Asmalı Cavit on Asmalı Mescit Caddesi has run for over two decades as the Beyoğlu meyhane reference, with two floors of jammed tables, a meze tray of 15 to 20 small plates and a father-and-son bağlama and violin duo through arabesque classics.
Tip: Book ahead Friday and Saturday; the meze tray arrives before you order. Raki and grilled anchovies are the canonical pair; music starts around 21:00.
Address: Asmalı Mescit Caddesi No:16/D, 34430 Beyoğlu, Istanbul
Mikla on top of the Marmara Pera on Meşrutiyet Caddesi is the Mehmet Gürs rooftop restaurant and bar, holding a Michelin star since 2023 with cocktails on a 360-degree open-air terrace looking at the Golden Horn and the Old City.
Tip: Bar from 18:00 to 02:00; the restaurant downstairs is the tasting-menu seat. Dinner reservations essential; bar takes walk-ins. Closed November to March.
360 Istanbul on top of the 19th-century Mısır Apartmanı on İstiklal Caddesi runs a glass-walled penthouse with panoramic city views, Turkish meze fused with international cuisine and a weekend Club360 strand with DJs and live performers.
Tip: Lunch to late-night kitchen; the bar runs to 04:00 on weekends. Lift to the 8th floor through the apartment lobby. Book a window for the sunset rail.
Leb-i Derya on Kumbaracı Yokuşu off İstiklal Caddesi opened in 2002 as the original Beyoğlu rooftop concept, a sixth-floor apartment-building terrace looking across the Bosphorus to the Old City and Asian side.
Tip: Lift to the 6th floor; the sign at street level is small. The terrace is the photo seat; book for sunset. Kitchen serves Mediterranean small plates to 22:30.
Şahika on Nevizade Sokak in Beyoğlu runs five floors stacked from a ground-floor pub through casual lounges to a techno-leaning rooftop terrace, a queer-friendly Nevizade fixture that combines neighborhood crowd and electronic programming.
Tip: Climb to the rooftop for fresh air and Beyoğlu views; the techno floor is just below. The room peaks after midnight Thursday through Saturday.
Mikla on top of the Marmara Pera on Meşrutiyet Caddesi is the Mehmet Gürs rooftop restaurant and bar, holding a Michelin star since 2023 with cocktails on a 360-degree open-air terrace looking at the Golden Horn and the Old City.
Tip: Bar from 18:00 to 02:00; the restaurant downstairs is the tasting-menu seat. Dinner reservations essential; bar takes walk-ins. Closed November to March.
360 Istanbul on top of the 19th-century Mısır Apartmanı on İstiklal Caddesi runs a glass-walled penthouse with panoramic city views, Turkish meze fused with international cuisine and a weekend Club360 strand with DJs and live performers.
Tip: Lunch to late-night kitchen; the bar runs to 04:00 on weekends. Lift to the 8th floor through the apartment lobby. Book a window for the sunset rail.
The Bank Roof Bar on top of the 19th-century former bank building on Bankalar Caddesi in Karaköy looks across the Golden Horn at the Old City, with a cocktail and whisky programme alongside small plates from the hotel kitchen.
Tip: Lift through the lobby of The Bank Hotel; arrive before sunset for a Topkapı and Hagia Sophia rail seat. Karaköy tram is two blocks.
Leb-i Derya on Kumbaracı Yokuşu off İstiklal Caddesi opened in 2002 as the original Beyoğlu rooftop concept, a sixth-floor apartment-building terrace looking across the Bosphorus to the Old City and Asian side.
Tip: Lift to the 6th floor; the sign at street level is small. The terrace is the photo seat; book for sunset. Kitchen serves Mediterranean small plates to 22:30.
Şahika on Nevizade Sokak in Beyoğlu runs five floors stacked from a ground-floor pub through casual lounges to a techno-leaning rooftop terrace, a queer-friendly Nevizade fixture that combines neighborhood crowd and electronic programming.
Tip: Climb to the rooftop for fresh air and Beyoğlu views; the techno floor is just below. The room peaks after midnight Thursday through Saturday.
Geyik on Akarsu Yokuşu in Cihangir runs a third-wave coffee roastery by day and a cocktail bar by night, with brick walls, wood paneling and a creative drinks list that earned it Time Out's neighborhood-bar reference for the district.
Tip: Coffee through the afternoon; cocktails take over from early evening. The room is small, the bar seats fill first. Open daily until 02:00.