34 Best Nightlife 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.

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.

Sultanahmet doesn't have many noteworthy nightlife spots, but the open-air rooftop lounge at the Four Seasons Sultanahmet is an inviting place to have a drink. Relax in comfortable deck furniture as you take in the spectacular views of the Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque lit up at night. The lounge closes at 11 pm.

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.

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 October, but the bar is open year-round.

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.

A well-chosen selection of high-quality Turkish wines, a pleasant bar staff, and cool jazz on the stereo make up for this little spot’s odd location in a small shopping mall. Cocktails are on the menu as well, and during the day, it’s a café—one of the rare places in town making proper espresso drinks. Dal doesn’t stay open late (only till 10 pm), but it’s a mellow alternative to the often noisy tourist bars lining Maraş Cad.

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, Echo is in 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, open from 8 am, and by night it's a pub, open until 2 am. It's popular with expats and a mixed crowd of buisinesspeople 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.

Chilled-out bar by night and family-friendly eatery by day, the bar-restaurant at Help Beach serves up live music, a wide array of cocktails, and surprisingly good food (from schnitzel and nachos to traditional Turkish options) under climbing vines in a small cove about 5 km (3 miles) outside of Fethiye.

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).

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.

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.

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.

The action begins after sunset at places like the Royal Castle, which claims to be the oldest bar in Side. It's just inland from the water, on the southwest corner of the old town, and its publike atmosphere includes televised soccer games that keep British patrons happy. There is also live music most evenings in season. Be warned, though: drink prices can be steep.

Overlooking the Ortaköy waterfront, Ruby offers a classy atmosphere and more intimate feel than the larger nightclubs farther up the Bosphorus. Dinner is served to a well-heeled crowd before the venue turns into a dance club.

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.

A semi-alternative crowd hangs out at this bar on one of Alsancak's popular nightlife streets, taking in live jazz and alternative music events, and ordering off the international menu in the family-friendly café area.

This intimate, dimly lit wine bar near Galatasaray Square has a long, mostly Turkish wine list and a knowledgeable staff to guide you through it.

Near the seafront on the road to Antalya, this hugely popular disco and restaurant are part of the same sprawling complex. Two large bars among the palm trees have a dance floor cooled with outdoor air-conditioning (really!). Drinks start flowing at 11 pm, and the music doesn't stop until about 5 am. Free transport to or from Alanya is available for groups of five or more.