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...

The most likely place to find Turkish classical music. When the centre is open, the Türk Müziĸi chorus performs in the lower auditorium most Sundays from...

Istanbul's premier performing arts venue. Behind the brutalist 1960s design, the interior is surprisingly grand and vibrant. It has two main concert halls,...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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

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...