There are few places on earth where the last night of the year feels as layered as it does in Sultanahmet. Domes and minarets that have watched over Istanbul for centuries light up against the winter sky, the streets of the Old City fill with visitors from every corner of the world, and the countdown to midnight carries a sense of history you simply cannot find anywhere else. If you are looking for a 2027 New Year Eve Party that is about flavour, music and good company rather than a crowded club, Shyra Restaurant has prepared exactly that.
Shyra’s New Year’s Eve evening is titled “A Celebration of Flavour & Joy”, and it brings together a seven-dish menu drawn from Anatolian and Ottoman palace cuisine, live violin, a wish balloon release and a fireworks show at midnight. Below you will find the full New Year menu, the timing of the evening, what is included in the price and a few practical tips for planning your night in the historic heart of Istanbul.
Why Celebrate the 2027 New Year Eve Party in Sultanahmet
Istanbul welcomes the New Year with energy in every district, but Sultanahmet offers something different: a setting that has hosted celebrations, banquets and festivals for well over a thousand years. Walking to dinner past Byzantine stones and Ottoman fountains is already part of the experience, and the atmosphere of the Historic Peninsula on the last night of December is festive without being overwhelming.
For many travellers, New Year’s Eve is also the one night of the trip when they want to sit down, slow down and enjoy a long meal. That is where Shyra fits naturally. The restaurant’s kitchen, led by Chef Necati Yılmaz, focuses on the culinary journey from the steppes of Central Asia to the refined kitchens of the Ottoman Palace, a story we explored in our article From the Steppes to Sultanahmet with Shyra Restaurant. The New Year menu condenses that journey into a single evening: cured meats of the nomads, dumplings carried west by Turkic migrations, ceremonial dishes of Anatolia and a goose course inspired by palace banquets.
If you have never been to Shyra before and want to know more about the restaurant, its philosophy and its location, our guide Everything You Want to Know About Shyra Restaurant is a good place to start.
The 2027 New Year’s Eve Menu at Shyra Restaurant
The New Year’s Eve menu is a set menu served to every guest, priced at €225 per person. The price includes water and unlimited alcoholic drinks throughout the evening, so you can relax and enjoy the night without keeping an eye on a drinks bill. Here is the complete menu, exactly as it appears on Shyra’s New Year card:
- Turkish Meze – five signature mezes, made for sharing.
- Pastırma – air-dried cured beef with aromatic çemen.
- Turkish Mantı – traditional Turkish dumplings.
- Lakerda – delicately salt-cured bonito.
- Keşkek – slow-cooked wheat and meat.
- Goose – a winter favourite inspired by palace banquets.
- Kazandibi – Turkish milk pudding with a caramelised base.
Price: €225 per person · Included: water and unlimited alcoholic drinks · Location: Shyra Restaurant, Sultanahmet, Istanbul.
Seven dishes may sound like a lot, but the menu has been built like a story with a clear beginning, middle and end. It opens with sharing plates and cured specialities, moves on to two of Anatolia’s most beloved comfort dishes, reaches its high point with goose, and closes with a classic palace dessert. In the sections below we look at each part of the New Year menu in a little more detail.
To Begin: Meze, Pastırma and Lakerda
The evening starts the way a proper Turkish table should: with Turkish meze. The New Year menu lists five signature mezes, made for sharing, and the idea is simple – plates go to the middle of the table, everyone tastes a little of everything and conversation flows. The word meze is often linked to the Persian word for “taste”, and during the Ottoman period sharing small plates before the main course became one of the most cherished habits of Istanbul dining. If you are curious about Shyra’s approach to cold starters, our article Turkish Cuisine Beyond Kebabs takes a closer look at the meze tradition.
Next comes pastırma, air-dried cured beef coated in aromatic çemen. Pastırma is one of Türkiye’s oldest cured meats and its roots go back to the Turkic nomads of Central Asia, who salted and air-dried meat, then covered it in a spice paste so it could survive long journeys. Today it is especially associated with Kayseri, and a few thin slices are the perfect partner for a glass of something cold at the start of a celebration.
The third cold course is lakerda, delicately salt-cured bonito. Lakerda is a true Istanbul speciality whose history reaches back to the Byzantine era, when salt curing allowed fishermen to preserve seasonal fish. It is a dish shared by Turkish and Greek culinary traditions alike, and it is a fitting reminder that the Bosphorus has always fed this city. Together, meze, pastırma and lakerda give the New Year table a bright, savoury opening.
Comfort from the Steppes: Turkish Mantı and Keşkek
After the cold courses, the menu turns to two warming dishes that have travelled a long way to reach Istanbul. Turkish mantı, traditional Turkish dumplings, originated among the Turkic peoples of Central Asia and arrived in Anatolia with the great Turkish migrations. Today it is one of the most iconic dishes in the country, with regional versions from Kayseri to the Aegean. We told the bigger story behind dishes like this in The Great Migration Behind Turkish Cuisine.
Keşkek – slow-cooked wheat and meat – is the most ceremonial dish on the menu. In Anatolia, keşkek has been prepared for weddings, festivals and community celebrations for generations: wheat and meat are cooked together slowly for many hours until they become one rich, velvety dish. The keşkek tradition is even recognised by UNESCO as part of Türkiye’s intangible cultural heritage. Placing it on a New Year menu makes perfect sense, because keşkek has always been a dish for days when people gather to celebrate together.
These two courses are the heart of the “Anatolian” side of Shyra’s kitchen. They are not flashy dishes; they are deeply comforting, and on a cold December night in Istanbul they set the mood for the rest of the evening.
A Palace Banquet Centrepiece: Goose
The main course of the New Year menu is goose, described on the menu as “a winter favourite inspired by palace banquets”. In the Ottoman Palace, goose was considered one of the finest poultry dishes, especially during the winter season and at royal feasts, and it held a special place on the tables of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Serving goose on the last night of the year continues a very old idea: winter celebrations deserve a grand centrepiece.
Goose already has a place in Shyra’s palace cuisine, which we described in detail in Ottoman Palace Cuisine in Sultanahmet: Three 16th-Century Dishes You Can Still Order. For the New Year’s Eve dinner it becomes the high point of the meal – a rich, festive course that links the evening directly to the banquet halls of the Ottoman court, just a short walk from the restaurant.
A Sweet Finish: Kazandibi
Every good celebration needs a sweet ending, and Shyra closes the New Year menu with kazandibi, Turkish milk pudding with a caramelised base. Kazandibi is one of the classic milk desserts of Ottoman palace cuisine, and its name literally means “bottom of the pot”: it is named after the caramelised layer that forms at the bottom of the cooking pan, giving the pudding its distinctive flavour and texture.
It is light enough to enjoy after a generous dinner, yet special enough to feel like a treat on the most festive night of the year. If you would like to discover more of the Turkish desserts served at Shyra, read Turkish Dessert Beyond Baklava: Kazandibi, Levzine, Halva and Katmer at Shyra.
The Evening Programme: Violin, Wish Balloons and Midnight Fireworks
Food is only half of the story. Shyra’s New Year’s Eve has been planned as a complete evening, with each part of the night given its own moment. Here is the official programme:
- 21:00 – 23:30 – Live violin
- 22:30 – Wish balloon release
- 23:30 – 00:00 – Soft music
- 00:00 – Fireworks show
The night opens at 21:00 with live violin, which accompanies dinner for two and a half hours – an elegant soundtrack for the meze, mantı and goose courses. At 22:30 comes one of the most personal moments of the evening: the wish balloon release, a chance to make a wish for the year ahead and let it go. From 23:30 the music softens as the countdown approaches, and at exactly 00:00 the New Year arrives with a fireworks show.
The programme suits couples, families and groups of friends alike. It is lively enough to feel like a real 2027 New Year Eve Party, but calm enough that you can still talk across the table and enjoy every course.
Planning Your New Year’s Eve in the Old City
New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year in Istanbul, so a little planning goes a long way. Here are a few practical suggestions:
- Book early. Set New Year menus are prepared for a fixed number of guests, so reserving in advance is the best way to secure your table. You can book through our reservation page or by calling +90 501 605 52 52.
- Arrive in time for the start. The programme begins at 21:00 with live violin, and the wish balloon release follows at 22:30, so arriving on time lets you enjoy the whole evening.
- Plan your route. Shyra is located at Binbirdirek Meydanı Sok. No: 3 in Fatih, in the heart of Sultanahmet. Traffic in Istanbul is heavy on New Year’s Eve, so walking or using the T1 tram line is usually easier than taking a car.
- Dress for winter. Late December evenings in Istanbul are cool and often damp, so bring a warm layer for the walk through the Old City.
- Mention special requests when you book. If you have dietary needs or questions about the menu, the team can answer them when you make your reservation.
First time in Istanbul? Our guide What Should You Order If It’s Your First Time Trying Turkish Food? will help you get to know many of the flavours you will meet on the New Year menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the New Year’s Eve menu at Shyra Restaurant?
The New Year’s Eve menu costs €225 per person and includes water and unlimited alcoholic drinks.
What is on the 2027 New Year’s Eve menu?
The menu includes Turkish meze (five signature mezes for sharing), pastırma, Turkish mantı, lakerda, keşkek, goose and kazandibi.
What time does the evening start?
The programme starts at 21:00 with live violin until 23:30. The wish balloon release takes place at 22:30, soft music plays from 23:30 to midnight, and the fireworks show begins at 00:00.
Are drinks included in the price?
Yes. According to the New Year menu, water and unlimited alcoholic drinks are included in the €225 per person price.
How can I reserve a table for New Year’s Eve?
You can reserve through the Shyra reservation page or by phone on +90 501 605 52 52. Booking early is recommended, as New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year.
Where is Shyra Restaurant?
Shyra Restaurant is in Sultanahmet, Istanbul, at Binbirdirek, Binbirdirek Meydanı Sok. No: 3, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul – within walking distance of the main sights of the Historic Peninsula.
Conclusion
A New Year’s Eve in Sultanahmet is something many travellers remember for the rest of their lives, and the right table makes all the difference. Shyra Restaurant’s 2027 New Year Eve Party brings together seven dishes from Anatolian and Ottoman palace cuisine – meze, pastırma, mantı, lakerda, keşkek, goose and kazandibi – with live violin, a wish balloon release, soft music before the countdown and a fireworks show at midnight, all for €225 per person with water and unlimited alcoholic drinks included.
If you want to welcome 2027 with history, flavour and joy in the heart of Istanbul, reserve your place early and let Shyra take care of the rest. We look forward to celebrating the New Year with you in Sultanahmet.
