With its bright colours, velvet furnishings and an eye-catching floor piece of a nude young Norma Jean Baker, 5.Kat has one of the city's most striking interiors. As its name implies (kat means floor), it occupies the fifth floor of a backstreet building. A giant neon angel shines at street level.
A rooftop terrace, lit with red lanterns, opens during the summer and has fabulous views over the Asian Shore. The menu is a culinary mish-mash (Turkish, French, Italian, oriental) but everything is good. There are two fixed price menus, including two 'local' drinks, for YTL65 and YTL75. 5.Kat's actress proprietor, Yasemin Alkaya, keeps a close eye on proceedings, even after hours, when dance music takes over from chilled jazz, and the atmosphere gets clubby.
Area Istanbul
Telephone 0212 293 3774
Open 10am-2am Mon-Thur, Sun; 10am-3am Fri, Sat
Starters YTL8-YTL22. Main courses YTL16-YTL46
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