Bars

Built in 1892 and proudly worn through the years, the Büyük Londra Oteli (Grand Hotel de Londres) is one of the most eccentric buildings in the city. Located in the Pera area along with the infamous Pera Palace, the two hotels have been preserving their Ottoman-Victorian charm ever since the time of the Orient Express. Büyük Londra Oteli is a page in history on its own: its fading grandeur is kept the way it is – no chic wi-fi lounges or ultra modern furnitures, instead you can find portable coal stoves, parrot cages and photos of Istanbul at the height of its ‘Oriental’ splendor.

The building has slowly become popular again since the famous director Fatih Akın used it in his brilliant films. With the high ceilings and red velvet furnishings, the hotel has managed to keep the ambiance as it was years ago.

The hotel’s terrace bar is in my opinion one of the best places to grab an afternoon drink – looking over the Golden Horn, the bar serves drinks and meals at very affordable prices. The unassuming décor of the rooftop bar and the soft breeze in summer afternoons make one feel like one has discovered a secret jewel in the midst of the city.

The terrace is another reason to love springtime in Istanbul, but if you’re visiting when the weather is still chilly, visit its main hall and have a coffee in its lobby bar, taking your time to feel the graciously faded elegance.

Beşiktaş çarşı (market) is not an ordinary market place but also home of Beşiktaş football club fans where they gather before a game. Its location advantage, being close to the stadium, is ideal for fans to eat and consume alcohol at restaurants or on streets.

They have singing marches an half an hour prior to the game and then they walk to the stadium to take their seats. Once they leave, the fish restaurants around the fish market are ideal spots to watch game on tv where Çarşı Balık is one of them.

No need to say that customers are Beşiktaş supporters and the atmosphere is not much different than in a stadium. Although I’m not a Beşiktaş fan, I really enjoy watching football at this restaurant. The tables are so close to each other that at a first glance one can easily think that a large group is dining together.

In fact you won’t be entirely wrong, in a few minutes people start chatting with others around, chatting especially about the football game while enjoying mezes and fresh fish according to season. After the game you could easily observe people changing cards or phone numbers, planning to watch the next game together. Although I have to stay silent when my team scores, it is great fun to watch fans more than the game.

In recent years, the asmalımescit area grew a lot and has become one of the night life centers in Istanbul. This area is limited with a few intersecting streets where Sofyalı street is the focus point. Faces is one of the bars lined up on Sofyalı street with a different color.

It’s a restaurant – bar, serving food till 22:00 and then turns into a club where tables are replaced with stands. It has two floors and the upper floor is ideal for large groups or birthday parties. They offer international cuisine on their menu but I’ve never been there before 22:00.

What I like is the club “face” starting late at night. The music is a mixture of Turkish and international hits but 80′s hits are always on top of the list. I’ve never seen somebody not singing loudly or moving with the rhythm when it’s the 80′s turn.

Unfortunately the club is packed after midnight, and it’s even hard to move or to reach the bar for a drink. I advice you to try one of their cocktails listed on board, which changes daily. It is open till 04:00 but after 02:00 some people prefer bar hopping and the club gets less crowded, which is ideal for dancing.

Çiçek Pasajı is the L-shaped courtyard of a building named Cité de Péra, one of the first European-style buildings constructed in the 19th century. Its name refers to the flower shops that used to be there and have been replaced by restaurants today. It took on its present appearance in the 90s, after a restoration sponsored by Mey group (producer of Yeni Rakı, a well known rakı brand).

There are two beer pubs at the entrance and the rest is made up of restaurants serving as meyhane. Although the standards of the restaurants are more or less similar, my favorite one is Seviç. It is an old one where frequent visitors are still journalists, novelists and artists. Even if you don’t plan to dine, Çiçek pasajı is worth a visit for being one of the most stylish buildings of Beyoğlu.

Karga is not only a much loved bar, but also a much esteemed art and culture center.

On the first two storeys of Karga, there is a bar decorated with authentic soulful, mostly preused and/or recycled pieces, hand picked by the owners of the place. The atmosphere is always warm (not only because of the nice fireplace) and lively with an amazingly eclectic musical repertoire, which reflects the hard core policy of the bar of ‘not belonging to anything!’

Most of the customers are regulars who look like, and many are, old friends. The atmosphere is such an encouraging, accepting one, even if you are a first timer, or just a visitor, it is not difficult at all to blend in and establish new friendships. The more chaotic the better they like the place> again a powerful emphasis on not belonging to any categorization.

Karga has a nice, rich and reasonably priced menu along with especially cheap beer, and other drinks. Everything is facilitating customer loyalty, hence so many frequenters. They also have a small courtyard downstairs where you can enjoy a late-afternoon beer.

On the upper two floors, they have an art gallery called Karga Art. They host many different but all very engaging art organizations, and events. You can stumble upon a film production workshop, an internationally renown comics writer and artist, a dance studio, or some other activity.

On 26th October they’re celebrating their 15th year in business, which is a rare thing for such off the beaten track places in Istanbul.