Locali in Istanbul

Electronic music festivals on the Black Sea

Premier Bosphorus nightclub with fine dining and 2,000 capacity

Best lamb burger in Istanbul with smoked ribs

Beyoğlu's serious 400-cap live room, international bookings (Sextile, Hugo Kant), no tribute bands

Open-air terrace with private Bosphorus-front cabanas

Intimate nightly jazz, blues and soul off İstiklal

Etiler's new neighborhood gastropub

Former antique shop turned speakeasy: billiards, vintage decor, theatrical cocktails

Cihangir garden-club where DJs push funk, disco, chill house past midnight

All-day craft beer, street food and cocktails in industrial Kadıköy

Beyoğlu's long-running blues dive run by Mehmet the Blues

Fifth-floor Taksim meyhane where Tatavla Keyfi plays rebetiko Fri-Sat

The former Babylon Kilyos, now curated music festival beach.

Quality burgers on Istanbul's Anatolian Side

5x Turkey champion barman brings Paris to Suadiye

The Black Sea's original beach-club institution, open June–September.

1km of Black Sea beach with concerts and pools

Faux-supermarket-fronted late room running consistent house and disco edits till 04:00

Kilyos kite-school beach club, family-leaning, summer only.

Zorlu PSM's 120-seat jazz box, live programme, intimate room, cocktails with the set

Quiet oasis in leather armchairs with book-jacket shelves

Heritage meyhane family since 1977, Asian-side branch since 2018

Four Seasons Bosphorus lounge on one of the best terraces on the water

Signature pistachio cocktails in less-crowded Göztepe

Iconic club-restaurant hybrid with wraparound views

40 signature cocktails in a garden oasis on Bağdat Caddesi

Cihangir's beloved bohemian cafe-bar

Three-floor Ottoman waterside mansion, a pre-Reina icon still hosting Istanbul's see-and-be-seen crowd

The quieter Kilyos alternative, surfing, kiteboarding, sand bar.

Library-fronted speakeasy, no sign, no social media, referral entry only

All-white Bosphorus lounge club with beach beds, live shows and late-night DJ program

Labyrinth of candlelit nooks defining Kadıköy's creative DNA

Cocktails in a stone-walled historic space until 2:30AM

Multi-level candlelit bar that shaped Kadıköy's music scene since 1996