6 bars worth the trip across Turkey, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Turkey guides.
Mikla Bar ★ 4.5 · Istanbul
beyoğlu · Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:15, 34430 Beyoğlu, İstanbul
Mikla Bar atop the Marmara Pera, Mehmet Gürs's rooftop terrace pouring a 450-label wine list and Anatolian-spirit cocktails over the Golden Horn from 18:00.
Alexandra Cocktail Bar ★ 4.4 · Istanbul
beşiktaş · Arnavutköy Mah., Tezcan Sokak No:7, 34345 Beşiktaş, İstanbul
Alexandra, the Arnavutköy cocktail room from the team behind Istanbul's earliest serious cocktail bar, working with house-made syrups and high-grade Turkish spirits.
Geyik Cocktail Bar ★ 4.3 · Istanbul
cihangir · Kılıçali Paşa Mah., Akarsu Yokuşu No:22/A, 34433 Beyoğlu, İstanbul
Geyik on Akarsu Yokuşu flips from a third-wave roastery to a cocktail bar after dark, the work of Turkish barista champion Serkan İpekli and Yağmur Engin.
Tarihi Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi ★ 4.2 · Istanbul
beyoğlu · Balık Pazarı, Sahne Sokak No:47, 34435 Beyoğlu, İstanbul
Tarihi Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi in Beyoğlu's Balık Pazarı, a 130-year-old meyhane spread across three floors with fasıl music upstairs and the rakı table running until 02:00.
MiniMüzikhol ★ 4.2 · Istanbul
cihangir · Soğancı Sokak No:3, 34433 Beyoğlu, İstanbul
MiniMüzikhol in Cihangir, an apartment-floor club opened in 2009, hosting Istanbul DJ residencies and the occasional Anatolian psych-rock set into the early hours.
360 Istanbul ★ 4.0 · Istanbul
beyoğlu · Hüseyinağa Mah., İstiklal Caddesi No:163, 34435 Beyoğlu, İstanbul
360 Istanbul atop Mısır Apartmanı, an eighth-floor wraparound-window space that flips from a mezze dinner to a club on weekends with city-wide views.