Gastromasa food conference in Istanbul celebrates 10th anniversary edition with stellar lineup

22^nd October 2025

Food & Travel Desk

Food & Travel Desk

22 October 2025

Flagship gastronomy summit Gastromasa is returning this November to the Haliç Congress Centre, marking a decade of celebrating the food industry since it stared in 2015. The event has grown over the last decade, under the leadership of Gokmen Sözen, from a local idea into what has been described as the world’s second-largest gastronomy conference and a bridge between Türkiye and the world. A fixture on the culinary calendar, it convenes chefs, investors, hoteliers, bartenders and thought-leaders to debate where food goes next. This year’s milestone outing will again combine talks, interviews, panels and workshops, and will expand across four strands: Gastromasa Hospitality, Bar, Coffee and Pastry.

The choice of Istanbul remains the central point of the conference. Few cities tell the story of food culture’s stratification quite so vividly: a metropolis straddling Europe and Asia where Ottoman court cooking meets Anatolian home kitchens, and where Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Levantine, Balkan and Caucasian influences have long lived side by side. Over the past decade, not only has Gastromasa evolved, but the city itself has shifted from a dining scene once divided between classic kebab houses and Euro-leaning fine dining to a confident New Anatolian vanguard. At Mikla, Mehmet Gürs helped define that change – work carried forward by Maksut Aşkar at Neolokal, where regional recipes are reinterpreted with precision and purpose, earning him both a Michelin star and the Guide’s Green Star for sustainability; and at TURK, where Fatih Tutak places Turkish tradition centre-stage in a contemporary tasting format, now the city’s standout two-star establishment. The Michelin Guide’s arrival in 2022 and the subsequent surge in starred kitchens have only strengthened Istanbul’s position as one of the world’s most dynamic culinary hubs.

The tenth anniversary edition will host more than 70 chefs and pastry chefs alongside scores of baristas, sommeliers and mixologists, and hundreds of Turkish tourism and hospitality professionals – underscoring the event’s status as a meeting point for the industry. As ever, the line-up mixes household names and new voices. Among the giants are Albert Adrià (Enigma in Barcelona), Oriol Castro (Disfrutar, also in Barcelona), Andoni Luis Aduriz (Mugaritz, San Sebastián), Christian Le Squer (Le Cinq, Paris) and Ángel León (Aponiente, Cádiz), and on the rising-star front, attendees can expect Jessica Rosval (Casa Maria Luigia, Modena), Rasmus Munk (Alchemist, Copenhagen) and Nicolai Nørregaard (Kadeau, Copenhagen). The UK and London scenes bring strong representation with Simon Rogan (L’Enclume), Jeremy Chan (Ikoyi), Nieves Barragán Mohacho (Sabor), Santiago Lastra (Kol), Marco Zampese (Hélène Darroze at The Connaught), Thibault Hauchard (Claridge’s), Nicolas Rouzaud (The Connaught) and Endo Kazutoshi (Endo at the Rotunda) – along with Giorgio Bargiani of The Connaught Bar, who represents the cocktail world’s top tier. 

Beyond star-spotting, organisers say the anniversary programme, titled Stories of 10 Years, will look back at a decade of change – sustainability, storytelling, the business realities of hospitality – while sketching roadmaps for the years ahead. The stated mission is to promote Türkiye’s landscapes, heritage and regional cuisines internationally and to keep strengthening culinary tourism. In short, Istanbul is not just the host city; it is the argument. 

Full speakers list:

Albert Adrià – Enigma (Barcelona, Spain)

Ana Roš – Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)

Ángel León – Aponiente (El Puerto de Santa María, Spain)

Christian Le Squer – Le Cinq (Paris, France)

Eric Vildgaard – Restaurant Jordnær (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Fabrizio Mellino – Quattro Passi (Campania, Italy)

Jaime Pesaque – Mayta (Lima, Peru)

Jessica Rosval – Casa Maria Luigia (Modena, Italy)

Johannes Richter – The LivingRoom (Pinetown, South Africa)

Josean Alija – Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain)

Luca Pronzato – We Are ONA (Paris, France)

Marco Zampese – Hélène Darroze at The Connaught (London, United Kingdom)

Mohamed Benabdallah – Asador Etxebarri (Bizkaia, Spain)

Nicolai Nørregaard – Kadeau (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Paco Torreblanca – Pastelería Torreblanca (Alicante, Spain)

Pepe Solla – Restaurante Solla (Poio, Pontevedra, Spain)

René Frank – Coda (Berlin, Germany)

Simon Rogan – L’Enclume (Cartmel, United Kingdom)

Torres Brothers – Cocina Hermanos Torres (Barcelona, Spain)

Yoshizumi Nagaya – Sankai by Nagaya (İstanbul, Türkiye)

Aitor Arregi – Elkano (Getaria, Spain)

Andrea Tortora – AT Pâtissier (Brescia, Italy)

Antonio Bachour – Bachour (Miami, USA)

Diego Guerrero – DSTAgE (Madrid, Spain)

Emmanuel Renaut – La Table Gastronomique d’Emmanuel Renaut (Megève, France)

Gianluca Fusto – Fusto Milano (Milano, Italy)

Janice Wong – 2am: dessertbar (Singapore)

João Oliveira – Vista Restaurante (Portimão, Portugal)

Jorge Vallejo – Quintonil (Polanco, Mexico)

Juanjo López – La Tasquita de Enfrente (Madrid, Spain)

Manu Buffara – Restaurante Manu (Curitiba, Brazil)

Michele Lazzarini – Contrada Bricconi (Lombardia, Italy)

Mohamad Orfali – Orfali Bros (Dubai, UAE)

Nieves Barragán Mohacho – Sabor (London, United Kingdom)

Paco Roncero – Paco Roncero Restaurante (Madrid, Spain)

Philippe Bernachon – Bernachon (Lyon, France)

Santiago Lastra – Kol (London, United Kingdom)

Thibault Hauchard – Claridge’s (London, United Kingdom)

Virgilio Martínez – Central Restaurante (Lima, Peru)

Alfredo Russo – Dolce Stil Novo alla Reggia (Venaria Reale, Italy)

Andoni Luis Aduriz – Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain)

Antonio Guida – Seta by Antonio Guida (Milan, Italy)

Elena Arzak – Arzak (San Sebastián, Spain)

Endo Kazutoshi – Endo at the Rotunda (London, United Kingdom)

Giorgio Bargiani – The Connaught Bar (London, United Kingdom)

Jeremy Chan – Ikoyi (London, United Kingdom)

João Rodrigues – Projecto Matéria (Lisbon, Portugal)

Joris Bijdendijk – Rijks (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Julien Royer – Odette (Singapore)

Marco Müller – Rutz (Berlin, Germany)

Mitsuharu Tsumura – Maido (Lima, Peru)

Nicolas Rouzaud – The Connaught (London, United Kingdom)

Oriol Castro – Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)

Pavlos Kyriakis – MykOrini (İstanbul, Türkiye)

Rasmus Munk – Alchemist (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Salam Dakkak – Bait Maryam & Sufret Maryam (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Thomas Bühner – La Vie by Thomas Bühner (Düsseldorf, Germany)

Vladimir Mukhin – White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)

Food Desk

Gastromasa: Stories of 10 Years is on at the Haliç Congress Centre, Istanbul from 6^th until 7^th November 2025. For further information or to register, visit here.