Neighbourhood guide · Istanbul, Türkiye
Beyoğlu & Galata
The European quarter across the Golden Horn: İstiklal Avenue from Taksim to Tünel, the Galata Tower, Cihangir’s cafés and the meyhanes of Asmalımescit.
About Beyoğlu & Galata
This is where Istanbul goes out at night, and where many of its best restaurants, bars, museums and boutique hotels are.
Where Beyoğlu & Galata is
Our 45 places in Beyoğlu & Galata
Restaurants in Beyoğlu & Galata
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MICHELIN-selected (2026)
Aheste
A small, warm dining room in Asmalımescit with modern Turkish and Middle Eastern sharing plates; in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide.
Asmalı Mescit Mahallesi, Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:107/F, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand (2026)
Cuma
A relaxed café-restaurant in the antiques quarter of Çukurcuma, with seasonal dishes; a Bib Gourmand.
Firuzağa Mahallesi, Çukur Cuma Caddesi No:53/A, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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One MICHELIN Star (2026)
Mikla
A rooftop dining room with one of the great views of Istanbul, and Anatolian produce on a modern tasting menu; one MICHELIN Star.
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:15, 18th floor, Tepebaşı, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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One MICHELIN Star (2026)
Nicole
A tasting menu on the rooftop of Tomtom Suites, off İstiklal, with views over the Bosphorus; one MICHELIN Star.
Tomtom Kaptan Sokak No:18, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Anatolian classics, reimagined
Yeni Lokanta
Modern Turkish cooking on Kumbaracı Yokuşu, between Galata and İstiklal, with Anatolian ingredients.
Kumbaracı Yokuşu No:66, BeyoğluExplore View on map
Cafés in Beyoğlu & Galata
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Istanbul’s third-wave pioneer
Kronotrop
One of the cafés that started Istanbul’s specialty coffee scene, in a corner café in Cihangir.
Firuzağa Camii Sokağı No:2/B, Cihangir, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The city’s favourite Turkish coffee
Mandabatmaz
A tiny Turkish coffee shop in a passage off İstiklal, famous for its thick, foamy coffee.
Olivya Geçidi Sokağı No:1A, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Milk puddings on İstiklal
Saray Muhallebicisi
A long-running pudding shop on İstiklal: tavuk göğsü, kazandibi, sütlaç and baklava.
İstiklal Caddesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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A breakfast from Van
Van Kahvaltı Evi
A Cihangir favourite for a full Turkish breakfast in the style of Van, in eastern Turkey.
Defterdar Yokuşu, Cihangir, BeyoğluExplore View on map
Bars & meyhanes in Beyoğlu & Galata
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A 360-degree view
360 Istanbul
A rooftop bar and restaurant on top of a historic building on İstiklal, with views in every direction.
İstiklal Caddesi No:163, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The classic Beyoğlu meyhane
Asmalı Cavit
A small, much-loved meyhane in Asmalımescit, with meze, fish and rakı.
Asmalı Mescit Sokak No:16, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Cocktails in Tomtom
Flekk
A small cocktail bar in the Tomtom quarter below İstiklal, known for creative drinks.
Yeni Çarşı Caddesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Cocktails in Cihangir
Geyik
A small, well-loved cocktail bar on Akarsu Yokuşu in Cihangir.
Akarsu Yokuşu No:22, Cihangir, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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A terrace above Galata
Leb-i Derya
A rooftop bar and restaurant on Kumbaracı Yokuşu, looking over the Bosphorus and the old city.
Kumbaracı Yokuşu No:57, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Cocktails and sushi
Moretenders’ Cocktail Crib
A cocktail bar in Asmalımescit with a playful menu and sushi.
Asmalımescit, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The meyhane lane by the fish market
Nevizade Sokak
The lane of meyhanes beside the Balık Pazarı fish market off İstiklal, packed with tables on summer nights.
Nevizade Sokak, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The back story
Rakı and the meyhane: the back story
Lion’s milk, they call it: rakı turns cloudy white when you add water. The meyhane, the tavern where it is drunk with meze, is one of Istanbul’s great institutions.
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A meyhane with a long history
Refik
A long-established meyhane in Asmalımescit, known for Black Sea dishes, meze and rakı.
Sofyalı Sokak, Asmalımescit, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Tables in the lane
Sofyalı 9
A popular meyhane on Sofyalı Sokak with tables in the lane on summer evenings.
Sofyalı Sokağı No:9, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Lively and unpretentious
Yakup 2
A lively, busy meyhane in Asmalımescit with a long menu of meze.
Asmalı Mescit Sokak, BeyoğluExplore View on map
See the full list: The Best Bars, Meyhanes & Rooftops in Istanbul
Nightlife in Beyoğlu & Galata
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A 360-degree view
360 Istanbul
A rooftop bar and restaurant on top of a historic building on İstiklal, with views in every direction.
İstiklal Caddesi No:163, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Cocktails in Tomtom
Flekk
A small cocktail bar in the Tomtom quarter below İstiklal, known for creative drinks.
Yeni Çarşı Caddesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The back story
Istanbul after dark: the back story
From meyhane tables to rooftops, jazz rooms and Bosphorus clubs: how Istanbul goes out.
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The city that never sleeps
İstiklal and Asmalımescit after dark
İstiklal Avenue and the lanes of Asmalımescit and Nevizade come alive at night with meyhanes, bars and music.
İstiklal Caddesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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A terrace above Galata
Leb-i Derya
A rooftop bar and restaurant on Kumbaracı Yokuşu, looking over the Bosphorus and the old city.
Kumbaracı Yokuşu No:57, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Jazz by the Galata Tower
Nardis Jazz Club
Istanbul’s best-known jazz club, a few steps from the Galata Tower.
Galata, BeyoğluExplore View on map
Hotels in Beyoğlu & Galata
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A boutique hotel below the tower
Georges Hotel Galata
A small boutique hotel in a historic building in Galata, with a rooftop terrace.
Serdar-ı Ekrem Sokak, Galata, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Built for the Orient Express
Pera Palace Hotel
The grand hotel built in 1892 for passengers of the Orient Express, where Agatha Christie stayed.
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:52, Tepebaşı, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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In the Palazzo Corpi
Soho House Istanbul
A Soho House club and hotel in the 19th-century Palazzo Corpi on Meşrutiyet Caddesi, the former American consulate building.
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:56, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Views and Mikla upstairs
The Marmara Pera
A modern hotel in Tepebaşı with views over the Golden Horn, home of the Mikla restaurant.
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:15, Tepebaşı, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Suites below İstiklal, Nicole on the roof
Tomtom Suites
A boutique hotel of spacious suites in a historic building in the Tomtom quarter, with the MICHELIN-starred Nicole on its rooftop.
Tomtom Kaptan Sokak No:18, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Design suites in Cihangir
Witt Istanbul Suites
Design suites with kitchenettes in Cihangir, some with Bosphorus views.
Defterdar Yokuşu Sokağı No:26, Cihangir, BeyoğluExplore View on map
See the full list: Where to Stay in Istanbul: The Best Luxury, Palace & Boutique Hotels
Sights in Beyoğlu & Galata
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The view over the whole city
Galata Tower
The Genoese tower of 1348 above Karaköy, with a 360-degree balcony over the old city, the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus.
Bereketzade, Galata Kulesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The back story
Istanbul and the Republic: the back story
In 1923 the capital moved to Ankara, but Istanbul remained the country’s great city: its port, its marketplace and its cultural heart, today a metropolis of more than 15 million people.
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The city’s great promenade
İstiklal Avenue
The 1.4 km pedestrian avenue from Taksim to Tünel, with its red heritage tram, arcades, churches and side streets.
İstiklal Caddesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The hub of modern Istanbul
Taksim Square
The square at the top of İstiklal, with the Monument of the Republic, the Atatürk Cultural Center and the metro.
Taksim Meydanı, BeyoğluExplore View on map
Arts & Culture in Beyoğlu & Galata
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Opera and ballet on Taksim Square
Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM)
The rebuilt arts centre on Taksim Square, reopened in 2021, home of opera, ballet, concerts and theatre.
Taksim Meydanı, İnönü Caddesi No:2, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Where the dervishes whirl
Galata Mevlevi Lodge
The Mevlevi lodge of 1491 at the top of Galip Dede Caddesi, with its octagonal hall for the sema ceremony.
Şahkulu, Galip Dede Caddesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Orhan Pamuk’s museum of a novel
Museum of Innocence
Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk’s museum built around his novel of the same name, in a house in Çukurcuma.
Firuzağa, Dalgıç Çıkmazı, Çukurcuma, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Jazz by the Galata Tower
Nardis Jazz Club
Istanbul’s best-known jazz club, a few steps from the Galata Tower.
Galata, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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The Tortoise Trainer and Orientalist art
Pera Museum
A private museum in a 19th-century building in Tepebaşı, with Orientalist paintings, Kütahya ceramics and major exhibitions.
Asmalı Mescit, Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:141, BeyoğluExplore View on map
Hammams & spas in Beyoğlu & Galata
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A bath of 1481 off İstiklal
Galatasaray Hamamı
A historic hammam of 1481, just off İstiklal Avenue, with separate men’s and women’s sections.
Turnacıbaşı Sokak, BeyoğluExplore View on map
Shopping in Beyoğlu & Galata
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Treasure hunting below Cihangir
Çukurcuma antiques
The lanes of antique and vintage shops below Cihangir, around the Museum of Innocence.
Çukur Cuma Caddesi, BeyoğluExplore View on map
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Helva and lokum
Koska
A long-established maker of helva, lokum and jams, with a shop on İstiklal Avenue.
İstiklal Caddesi No:122, BeyoğluExplore View on map
Getting around in Beyoğlu & Galata
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Heritage rides in Beyoğlu
Nostalgic tram & the Tünel
The red heritage tram along İstiklal Avenue and the Tünel, the underground funicular of 1875 between Karaköy and Beyoğlu.