Low-Key Evenings on the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus

Warm, clear evenings in Istanbul are perhaps best enjoyed with a short walk across the Galata Bridge to watch the sun go down. Take in the Old Town's magnificent skyline, dominated by floodlit domes and minarets. After sunset, head to the lower level of the Galata Bridge, where you'll find several moderately priced tavern-style restaurants {meyhane; mehy-hah-neh) and seafood restaurants.
Restaurants, bars, and clubs along the Bosphorus tend to be expensive, but some areas—such as Ortakoy—are more affordable than others. The Ortakoy neighborhood, by the European side of the Bosphorus Bridge, is a pedestrian area with many bars, teahouses, and restaurants. In nice weather, especially on weekends, the area is packed with hundreds of people strolling its streets and alleys. Even on the warmest evenings, you'll want to bring along a sweater or shawl, as a cool breeze blows along the Bosphorus at night (in bad weather, the area is often empty). If you're on a tight budget, get a baked potato or a sandwich from one of the numerous summertime food stalls. Grab a drink from a grocery store, and enjoy your evening picnic on a bench by the Bosphorus, watching the boats pass by, with the bridge lit up like a pearl necklace and the Ortaköy Mosque as its backdrop. A couple of teahouses with good views of the Bosphorus are usually packed with Turks playing backgammon or a tile game called OK. To get to Ortaköy from Eminönü in the Old Town, take bus #22, #22E, or #22RE. From Taksim Square in the New District, catch bus #40 or #40T.
Incisu Boats offers dinner cruises that include a pleasant evening ride on the Bosphorus, a decent seafood dinner, and a mediocre, touristy belly-dancing show. Evening cruises usually run on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and start and end in Kabataş (last stop of the tram in the New District). Figure around €60 per person, including drinks and a shuttle from your hotel. Their Web site is only in Turkish, so call to book your cruise (tel. 0216/418-5932 or 0216/344-5066, www.bogazturu.net).

Partying on İstiklal Street, in the New District

In the evenings, the neighborhood surrounding İstiklal street is transformed into a vast entertainment center. The street itself has several bars, jazz clubs, and meyhanes (taverns), all popular among the locals. Be warned that there's no such thing as a "non-smoking" section. Cigarette smoke is considered a visual effect, helping to create a more atmospheric experience—and Istanbul's citizens work hard to contribute to it.

Fasıl Music

Many visitors enjoy fasti (fah-suhl) music, often performed in the inviting ambience of a meyhane. Fasıl is live, old-time Istanbul songs or classical Turkish tunes, performed by a small trio of musicians. Locals sing along as they drink rakı (firewater) and nibble on mezes (appetizers; see Eating chapter). You won't have to pay a cover charge for the music, but it's customary to tip the musicians—watch locals and imitate.
Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi is a popular and historic fasıl place just off İstiklal street . Another good venue nearby is Şahika (shah-hee-kah), in a narrow townhouse on Nevizade Sokak (enter the fish market by the corner of Flower Passage/Çiçek Pasajı, then take the first right). A different style of music, including fasıl and contemporary, is played on each of its five floors. If you're a solo male, they may not let you in, so find a fellow traveler to come along.
Note that some of the restaurants in the Flower Passage (Çiçek Pasajı) and others on İstiklal street feature "Gypsy music," which is louder, faster, and more danceable than fasıl.

Clubs and Nightspots

If you're serious about nightlife, dip into one of the many nightspots on or near istiklal street. These generally get rolling late in the evening, around 23:00 or later, and hit their peak around 1:00 to 2:00 in the morning. Quite a few clubs stay open until 4:00. To get tickets in advance for big-name shows, see the sidebar on the previous page.
If you're a jazz fan, drop by Café Gramafon near Tünel (at the end of İstiklal street nearer the Golden Horn), with live jazz two or three nights a week (see page 283 in Eating).
Babylon, also near Tünel, is a popular club where international bands and performers perform. It usually features jazz and ethnic music, but it's not unusual to see reggae or percussion bands. Its box office opens at noon, but for more popular performances, you might want to buy tickets in advance (Seyhbender Sokak 3, tel. 0212/292-7368).
Hayal Kahvesi is a bar and rock music venue with daily live performances. It's an institution on the Turkish rock scene; almost all of Turkey's famous rock bands and singers have taken the Hayal Kahvesi stage at least once (Büyükparmakkapı Sokak 19, just off İstiklal street, tel. 212/244-2558).