Beyoğlu & Galata · Beyoğlu & Galata
Tomtom & Çukurcuma: the back story
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Chromehoney · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Tomtom & Çukurcuma: the back story
Below İstiklal Avenue, between Galatasaray and Cihangir, the lanes of Tomtom and Çukurcuma are a calmer Beyoğlu of old apartment buildings, consulates, antique shops and small hotels.
Tomtom
Tomtom grew around the old European embassies of Pera; the Italian and French palaces stand nearby, and the quarter takes its name from Tomtom Kaptan Sokak. Today Tomtom Suites occupies a restored building there, with Nicole, one MICHELIN Star, on its roof, and the cocktail bar Flekk is a few streets away.
Çukurcuma
Downhill, Çukurcuma is the antiques quarter, its shops piled with furniture, lamps, prints and curios. Orhan Pamuk set his Museum of Innocence here, in a red house on Dalgıç Çıkmazı, and Cuma serves relaxed meals in a restored building.
Tomtom is where Beyoğlu slows down: wander, and look up at the façades.
Our advice: browse the antique shops in the late morning, visit the Museum of Innocence, and book Nicole for the evening.
Why it's on our list
- Antiques of Çukurcuma
- Museum of Innocence
- Nicole (one MICHELIN Star)
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Tomtom & Çukurcuma: the back story before you go.