Argos — Restaurant in Uçhisar

Perhaps more hotel and restaurant than winery, but for the wine lover who comes here it is an unmissable hotspot! Over the past 2,000 years Argos has taken many forms: successively a monastery, a caravanserai for Silk Road travellers, a linseed oil factory and now a stylish hotel. The complex is built on the eastern slope of Uçhisar, the highest and one of the oldest villages in Cappadocia. During the restoration more than 8 km of underground tunnels were uncovered, plus the Bezirhane: two huge underground halls with excellent acoustics that are now used for acoustic, classical, jazz and Sufi music concerts.

Wine plays a bigger role here than you might expect: wine has been made in Cappadocia since 3,000 BC, making it one of the oldest wine regions in the world. Set in a small village in Uçhisar overlooking the rolling Pigeon Valley and the great Mount Erciyes, Argos is a sustainable hotel deeply connected to the land, its history and its culture. Besides the underground tunnels and the wine cellar there is a heated outdoor pool overlooking the whole valley, an underground spa and countless culinary and cultural experiences. Guests can book hot-air balloon rides and visit local wineries in Ürgüp, Turasan and Kocabag being the best known.

Two restaurants: Nahita, a Gault Millau restaurant that sets out to rediscover forgotten flavours and recipes of Anatolia, and Seki, the region's pioneering restaurant, where Turkish and international dishes are made with local, seasonal ingredients and paired with a range of wines from around the world, recommended by certified sommeliers. Seasonal ingredients come from within a strict 60 km radius, supplemented with produce and herbs from the hotel's own garden. An extensive selection of wines from its own vineyards is kept in the underground cellar.