Although not famous for being an entertainment city you'll soon find that there's more going on in Istanbul than you might think. The nightlife is growing and stays vibrant until very late, comprising a staggering range of clubs, bars and restaurants and cultural venues of any kind but all with the oriental flair of one of the most exotic cosmopolitan cities in Europe.
So more than enough to dive head first into the full range of Turkish delight!
Local Foods & Beverages
Turkish eateries can be split up into several broad categories: The Lokanta is usually a cosy restaurant specialising in meat and vegetable dishes cooked in rich tomato sauces, many derived from dishes cooked in the Ottoman palace.
The Meyhane are a mix of a restaurant and a bar and a traditional stop off for an evening's drinking often accompanied by starters (meze), with a huge plate of sizzling kebabs to follow.
Similar to the Meyhane are the fish restaurants where plates of meze and glasses of raki are followed by a grilled catch of the day.
Main Drinking Areas
Beyoğlu is notorious for its cafes, bars and live music venues. The area around the central Taksim Square is arguably the place where most of the English football fans are to be found. The best value, as ever, is to be found in the smaller bars in the side streets rather than on the main drags of the likes of Istiklal Caddesi.
Irish & English Pubs
Even in Istanbul there is an Irish Centre, located at Istiklal Cad, Huseyinaga Mah, Balo Sok 26. www.theirishcentre.com
Other English pubs include The North Shield in the Sultahnamet area of the city, or there is always the English Pub in the President's Hotel.
There is a smoking ban now in place in Turkey, although enforcement of this is pretty lax. Even if caught and punished, you face a fine of a whopping £25 (60 Lira or thereabouts).
Restaurants
The main dining areas are:
Old Istanbul: restaurants in Sultanahmet cater mostly to foreign visitors with more European-style preparations and prices.
Sirkeci-Eminönö: Near Sirkeci rail station. Under the Galata Bridge are simple and cheap eateries
Hocapasa: This neighbourhood just south of the Sirkeci rail station has a dozen or so small restaurants patronized mainly by locals, with good food, friendly service and moderate prices.
Beyoglu: north of the Golden Horn is the most upscale part of the city, but has the better bargains in food. The little side streets off Istiklal Caddesi are packed with basic eateries, bistros, cafes and pastry shops. Cheap and cheerful
The Bosphorus: The European and Asian shores are dotted with excellent sea-view restaurants, many of which specialize in sea-food. Depending on the restaurant, it can be rather pricy.
Fast Food Outlets
There are plenty of fast food outlets to be found throughout near the city centre including burger King, McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc.
