Nightlife · Istanbul · Turkey
Istanbul nightlife
Where the evenings happen in Istanbul, from early drinks to late nights.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Adli Wahid, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Quick answer
Istanbul's nights centre on meyhane dinners that roll into bars and rooftop terraces. Beyoğlu, Karaköy and Kadıköy are the main areas, with clubs and live-music venues running late at weekends. The main areas are Beyoğlu, Karaköy, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş.
Key facts
- Nightlife areas
- 4
- Stay near the action
- Galata and Karaköy
- Local drink
- Turkish tea and coffee
Where to go out
Beyoğlu
Meyhanes in Asmalımescit and Nevizade, rooftop bars around Istiklal Avenue and live-music venues for Turkish rock and jazz.
Karaköy
Cocktail bars and wine bars in restored warehouses around Kemankeş Caddesi, near the waterfront.
Kadıköy
Kadife Sokak, known as Barlar Sokağı (Bar Street), is packed with student pubs and rock bars on the Asian side.
Beşiktaş
Cheap, lively bars around the market square, busiest on match nights when the local football club plays.
Nightlife tips
- Shops are not allowed to sell alcohol late at night, so buy drinks for a hotel terrace before 10pm.
- Single men approached by friendly strangers suggesting a particular bar should decline; inflated-bill scams target visitors around Taksim and Sultanahmet.
- Ferries stop running before midnight on most routes, so plan a taxi back if you cross to Kadıköy for the evening.
Evening sights
Street · Beyoğlu
Istiklal Avenue
Ride the historic Tünel funicular, opened in 1875, from Karaköy up to the bottom of the avenue and walk uphill towards Taksim.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Shopping
- Food
What to drink
- Turkish tea and coffee — Black tea in tulip-shaped glasses is drunk all day, often offered by shopkeepers. Turkish coffee is boiled in a small cezve with the grounds and served thick and strong, with the sugar decided when you order: sade (none), orta (medium) or şekerli (sweet).
Evenings through the year
Sunset and the overnight low decide how long the outdoor part of a night lasts. July has the warmest evenings, with lows around 21°C (70°F).
| Month | Sunset (15th) | Overnight low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | About 18:00 | 4°C (39°F) | 12 |
| April | About 19:43 | 9°C (48°F) | 7 |
| July | About 20:35 | 21°C (70°F) | 2 |
| October | About 18:24 | 14°C (57°F) | 8 |
Getting home late
- Tram — Trams are packed at rush hour; keep bags in front of you.
- Metro — The F1 funicular links Kabataş with Taksim Square in about two minutes.
- Ferry — Ferries take Istanbulkart and are often faster than crossing by road.
- Taxi — Hailing a taxi through the BiTaksi app or a hotel desk reduces the risk of disputes.
- Walking — Sultanahmet, Galata, Karaköy and Beyoğlu are walkable, but Istanbul is very hilly, with steep lanes and stairs between the waterfront and the ridges.
- Bus — City buses reach areas without rail, such as Balat, Fener and the upper Bosphorus villages, and accept Istanbulkart.
Late-night bites
- Fish sandwich — The boats and stalls at Eminönü beside the Galata Bridge, and the fish restaurants under the bridge's lower deck.
- Stuffed mussels — Street vendors in Beyoğlu, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş, especially late at night; choose busy stalls with fast turnover.
- Kumpir — The row of kumpir stalls beside Ortaköy Mosque on the Bosphorus.
Staying safe at night
Pickpocketing happens on crowded trams and around Istiklal Avenue and the bazaars. Common scams include the dropped shoe-brush trick, inflated bills at bars recommended by friendly strangers and taxis that avoid the meter. Traffic is fast; cross roads carefully.
- Emergency number
- 112 (general emergency number)
Where to stay for nightlife
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, first-timers and nightlife
Galata and Karaköy
Karaköy was the old port and banking quarter; its 19th-century buildings now hold design hotels, coffee roasters and restaurants around Kemankeş Caddesi and the lanes off Kılıç Ali Paşa Mescidi Sokak. Galata Tower rises just uphill, and the district sits between the Old City and Beyoğlu, with the Galata Bridge, the T1 tram and the Karaköy ferry pier all within a few minutes' walk.
- Good
- Central between the Old City and Beyoğlu; Excellent cafés and restaurants; Ferries to Kadıköy and Üsküdar
- Watch out
- Steep streets up to Galata; Crowded around the tower at sunset
- Nearby
- Galata Tower, Istanbul Modern, Galata Bridge, Istiklal Avenue
Questions travellers ask
+Where is the best nightlife in Istanbul?
Beyoğlu, Karaköy and Kadıköy. Meyhanes in Asmalımescit and Nevizade, rooftop bars around Istiklal Avenue and live-music venues for Turkish rock and jazz.
+Which area of Istanbul is best for nightlife?
Galata and Karaköy: Cobbled lanes below Galata Tower, third-wave cafés and the Istanbul Modern waterfront.