A four-storey multi-purpose venue close to Taksim. As well as being a meyhane, it's equipped with a wine bar, terrace restaurant and disco bar, not to mention Bosphorus views,...

This hall on Taksim Square is the most likely place to find Turkish classical music. The Türk Müziĸi chorus performs in the lower auditorium most Sundays from autumn to late...

This ugly 1970s building looms over Taksim Square. Tickets for several major festivals are sold here. Students receive discounts.

Far and away Istanbul's finest live music venue, this modestly sized brick vault with a mezzanine is located in the backstreets near Tünel. There's a lot of jazz, but Babylon...

The new home of 'pop-rock' in Istanbul, Balans started out a couple of years ago with huge ambitions and attracted huge international bands to its well-appointed stage. It's...

The Albert Long Hall building is an iconic symbol of Bosphorus University, one of Turkey's oldest and most renowned. The building dates from 1891, and the 479-seat hall was...

This popular student hangout on two floors issupplemented with a pleasant garden in summer. It gets busy early, with crowds turning up for passable Britpop and rock cover...

This venue, the 860-seat home of the municipal CRR Symphony Orchestra has a diverse programme, including Turkish religious and traditional music. Itl is a key venue for several...

This large, comfortable and under-appreciated auditorium with excellent acoustics is not far north of Taksim Square. Run by the Istanbul Municipality, the venue hosts...

Located in the far-from-glamorous district of Kurtuluş, an area once home to a sizeable Greek community, Despina doesn't look promising at first. Its fluorescent lights and...

Tucked away on its own little street off Istiklal, this classic little meyhane has decent food and, most weekend nights, an exhilarating atmosphere. It has one of the best...

A 600-seat modern auditorium with perfect acoustics. It hosts a variety of events, including drama, concerts, folk dancing and ballet, and regularly plays host to the local...

Eylül means September, but this bar engenders a kind of balmy, best-years-of-our-lives vibe all year round. A long-established venue with reliably good musicians and an...

Among the cluster of baĸlama bars that run parallel to Istiklal Caddesi, Havar is one of the best. It's a large room, but there's precious little space for dancing: most...