La Terrazza: A true chef’s heaven

La Terrazza, led by Claudio Chinali, is a true chef's haven, where the meticulous choice of ingredients and innovative Italian dishes come together to deliver delightful surprises.

"I'm exhausted from discussing Italian food and its popularity at conferences in Türkiye for the past decade. I'd rather focus on other topics, like myself, Claudio. I want to share my vision shaped by my culture, the ingredients from Türkiye that inspire me, and their potential on the international stage," says Claudio Chinali, with a hint of frustration. And he has a point. I've known him since he first arrived in Türkiye and have witnessed his significant contributions to both Italian and Turkish cuisine.

This venue operates with a completely different concept from the other food and drink spots in Eataly — it's more like a chef's restaurant. I'm not sure how many people realize this. After opening Terrazza, Claudio discovered that our view of Italian cuisine goes beyond just pizza margherita, penne arrabbiata, carpaccio, and tiramisu. He finds this a bit challenging and is working to change it with Terrazza.

Claudio Chinali, who oversees everything from cheese to pasta at Eataly and manages the kitchens in its restaurants, is particularly passionate about La Terrazza. "I believe Italian cuisine in Türkiye stagnated in the 1980s and hasn't moved forward. Just look at all the Italian restaurants — they offer the same dishes with no variation. Triangular parmesan on veal carpaccio, caprese salad, penne arrabbiata, or linguine pesto... We feature these tasty dishes in our other Eataly restaurant, but our goal here was to stand out. We wanted to prove that we can create amazing Italian dishes using local Turkish ingredients," Claudio explains about Terrazza....