Nightlife in Istanbul

Overview

Istanbul’s thumping nightlife is chockfull of meyhanes (male-only drinking & music halls), bars, pubs, casinos, live music performances, techno clubs, rave parties, and gay amusement venues that offer debauchery and entertainment unparalleled in the Moslem world.  The range of nightlife experiences you can enjoy on your medical tourism holiday cover the gamut.  You’ll find everything from traditional drinking halls where the alcohol and spirits flow copiously accompanied by platters of mezze to the trendiest nightclubs in Europe.

Bars and Pubs

Traditional Turkish drinking halls (meyhanes) have been traditionally male-only, although foreign women are allowed to visit.  One should always travel with a companion, however, to avoid unwanted attention.  Raki (a traditional local spirit), beer, and wine flow, and plates of kebabs, mezzes, and fruit are passed around.  When spirits get sufficiently high, revelers will break into Turkish folk songs, with the entire hall joining in. The Cicek Pasag in Beyoglu has a cluster of some of the most popular meyhanes in Istanbul. Birhanes are also drinking halls, but the choice of alcohol is normally beer, and dining is included.  These are also men-only sort of joints, even more so than meyhanes. 

The Kadijoy neighborhood is dotted with a choice of bars and restaurants.  Avoid bars that don’t mention a price list outside – it’s not uncommon to end up with a $500 tab for a couple of beers, and the company of a few beautiful, but uninvited women at your table.  It’s an age old racket, but a successful one, and bouncers have been known to threaten unsuspecting customers to pay up.   

One thing you can always expect from Istanbul’s nightlife is live music – bars and cafes that don’t put on a live show at least a few times a week are quite rare. 

Clubs

The Istiklal Caddesi area has a good selection of clubs.  The strip along the Bosporus is also known for dance clubs where the partying goes on all night.  Istanbul’s recent economic boom (bolstered in part by medical tourism) has allowed more clubs and bars to open, thus, giving upwardly mobile locals more opportunities to dispose of their expendable cash.