i. Biography
As Executive Chef of Karaköy Lokantası in Istanbul, Ugur Erbas works inside a lokanta tradition built for daily use rather than display. The cooking is practical, grounded, and tied to everyday Turkish food. In his hands, that lineage is kept active through service: measured, unadorned, and clear about what the format is for.
Coming Up
Today, Ugur Erbas is Executive Chef of Karaköy Lokantası.
Where They Are Now
That role sits within a kitchen defined by everyday Turkish cooking and the canteen-style directness associated with the lokanta. The emphasis is on clarity rather than novelty, and on keeping the food legible to the people it serves. The work is not built for spectacle; it relies on continuity, precision, and the discipline of making familiar dishes feel composed and purposeful. Under Erbas, restraint becomes part of the kitchen’s operating language. The job extends beyond the pass. It includes protecting the grammar of the place and holding onto what a lokanta is meant to be while the demands of contemporary service keep moving. His connection to Karaköy Lokantası is therefore more than a shift pattern. Ugur Erbas helps shape the restaurant’s tone and the standards expected of the team inside it. The result is a kitchen that reads as steady rather than performative, rooted rather than restless, and committed to the everyday force of classical Anatolian cuisine.
Career - Executive Chef — Karaköy Lokantası, Istanbul, Turkey
Honors
Ugur's honors include Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).
FAQ What is Ugur Erbas's current role? As of 2026, Ugur Erbas is Executive Chef. What recognition has Ugur Erbas received? Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).
