38 Best Bars in Turkey

Istanbul's top live-music space occupies an entertainment complex in Bomonti that includes a hotel and the Populist brewery, on the other side of the Osmanbey metro stop from Nişantaşı. It hosts world-famous performers in genres ranging from jazz, indie pop, and rock to world music and electronica, along with pop-up events, alternative theater performances, and film screenings. The 500-person capacity venue has a top sound system and friendly crowds that take their music seriously. In summer, the action moves to Babylon Kilyos, on Istanbul's Black Sea coast, and Babylon Aya Yorgi in the beach town of Çeşme, near İzmir.

Perched over the Mediterranean next to the ancient Hıdırlık Kulesi, the clifftop Castle Café and Bistro is a great place to watch the sun set with a drink in hand.

With shelves full of tinctures, cabinets of concoctions, and drawers overflowing with growing plants, Lelabbo is a cocktail bar that occasionally resembles a very classy apothecary. The cozy venue offers a mix of classic and original cocktails in their particular detail-oriented style, complete with a glossary of terms helpfully tucked in their menu.

Surrounded by a forest of sailboat masts, this is the first place both Bodrum locals and Turkish tourists will recommend for a night out. The good live music (jazz, classical, retro oldies, Turkish pop, etc.) is as diverse as the age groups that come to listen, and the three distinct dining areas plus a cafe give a full night's entertainment. The two dining areas to each side of the stage and bars (Gozo with Spanish flavors and Coozini with Italian-Mediterranean) stay open year round. The upper open-air terrace dining area with has a Turkish and seafoods menu and terrific views of the marina, but it closes in winter.

Behind the ruins of Fethiye’s ancient theater and offering beer-garden-like seating on its small patio, Minimal has a laidback vibe, a well-stocked beer fridge, and good music on the stereo, with occasional live acts on the weekends. It’s a refreshing change of pace from some of the tourist-trap nightspots in nearby Paspatur.

This top-notch performance space is housed in the headquarters and cultural center of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), one of the city's most important arts organizations. The concert lineup for this intimate venue features both local and international acts spanning a wide range of genres, including jazz, rock, alternative, and world music.

You can drink your cocktail next to the Ayasofya and across from the Blue Mosque at this rooftop bar-restaurant, which also has an extensive wine and food menu. The service is very attentive and while the drinks are on the pricey side, the view is terrific.

On a narrow street lined with basic beer joints and meyhanes serving mostly identical food menus, Şahika offers something more unusual. The lively, multistory venue has a different concept and ambience on each level, ranging from a pub atmosphere on the street level to casual lounge areas on the middle floors to a clublike vibe on the terrace, which also has excellent views of the Golden Horn.

Lively little bars and meyhanes have been popping up in the narrow, winding alleys south of the Ulu Cami, and this cozy, atmospheric wine house is one of the best. Tables are set in and around the courtyard of a two-story old stone Antakya house, giving each one a sense of privacy. The friendly young staffers bring out generous servings of free nibbles with orders of the reasonably priced wine, sangria, and beer. There’s a small menu of bar food but no hard alcohol or full meals.

A sixth-floor bar and lounge, Balkon has excellent views of the Golden Horn and a laid-back outdoor deck atop the By Murat Crown Hotel. Drink prices are reasonable compared to those at most other rooftop bars in the area.

This pleasant spot in a restored historical mansion is popular with students, and while gets busy during term time it's closed in summer. There's often live music.

With an interior decor that brings to mind an old-school private club and a breezy terrace overlooking the Bosphorus, Bebek Bar attracts a dressed-up crowd. There is a particularly wide selection of liqueurs, Scotch, and other spirits, as well as classic cocktails, making it a perfect spot for a before- or after-dinner drink.

Located in the heart of Asmalı Mescit, off of Istiklal Avenue, Blind is a mid-size space with a capacity of 400 people that presents a range of pop, rock, and indie bands from Turkey and abroad, as well as nostalgia DJ nights. The venue is only open on weekends.

Head upstairs to experience Bova’s romantically dim-lit jazz club, which presents a wide range of local jazz bands playing everything from standards to experimental tunes. While downstairs is a regular bar, upstairs at Bova is a jazz oasis in the middle of Istanbul’s busiest nightlife area.

The white terrace here offers gorgeous views of the moonlit beach, making it the perfect place to cool down with a frozen cocktail or fruit smoothie after a day in the sun. The staff is courteous, and the food menu is eclectic (albeit pricey). Note that the terrace closes for winter at the end of November, but the bar is open year-round.

This popular Irish bar in the middle of Kaleiçi has friendly servers, a good beer selection, and international sporting matches on the TV. A wide-ranging menu of better-than-average food gives it a bit of gastropub flair.

A Kaş nightlife stalwart since 2007, dimly lit and sultry Echo is in a stone building—a former stable for camels—by the harbor. Nightly in summer, it hosts live bands and DJ sets, with music ranging from funk, blues, and jazz to Turkish rock and pop classics.

By day it's a restaurant and by night it's a pub, open until 2 am. It's popular with expats and a mixed crowd of businesspeople and students.

This trendy spot serves a wide variety of stylish cocktails to an eclectic crowd. There is an accompanying food menu, but the cocktails are the true focus here. There is often a DJ on weekends for a lively vibe.

A hip spot in the Cihangir neighborhood, Geyik is known for its well-balanced, expertly prepared cocktails. It can get crowded on weekends, with patrons often spilling out onto the sidewalk.

Tucked down a side street not far from the junction of Cumhuriyet Caddesi and Fevzi Çakmak Caddesi, this place is a nice gem in the Van bar scene. As long as you don't mind the smoky atmosphere, it's a great place to spend the evening people-watching the liberal intelligentsia of Van while enjoying cold beers and good bar snacks.

This fourth-floor bar focuses on wine and has live music most nights, with performances leaning toward Turkish pop and rock, and some more traditional sounds thrown in. It can be a little noisy for a decent conversation, but a fun place to soak up the atmosphere. Alternatively, take a seat next to the window and watch the nonstop hustle and bustle of the city.

The longest-established and most popular venue on Kadıköy's so-called Barlar Sokağı (Bars Street), Karga takes up several levels of an old wooden house, whose many small rooms and intimate niches make it the perfect laid-back hangout. There is often live music on weekends in winter and occasional art events. There's no sign out front, so look for a building with a green facade and an emblem of a crow over the doorway (karga means "crow" in Turkish).

Rock classics are the soundtrack at this small but popular bar on a very lively bar corner in Bodrum’s central market area. It’s been around since 1992 and shows no signs of stopping.

The best thing about this low-key café–bar on Kadıköy's main nightlife street is the large courtyard in the back, where patrons gather around tables and an old, distinctive tree. In cooler months, the rustic interior is a cozy place to chat.

This upscale bar with DJ and live Turkish pop acts is open into the early morning hours later than other Barlar Sokağı establishments of central Bodrum. It's house in a large two story building with high ceiling, once a warehouse for mandarins and sponges, with elaborate lighting shows, and seats on decks overlooking the bay and a view to the Bodrum castle.

A Bodrum institution, the small and quaint "Blue Bar" occupies century-old premises and features live Turkish music—some of Turkey's most prominent rock stars have appeared here, and new names still begin here. Chairs and tables spill out into the pedestrian street with a very relaxed vibe.

One of Istanbul's few dedicated jazz venues, the well-regarded Nardis Jazz Club hosts mainly Turkish musicians, with the occasional big name from abroad. The cozy, intimate space only has room for 110, so reservations are strongly recommended.

The DJs at this popular, if pricey, beach club spin music from the 1970s through the '90s, which is appropriate because this place has been around for 30 years. Partying goes 'til the wee hours of the morning, with live music acts featured a couple of nights a week. The food isn't bad, either.