Istanbul
Nightlife
Beyoğlu
is Istanbul's nightlife hub, with an ever-growing portfolio of clubs, café-bars
and live music venues which open, close and change name with bewildering speed.
Pricey rooftop bars are the latest trend here, in Galatasaray, and in the
equally hip Ortaköy area. Across the water on the Asian side of Bosphorus,
Kadikoy has also become a happening after-dark district. At the glitzy end of
the scale, ostentation, posturing and an exclusive door policy are what it's
all about - so, unless you can afford to spend (and tip) like a superstar,
avoid.
Time Out Istanbul (www.timeoutistanbul.com) is an English-language monthly magazine with
entertainment listings, features and reviews. The Turkish Daily News, the English-language daily newspaper, also has
entertainment and listings. Tickets for most cultural events are available at
Biletix outlets (www.biletix.com).
Culture
Platform Garanti
Contemporary Art Centre
This
home for Istanbul’s most interesting painters, sculptors, printmakers and other
creative spirits is a three-storey venue with regularly changing exhibitions
and artists in residence.
Istiklal
Caddesi 115A
Tel: (0212) 293 2361.
www.platform.garanti.com.tr
Classical Music
Borusan Centre for
Culture and Art
This
space alternates ‘conceptual' Turkish and international exhibitions, and has an
enormous music library and concert space for classical music performances.
Istiklal
Caddesi 213
Tel: (0212) 336 3280.
www.borusansanat.com
Live Music
Akbank Culture and
Arts Centre
Sponsored
by Turkey’s major bank, this modern venue hosts jazz and classical concerts and
a changing array of exhibitions and cultural events.
Istiklal
Caddesi, Zambak Sokak 1
Tel: (0212) 252 3500.
www.akbanksanat.com
Music and Dance
Atatürk Cultural
Centre (Atatürk Kultur Merkezi)
The
900-seat Atatürk Cultural Centre is shared by the State Opera and Ballet, the
State Theatre and the State Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Istanbul
Festivals.
Taksim
Meydani, Beyoglu
Tel: (0212) 251 5600.
www.kultur.gov.tr
Bars
Dogzstar
Dogsztar
was a pioneer of Istanbul's new and youthful nightlife scene. Having grown out
of its original home, its has moved to a new address off Istiklal Caddesi,
where it continues to be one of the best places in town for a fun Friday or
Saturday night with a mixed crowd, live music and DJs playing the latest
cutting-edge sounds for a young and hip audience.
Kartal
Sokak 3, Galatasaray
Tel: (0212) 244 9147.
www.dogzstar.com
Karga
Like
Dogsztar, Karga is a much-loved stalwart of the 'new' nightlife scene in
Istanbul. However, it is more than a nightspot - during the day, its cool
courtyard is a pleasant place for a break from the city heat. After dark,
expect local house and techno DJs and visiting bands.
Kadife
Sokak 16, Kadiköy
Tel: (0212) 449 1725.
www.kargabar.org
Le Fumoir
This
is the newest, smartest cigar bar in Istanbul, and you'll need a reservation
and a major credit card (or a cash-stuffed wallet) for a night out here. If you
have either of these, then this is the place to rub shoulders with Istanbul's
rich and famous while sipping a fine cognac, an aged malt whisky or a champagne
cocktail and admiring the fabulous view over the Bosphorus.
Çırağan
Palace Kempinski, Çırağan Caddesi 32, Besiktas
Tel: (0212) 326 4646, ext. 7500.
www.kempinski.com
Clubs
Anjelique
When
it opened, Anjelique helped to pave the way for a new generation of
super-trendy bar-restaurant-dance club venues in Istanbul. Facing serious competition
from other contenders, it is still a landmark on the city's nightlife map, with
the requisite super view of the city skyline and a slightly less aloof crowd
than some of its rivals.
Mualim
Naci Caddesi, Salhane Sokak 5
Tel: (0212) 327 2844.
www.istanbuldoors.com
Club 29
This
gorgeous complex is worth crossing the Bosphorus for, with its pool and sun
terrace, canopied restaurant, and adjoining dance stage, all of which share fantastic
views of the channel and the Istanbul skyline. Representing modern Istanbul at
its best, Club 29 plays a sharp-edged mix of Turkish and international beats
after dark and attracts a multi-national, multi-cultural celebrity crowd.
Adnan
Saygun Caddesi, Ulus Parki Ici 1, Ulus
Tel: (0212) 358 2929.
www.group-29.com
Reina
With
its multiple bars, restaurants and dance floor, Reina is a one-stop night out
for Istanbul's rich, famous and beautiful. If you don't fit into any of these
categories you may find it, the prices, and the service attitudes less
appealing, but for those with plenty to spend this is undeniably the city's
glitziest after-dark address.
Mualim
Naci Caddesi 44, Ortakoy
Tel: (0212) 259 5919.
www.reina.com.tr