters to keep diners warm on those cold winter days.The biggest draw the venue offers is surely the chef. You can enjoy the exquisite tastes of celebrated chef Murat Bozok. Murat is already a successful culinary figure who has become the pride of Turkey. Accordingly, I am not surprised that Wolfgang Puck struck a deal with him because Murat is just a man of the world, a true professional.I tried his new menu for the first time at a tasting event organized by J.W. & Sons. I was joined by Rui Reis, the general manager of St. Regis. We tasted magnificent flavors with Tom Jones, the global brand ambassador of J.W. & Sons. We tasted the chestnut soup first, which I really loved. This soup is usually very creamy and contains a lot of calories, so beware. I rate this recipe as both delicious and healthy. Likewise, the seared foie gras (goose liver) was an assertive presentation and although I prefer foie gras as a parfait, the taste at the Spago undeniably satisfied me.As for the desserts, panna cotta with boza (fermented millet) has the characteristics of a fusion dish.Roasted chickpea powder on top and boza inside makes it a perfect winter dessert. I want to congratulate chef Murat Bozok and his team for this creative recipe and for the restaurant's success. During these snowy days, I highly recommend that you stop by Spago and enjoy its delicious menu with its Turkish touches.Tips of the weekTop 3 venues of the week- Spago / Nişantaşı- TOI / Kuruçeşme- Hazine / CihangirTop 3 hotels of the week- St. Regis / Nişantaşı- Kaya Palazzo / Kartalkaya- Argos / CappadociaTop 3 people to follow this week- Boğaç Dalkıran / Photographer- Eylül / Singer- Fidan Şimşek / Fashion designer