The AmiGo Edit: Curated by Simay Demirel

Top of my travel wishlist right now is Kyoto. I took a solo trip there last September, but already cannot wait to go back! It was exactly what I imagined a Japanese town to be like. I often reminisce about the places I visited, particularly donkou / Kissa Fang, which is both a coffee house and a library created by book director Yoshitaka Haba. The house is surrounded by bamboo trees and only open to a few visitors per timeslot, which makes for a really meditative experience. Some other favorite places in town are Tonkatsu Shimizu, where I had the most delicious katsu sando late one evening, and Nunuka Life, an exquisite ceramics shop.

I feel naked if I leave home without putting my rings on—in my opinion, a touch of silver perfectly completes any look! My most-worn pieces are from Camille Surault, who launched her brand in Paris last spring. My favorites are the Dowdow ring and Dowdow earcuff. My jewelry keeps me grounded away from home, but at my apartment I have little rituals to start my day on a calm, gentle note. I light incense while making coffee, using longtime favorite products: the Aesop incense trio and La Cabra beans.

My priority searches when I’m in a new place are usually rare bookstores and spas. Growing up in Istanbul, hammam culture has always been a part of my life, so I’m drawn to experiencing other bathing cultures. Some of the most beautiful spas I’ve been to in the past few years were Kulttuurisauna in Helsinki, a monastic, minimal space with Japanese-inspired interiors; Sofiebadet in Copenhagen, an early 1900s bathhouse; and Peter Zumthor's thermal baths at the 7132 Hotel in Vals, Switzerland.

I’m also always sourcing vintage books. The messier the bookstore seems, the better luck I usually have in finding gems for my project @wiwltr___reads. Some of my favorite finds were from Turcalibris in Istanbul, Komiyama Bookstore in Tokyo, and Antiquariat Im Seefeld, Jetzer E. & Co. in Zurich.

My most recent favorite find in Paris is a neighborhood Chinese restaurant with a kitschy set up of chairs with pink fabric covers and yellow bows: Jonque d’Or. It was recommended by a friend and it’s located in the 16th, where I live. Book for a late lunch so you can have the room to yourself.

My latest date night spot is Chez Savy. A Parisian classic since opening in 1923, it has an old-school dining room and a traditional French menu. My boyfriend and I instantly fell in love with the decor, including intimate booths, burgundy leather chairs, colorful tiles, and Art Deco elements like stained mirrors along the walls.

When I think of home I think of Istanbul. I instantly think of the most memorable breakfast ASMR, combining the sounds of clattering Turkish tea glasses and lots of plates being moved around. Breakfast is the most important meal in Turkey, so when I have a visitor in town, I make sure to take them to my favorite place for a proper first meal: Boris'in Yeri. It’s a very casual spot with a simple kitchen and they prepare everything that I love; kaymak served with lots of honey, roughly sliced tomatoes and cucumber with a generous amount of olive oil, and sucuk with egg or menemen.

I travel with a hunger for culture, and I enjoy the process of sourcing inspiration and putting together a very well-curated list before my trips. AmiGo is where I find intriguing, local spots, and I love that I can get recs from friends or tastemakers that I trust. My favorite fellow curators to follow are Sam Youkilis and Monica Mendal—their recs are inspiring… and often induce travel envy! Monica goes into such detail in her tips, and she always has great accommodation recommendations, and Sam is my go-to for the perfect bite in any city.