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It is a mystery to anyone who has spent more than a few nights sampling Istanbul's extensive and diverse nightlife that the city has never really managed to establishing international reputation for fun. Unlike many of the east European capitals Istanbul is more associated by outsiders to mosques, battlements and hamams than bars, nightclubs and restaurants. This is a travesty. From the bohemian backstreets of Beyoglu to the pumping ostentation of Ortakoy or Etiler, Istanbul really does boast one of the most engaging and vibrant scenes in the region. The only potential nightmare for any would-be reveller in Turkey's biggest city is the agony of choice. The city is generally safe, the people extremely welcoming and, best of all, the prices relatively cheap.
Istanbul is a city that eats and sleeps late and those wishing to sink a few early drinks without doing so alone must be selective. Beyoglu, the area stretching south down Istiklal Caddesi from Taksim Square is a good place to start. The area itself is rumoured
to boast over 950 bars. As the offices of central Istanbul close, the small cafes at the top of the street begin to fill up with an eclectic selection of locals, from students and intellectuals to businessmen and wannabe rock stars. Kaktus and Pia are typical haunts; small but cosy and, although half the people seem to be reading on their own, you get the impression that at least half the clientele are keeping one eye permanently fixed on the door .On the opposite side of the main street is Dulcinea, a larger, trendier brasserie that has become a staple for the city's young. This converts effort- lessly from a warm relaxed afternoon coffee-house to a lively mid-price eaterie in the evening and finally to a swinging cocktail bar after 11 pm.
Just off the main thoroughfare to Tepebasý, sits the James Joyce, arguably the best Irish pub in the area. Although such bars are usually on the list of places to avoid for all except the terminally homesick, this pub tends to rustle-up a spirited atmosphere and offers possibly the best full- size pool table around.
Taksim's smartest bar is on the ground floor of the renowned Pera Palace Hotel, which was built in the late 19th century as the resting house for guests arriving on the Orient Express. Although the establishment may have lost some of its panache it has lost none of its charm. You may wait longer to be served here than you would anywhere else in the city or but a few extra minutes in a room full of 1920s memorabilias highly pleasant.
For those looking to indulge in a slightly more upmarket evening, a mile away in the fashionable Nisantasý area are some of the hippest evening spots to be found anywhere in Turkey. After a tiring day shopping for over-priced foreign fashion brands,there is nothing better than to treat
yourself to a 6 o 'clock gin and tonic at Istanbul's own Armani Caffe.
With more leather on display than at your average Harley Davidson convention, this is not a place to pitch up in a faded rock tour t-shirt and jeanss; but it is fun all the same .
If you are lucky enough to arrive in the city during the long summer months it is essential to take advantage of the long afternoons when Istanbul glows a deep orange. Around 7pm
there is no better place to admire the historic Sultanahmet skyline than from the Q Bar terrace along the Bosphorus at the Cýragan Palace hotel. Nothing can destroy the serenity of the scene except possibly the cheque.
Further along the waterfront in Bebek is one of the best kept secrets in town, the terrace of the Bebek Hotel. Although a glance from the main street reveals nothing except a slightly tacky sign and a forgettable facade, the entrance hall leads directly through to a terrace in the rear that juts out into the Bosphorus, offering guests an incredible view of the Asian mainland across the waterway. The bill is more reflective of the fleet of German cars parked outside.
A brief mention must be made for sport lovers. The centre of Istanbul offers just a handful of sports bars, none of which have invested in anything except the local league (this is worth watching, though, if only to enjoy everyone else's reaction.). Fans of English football are forced to travel all the way to the Champions Bar at the Polat Renaissance Hotel.
At around 9pm, Istanbul's bars and restaurants begin to heat up. Those who find themselves in Taksim may decide just to stay put. A local favourite, tucked away close to the British consulate, is Pano bar, an old Greek wine bar first opened in 1896. The bar, which also has an extremely atmospheric basement restaurant, is packed on most nights and you may have to wait before being given a place at one of the long wooden tables. The bar's policy of promoting its own, pretty dubious wine tends to encourage a convival atmosphere. With most of the clientele standing wherever possible, it is very easy to meet people.
Further up Istiklal Caddesi, nestled inside the Atlas cinema, is the small but thriving Sefahathane bar, home to an eclectic group of musicians, students, and bankers wishing they were students again. Always good for a brief stop, Sefahathane's unique characteristic is a large video screen showing some of the most obscure movies ever made, including the hugely popular Turkish cult classic 'The Man Who saved the World' which has footage taken (literally) straight from Star Wars. Other fun bars on this stretch include the original Hayal Kahvesi and, closer to Taksim Square, Andon bar. Andon is great for those who are undecided; four different themes on four floors, from a dark, candle lit bar on the ground floor pumping out a mixture of Arabic, Spanish and Greek music to real Turkish tavern upstairs.
Those with a more sensitive palate (and a slightly thicker wallet) may prefer the yuppie restaurant bars of Abdi Ipekci Caddesi down the road in Nisantasi. Of these, Downtown and Bice, near the top of the street, are probably the most popular. Both offer smart, well-run bars full of pretty young things who have managed to make it through the bustle of Istanbul's streets without putting a hair out of place. A slightly more down- at -the-heel environment can be found at Touchdown, further down the road. Here a mixture of journalists and advertising executives meet in an almost homely atmosphere.
Istanbul has not escaped, the fad for so-called British pubs, a term which here refers to a European style bar that serves Turkish lager in halves, charges at the door, and dishes out sliced carrots with drinks. Indeed, except for the almost mandatory pic- ture of the Queen, it is hard to spot anything particularly English in the place at all; except possibly half the patrons who have been overseas for so long they have evidently forgot- ten what a British pub looks like. Still, if that is your pleasure, the most popular pub remains the Sherlock Holmes in Levent, which is packed at weekends despite the flu cover charge.
As evening turns to night, the city really starts to show its colours. in the summer, after 11pm there are some wonderful nightspots worth investigating on the Bosphorus. Of these, Pasha, the huge open-air club in Ortakoy, with its five restaurants and two dance-floors, is the most stunning. As with all of the city's smartest hangouts, entrance fees are extortionate. They can be avoided by making a reservation at any one of the surprisingly reasonably-priced restaurants. Having made it past the door- man, you are in for a real treat. This really is the summum for Istanbul's beautiful set.
Pasha is nothing if not a place to indulge. Although the club is huge, it is divided into distinct sections with different styles of music, avoiding the monotony of some of large clubs on the south coast. The glamour of Pasha is not unique: opposite at Zihni, up the road at Havana or, better still, across the water to Hayal Kahvesi similar scenes are played out almost nightly in the summer. At Hayal Kahvesi guests are taken across to the Asian side on a private boat that departs regularly from Rumeli Hisarý close to the second bridge.
Although all of these nightspots are only open from May to October, winter visitors need not worry: Istanbul's social scene simply shifts about a mile inland. The best of these, Havana, is tucked away under a large office block in Mecidiyekoy .Again, it is worth booking the restaurant to avoid the entrance fees. Inside one finds the usual cigar-smoking set on a Well-trodden circuit. For a slightly more relaxed atmosphere we would recommend Vogue, particularly on Thursdays. The people are equally beautiful but here they look as though they are really having fun. AII of these clubs are open until at least 2am-3am.
Late night entertainment is not restricted to the more expensive venues. The whole of Beyoglu thrives until at least 2am and many clubs stay open until 4am or 5am. Barfly has some good bands and close-by is the more saloubrious Roxy bar. This venue avoids the spit and sawdust feel of other bars in the area, while maintaining a raw, exciting atmosphere that has long since gone from the more expensive and exclusive clubs of Etiler.
Like everywhere else at the weekends, there is a cover charge and groups of men are not iooked upon particularly favourably by the doormen.
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