Istiklal Caddesi Eating & Drinking

Written by Viator, April 2011

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Good Place to Drink, Good Place to Eat, Good Place to Shop, Must-Do Experience, Popular with Locals, Street / Avenue

Istiklal Caddesi is where locals come to eat, drink and shop. The street is to Istanbul as the Champs-Elysees is to Paris and Broadway is to New York City. Istiklal Caddesi is an incredibly bustling thoroughfare (much of it pedestrian-only and closed to traffic) lined choc-a-bloc with shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and plenty of stately 19th-century architecture. Istiklal Caddesi is the heart of the Beyoglu district, and it stretches from Taksim Square to just past Galatasaray Square on the north side of the Bosphorus.

One of the quintessential experiences here is dining at a meyhaneler (tavern) – dozens of these are sprinkled in the side streets off Istiklal Caddesi. The most famous zone by far is called Nevizade Sokak. Follow signs pointing to Cicek Pasaji (Flower Passage) and settle into one of the outdoor tables lining the alleyway – there’s easily a dozen taverns here to choose from. Marvel at waiters carting impossible loads of meze and fresh fish, have a glass of raki (liquorice-flavored spirits) and clap hands along with the wandering bands of musicians who ply these backstreets. It’s the ultimate Istanbul dining experience.

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