Once you get past that name - the Turkish word for 'love' drawn out into a lisping 'aşşk' - this place has a lot to recommend it. To find it, follow the...

A modest, single-room venue just off Tünel Square, Badehane began as an eaterie, but quickly evolved into one of the most popular bars in town. On...

Fans of colonial watering holes tend to head for the bar at the Pera Palas Hotel; that's because they don't know about the Büyük Londra. Another late...

Behind the Galatasaray Lycée, this fabulous 19th- century building was originally a school for the Italian Workers' Association. Beautifully converted into...

The neighbourhood around the Galata Tower has had a major facelift in the last few years: streets have been repaved and cafés have spread their tables...

Arnavutköy's coolest new venue is housed in aconverted Ottoman yalı, which stands out from the throng of nearby fish restaurants with its burgundy façade....

This Egyptian-themed bar, with wall paintings and statues, is incongruously located in a converted three-storey townhouse. The top-floor wine bar holds...

The first and only Irish pub in Istanbul. The decor is predictably clichéd, but the punters are a mixed bag of worldly Turks, expats and tourists who come...

Kaktüs' elegant dark-wood interior owes a great deal to the classic French café. Its patrons do their best to recreate the ambience of a Godard movie by...

Kaktüs's elegant dark-wood interior owes a great deal to the classic French café. Its patrons do their best to recreate the ambience of a Godard movie by...

Opposite Tünel station, an elaborate iron gate leads to an enchanting 19th-century arcade overgrown with potted plants. Of the handful of cafés lucky enough...

Located on the sixth floor of the Richmond Hotel on Istiklal Caddesi, Leb-i Derya has probably the best views of any restaurant in the city, even by...

The tiny façade facing Tünel Square is deceptive: inside is a long, lofty space with Wedgwood blue walls. Famous for its selection of coffees and resident...

If you're caught in a traffic jam in Bebek, the likely cause is the string of SUVs double-parked outside this neighbourhood hotspot. By night, sleek society...