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. Smarter after a recent...

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

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

Drolly named after the café's designer, Ali, this relatively new addition to Ortaköy's nightlife absorbs the overflow from its noisier neighbour, the House Café, especially for...

The neighbourhood around the Galata Tower is getting a major facelift: streets have been repaved and cafés have spread their tables across the spruced up square surrounding the...

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. If you can't grab one...

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 for the decent range...

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 chain-smoking and...

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 to share this...

A more sophisticated alternative to its popular predecessor around the corner on Kumbaracı Sokak. The new premises, on the sixth floor of the Richmond Hotel on Istiklal...

Currently the place in Cihangir where you're most likely to have to queue for a table, Leyla is wildly popular at peak times. The café is unpretentiously cool, with a relaxed,...

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 grey cat, Lokal Tunel...

On the rooftop of the Nu Pera building, Nu Teras is the epitome of hip Istanbul - with the backdrop of a stunning view of the Golden Horn. The area behind the bar is given over...

The uncluttered decor and gallery-style mezzanine create a sense of space where there isn't much at all. Ornate mirrors and a single George Grosz print set the tone. This is a...