Guidebook for Beyoğlu
Drinks & Nightlife
This nearby street is filled with bars, restaurants, meyhanes (traditional Turkish bar/meze restaurants), and cafes.
77 locals recommend
Asmalı Mescit Caddesi
Asmalı Mescit CaddesiThis nearby street is filled with bars, restaurants, meyhanes (traditional Turkish bar/meze restaurants), and cafes.
Food Scene
True "self-service", write your own order, head down to the kitchen and chat with cooks, and receive your meal on a dumb-waitor. Tiny, intimate space and well-priced.
Öğüt Sk
True "self-service", write your own order, head down to the kitchen and chat with cooks, and receive your meal on a dumb-waitor. Tiny, intimate space and well-priced.
Volunteer collective run café with fresh-squeezed orange juice, zapatista coffee, light meals and snacks. Free WIFI, books and magazines, and board games. Plus, a back "garden" home to many cats.
Tel Sk No:26
Volunteer collective run café with fresh-squeezed orange juice, zapatista coffee, light meals and snacks. Free WIFI, books and magazines, and board games. Plus, a back "garden" home to many cats.
Çivici Gç
Local bakery with a huge selection and very reasonable prices
Istanbul's only Ethiopian restaurant is on top of a nightclub called She-va. There is sometimes live music and dancing here, too, and prices are quite decent for a unique dining experience.
She-VA
No:5 Ekrem Tur Sk.Istanbul's only Ethiopian restaurant is on top of a nightclub called She-va. There is sometimes live music and dancing here, too, and prices are quite decent for a unique dining experience.
Small crowded passageway with a tea and coffee garden, mostly outdoor-based, but with some indoor places. Home to many friendly stray cats and dogs and other small boutiques.
14 locals recommend
Hazzo Pulo Restaurant ve Şarap Evi
No:31/B Meşrutiyet Cd.Small crowded passageway with a tea and coffee garden, mostly outdoor-based, but with some indoor places. Home to many friendly stray cats and dogs and other small boutiques.
If you want to eat pizza in Istanbul (as opposed to Turkish food), then this place is very close to the apartment and very good.
Meşrutiyet Cd No:86
If you want to eat pizza in Istanbul (as opposed to Turkish food), then this place is very close to the apartment and very good.
Cozy restaurant in the center with a lot of vegetarian & vegan options, plus a nice selection of alcohol. Open late, with outdoor seating available in warmer months.
Süslü Saksı Sk No:18
Cozy restaurant in the center with a lot of vegetarian & vegan options, plus a nice selection of alcohol. Open late, with outdoor seating available in warmer months.
For those that like fish, the small restaurants under this brigde and the nearby restaurants on the Karaköy side are famous for their fish sandwiches (at the bridge) and mezes (in Karaköy).
32 locals recommend
Galata Köprüsü
Galata KöprüsüFor those that like fish, the small restaurants under this brigde and the nearby restaurants on the Karaköy side are famous for their fish sandwiches (at the bridge) and mezes (in Karaköy).
It is a bit expensive, but there is a gluten-free menu, which can be hard to find in Istanbul.
Büyük Parmakkapı Sk
It is a bit expensive, but there is a gluten-free menu, which can be hard to find in Istanbul.
This staircase street is famous for its french architecture and classy (but expensive) restaurants & boutiques. The Çukurcuma neighborhood that it's located in is home to hundreds of antique shops.
54 locals recommend
Cezayir Sokak
Cezayir SokakThis staircase street is famous for its french architecture and classy (but expensive) restaurants & boutiques. The Çukurcuma neighborhood that it's located in is home to hundreds of antique shops.
Tiny & charming bakery / restaurant, "fast slow-food". Breakfast buffet on weekends. If you don't finish what is on your plate, you have to pay an extra fee to avoid fresh food going to the trash bin.
Türkgücü Cd No:59
Tiny & charming bakery / restaurant, "fast slow-food". Breakfast buffet on weekends. If you don't finish what is on your plate, you have to pay an extra fee to avoid fresh food going to the trash bin.
Specially roasted coffee beans, each cup of coffee is individually prepared in a cezve.
52 locals recommend
Mandabatmaz
1/A Olivya Gç.Specially roasted coffee beans, each cup of coffee is individually prepared in a cezve.
Cute closed-rooftop restaurant. The name means "attic". A little pricey, especially if you want drinks, but tasty and nice atmosphere.
43 locals recommend
Tavanarasi Restaurant
No:10 Asmalı Mescit Cd.Cute closed-rooftop restaurant. The name means "attic". A little pricey, especially if you want drinks, but tasty and nice atmosphere.
Cute little space with yummy, filling, and reasonably-priced plates. Choose up to 5 mezes per plate for around 11 TL. Both vegetarian/vegan options and meat, brown bread and drinking water included.
87 locals recommend
Helvetia
No:8 General Yazgan Sk.Cute little space with yummy, filling, and reasonably-priced plates. Choose up to 5 mezes per plate for around 11 TL. Both vegetarian/vegan options and meat, brown bread and drinking water included.
Arts & Culture
Several stories high gallery in an old renovated building with a roof terrace terrarium permaculture greenhouse. Free entrance.
İstiklal Cd 136
Several stories high gallery in an old renovated building with a roof terrace terrarium permaculture greenhouse. Free entrance.
İstiklal Cd 211
Large gallery art museum space. Free entrance.
This building houses several floors of independent gallery spaces. At the top is Istanbul 360, a restaurant and night club. http://www.360istanbul.com/eng/index1.html
İstiklal Cd No:163
This building houses several floors of independent gallery spaces. At the top is Istanbul 360, a restaurant and night club. http://www.360istanbul.com/eng/index1.html
Wednesdays & Saturdays 13:00 - 16:00. Check out their site for details. You have to e-mail them to rsvp & find out prices, but you could also take down the gallery list & discover yourself.
Yeni Çarşı Cd No:9
Wednesdays & Saturdays 13:00 - 16:00. Check out their site for details. You have to e-mail them to rsvp & find out prices, but you could also take down the gallery list & discover yourself.
Shopping
This passageway has some of the cheapest clothing in the city, piled up in dozens of crowded little shops; a lot of run-off and overstock from stores like Mango, Zara, H&M, etc.
Terkoz Çk
This passageway has some of the cheapest clothing in the city, piled up in dozens of crowded little shops; a lot of run-off and overstock from stores like Mango, Zara, H&M, etc.
Sightseeing
Take a boat up the Golden Horn from here, all the way to Eyüp, a historical neighborhood with a famous mosque and an ancient cemetery on a hill, called Pier Loti (after the Frenchman) - great view
Tdi Kasımpaşa İskelesi
3 Şişhane Cd.Take a boat up the Golden Horn from here, all the way to Eyüp, a historical neighborhood with a famous mosque and an ancient cemetery on a hill, called Pier Loti (after the Frenchman) - great view
Personally, I've never gone in. The area around used to be a place where young people gathered outside to drink, sing, & chat, but since last summer, the police have closed off the "outside" part.
1235 locals recommend
Galata Tower
Personally, I've never gone in. The area around used to be a place where young people gathered outside to drink, sing, & chat, but since last summer, the police have closed off the "outside" part.
Essentials
On Sundays, there is a huge outdoor market along this street (and branching off into side streets). For sale: very inexpensive and good quality produce, plus anything else you can imagine.
Kurdela Sokak
Kurdela SokakOn Sundays, there is a huge outdoor market along this street (and branching off into side streets). For sale: very inexpensive and good quality produce, plus anything else you can imagine.
Everything Else
Our local hamam - not touristic at all, but well-liked and 1/3 of the price or less than touristic hamams. There are separate areas for different genders.
17 locals recommend
Large Bath Kasimpasa
14/A Bülent Demir Cd.Our local hamam - not touristic at all, but well-liked and 1/3 of the price or less than touristic hamams. There are separate areas for different genders.
A famous newly restored luxury Turkish bathhouse, designed by Mimar Sinan. Very beautiful but rather expensive. http://kilicalipasahamami.com/contact/
105 locals recommend
Kilic Ali Paşa Hamam
1 Hamam Sk.A famous newly restored luxury Turkish bathhouse, designed by Mimar Sinan. Very beautiful but rather expensive. http://kilicalipasahamami.com/contact/