Bina

Over on the Asian side of town, Kadıköy remains the apple of the eye for an ever-increasing number of Istanbulites looking for a fun night out. Kadıköy’s beloved bar street, Kadife Sokak, is usually so packed during the weekends that you’ll be hard pressed to wade through the crowd without stepping on someone’s foot. If you’ve made it half way through the street, then duck right into Bina, one of Kadıköy’s most popular bars whose calendar is peppered with a selection of talks, screenings, performances and other events curated by independent magazine Bant on the upper floors. The bottom floor garden is a wide open, smartly-designed space with plenty of room to kick back with friends over a few drinks, while the ground floor hosts DJs until well after midnight. For drinks, try the Stalker, which is made with smoked lavender, or the espresso-spiked Dude.