Trendy Locales

Gemi

(0212) 245 97 68
Asmalımescit Sokak 7, Kat 4-5-teras, Asmalımescit
www.gemideyiz.com
Open everyday from 10.00-02.00.

This 3-story venue has been consistently popular since its inception in 2007. The ‘deck’ floor has a warm feel, almost as if you’re on the shores of the Aegean. With its swing, candlelight interior, delicious foods and romantic drinks, Gemi is a favourite among those who opt to dine a deux. The music selection is varied; on any given night you can expect to hear funk, soul or country while some of the performers who have hit the live stage include Buzuki Orhan, Genco Arı, Sarp Maden, Gevende, Sulukule Roman Orkestrası, Bülent Ortaçgil, Erkan Oğur, Birsen Tezer and Sibel Köse. The menu features many options including salmon carpaccio, shrimp wrapped in phyllo, loads of Turkish meze, pasta varieties and more.

Leblon

(0212) 252 86 36
General Yazgan Sokak, Tünel Geçidi İş Hanı 3/A, Asmalımescit
www.11leblon.com
Open everyday from 10.00-00.00; weekends 10.00-02.00.

Those who were lucky enough to stop by Leblon before Cağan Irmak’s Issız Adam came out know that it deserves the sudden influx of customers that are curious to dine at the restaurant featured in the film- it’s really that good! The building itself is a historical work of art, thus not much was done to it in terms of interior renovation. With its brick walls, stylish light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, light-coloured tables and chairs, Leblon is in line with the Asmalı style. Along with the drinks bar, there is also a gastronomy bar. What does this mean? Well, you can choose from loads of cheeses, breads and deli meats. The blackboard hanging on the wall displays the varieties and prices from a 20gr serving. It’s quite fun to pick and choose and assemble your own cheese (or cheese and deli meat) plate. The paper-thin deli meats are sliced with a special slicing machine; your selection is served on a wood board complete with grapes, dried fruit and grissini. A standard cheese and deli meats plate will cost you 20TL. All the bread served is from Paul. The most popular appetizer is the shish kebab, which includes 6 sticks that include Hellim cheese, octopus, beef fillet slices, jumbo shrimp, beef sausage and mushrooms (18TL). The menu also includes burgers, sandwiches, pasta and salad. Beef fillet in a honey and wine sauce (served with basil mashed potatoes and spinach sautéed in wine) will set you back 21TL. The wine list features Kavda Doluca, Kayra and imported wines. Most of the local wines can be ordered by the glass (8-17TL). The drinks menu is also quite extensive. Expect Latin, jazz, fusion and chill-out music while dining. The party gets going after dinner on Friday and Saturday when ‘90s hits are played.

Groove

(0212) 293 17 33
Şehbender Sokak 18, Asmalımescit
www.groove.com.tr
Open everyday from 09.00-02.00; Friday-Saturday 09.00-04.30. Closed Sundays.
Anyone who has ever headed to Otto on a Friday or Saturday night knows Groove. Why? Because Groove tends to get a lot of the overflow from Otto. Now let’s be fair, Groove is a great venue in itself, but the fact that it faces Otto on Şehbender Sokak which has definitely worked in its favour. Its recently revamped menu includes pasta, meat, fish and salad. Basil tenderloin (16.50TL), truffle mushroom risotto (14TL) and crispy chicken salad (14TL) are the chef’s specialties. In the summer, the outdoor tables are always overflowing while in the winter the 25-person capacity second floor is quite popular. At 23.00 the tables are removed and the party really gets going. On Fridays and Saturdays DJ Cihan plays 80s hits until 4am. During the week Murat Beşer and Saltuk Erginer play funk and soul. They’ve also got an extensive wine and drinks menu.

Babylon Lounge

(0212) 245 38 00
Jurnal Sokak 12, Asmalımescit
Open everyday from 11.00-01.00; Friday and Saturday from 11.00-02.00.
Babylon Lounge is a small bistro/bar located on one of Asmalı’s quietest side streets. The vibe is very ‘New York’ish with its dark lighting, wood tables and backlit bar. But Babylon Lounge is of course most well known for its affiliation with Babylon nightclub. The door located by the bar allows you to pass back and forth between the two (except when there is a sold-out concert, so don’t even think about it!). If you happen to be passing by, you’ll notice the lively interior through the large glass window and probably be lured in. The menu was revamped a while ago and though the selection is quite tame (salads, steaks, hamburgers, pizzas, quesadillas), the new chef is talented and we’ve yet to try something we didn’t like. Babylon Lounge excels when it comes to cocktail. You can order any number of their special cocktails including the Caipirinha, Sakepirinha, Mojito, Ginger Lemonade, Bloody Mary and Long Island Iced Tea in a pitcher. Drinks by the glass are 20-25TL; by the pitcher 55-70TL; shots are 9TL. The wheat and veggie salad is 16TL; the beef tenderloin, 27 TL. It’s worth mentioning that Babylon Lounge has something fun going on almost every day of the week and really great resident DJs so stop by whenever.

Nar Pera

(0212) 245 36 29
İstiklal Caddesi Gönül Sokak 9, Asmalımescit
Closed Sundays; Friday and Saturday open from 12.00-04.00, every other day from 09.00-02.00.
Asmalı’s Nar Pera is a 2-story venue; the bottom floor is a nightclub on weekends and a meeting room during the week (reservations recommended). The top floor is the café-restaurant section. You must try the Çinde Nar, which consists of thinly sliced beef, soy sauce, seasonal vegetables, mushrooms and corn served in a cream sauce; the sweet taste you might notice comes from the honey in the sauce; 20 TL. The kebab with yogurt is 17TL, while the Nar chicken is 15TL. Stop by for lunch and enjoy one of the many set menus, like musakka, rice and yogurt, discounted 10%. You also must try the fresh pomegranate-vodka cocktail (13TL). To the delight of coffee-lovers, there are 40 different kinds of coffee that can be enjoyed. Nar Pera’s ambiance is also worth noting: the stonewalls, wood tables, leather couches and 2 cute antique refrigerators create an endearing atmosphere.

K.V.

(0212) 251 43 38
Asmalımescit Mahallesi, Tünel Meydanı Tünel Geçidi C/Blok Altı 6, Tünel
Open everyday from 08.00-04.00.
If you happen to stroll through Tünel Meydan, K.V. is the perfect place to sit outside and people watch. Though the interior is warm and inviting, it’s a bit too crowded (not with people, rather with furniture). This venue is ideal for Sunday brunch or for relaxing outside during a hot summer night with a cold drink. Unfortunately the food doesn’t manage to surpass ‘café menu quality’ (for example, the ‘noodles’ are clearly spaghetti). Alcoholic beverages are served. If you happen to be seated at one of the tables under the colourful lamps, you must take a photograph. We recommend the organ chocolate cake from the dessert selection. Friday and Saturdays you can enjoy jazz with vocals (from 21.00 to 01.00); all other days expect piano starting at 20.30.


Damask

(0212) 292 07 00
Minare Sokak 22, Asmalımescit
Open everyday except Sunday and Monday from 18.00-02.00.
You can access this restaurant located in the Pera Tulip Hotel either from the hotel or from the garden on Jurnal Sokak. The interpretation of ‘Ottoman Cuisine’ is perfect for those who like their food full of spices and sauce. The menu also features world cuisine items. The venue, with its white marble floors, partial glass ceiling and Ottoman decorations, has a calming affect. Don’t except exorbitant prices just because it is located in a hotel; the Circassian chicken is 6TL, Albanian meatballs with yogurt is 18TL and the homemade baklava is 8TL. A live DJ performs every night at Damask, mixing chill out, lounge and ambient earlier on and minimal house, deep and electro house into the late evening.

Flamm

(0212) 245 76 04
Asmalımescit Mahallesi Sofyalı Sokak 12/1, Tünel
Open everyday from 11.00-01.00.
Don’t judge Flamm by its small size. If you come for dinner, you must make reservations, at this venue that is always overflowing with customers. You could try hanging out at the bar until a table is ready, but you’ll end up waiting all night! Let this speak for the popularity of the venue. The most ordered item on the menu is the Flamm Steak. The dessert menu features an apple baklava, strawberry mille-feuille and warm chocolate cake. The salad menu has many options to choose from including the prosciutto arugula salad, shrimp arugula salad and baked vegetable salad. The daytime and evening menus are separate. The daytime menu includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, entrees and desserts while the evening menu consists of mezes, appetizers, pasta, salads, entrees and desserts.  We also recommend the Halep kebab, which consists of beef slices, eggplant, yogurt served in a butter sauce with pide bread. Let it be your final hurrah before the summer diet begins.

Otto

(0212) 292 70 15
Şehbender Sokak 5, Asmalımescit
*Otto Sofyalı
(0212) 252 65 88
Sofyalı Sokak 22/A, Asmalımescit
Open everyday except Sunday from 11.00-02.00. Credit cards accepted.
Otto is an Istanbul phenomenon if we’ve ever seen one. Once just a small, overcrowded bar on Şehbender Sokak, Otto has managed to create an almost cult following, so much so that they’ve opened more locations, the latest which is in Tünel. They must be doing something right, and if you have to ask, you are clearly missing out. Let’s start from the original location, which seats 40-50, and is warm and inviting due to the colourful chairs and always packed bar area. The walls have been covered in crayon graffiti by customers past and present; the sheer volume of graffiti and overlapping writing is a testament to the venue’s popularity. Otto has always had a very impressive menu. The homemade pizzas cooked in a wood-fire oven are delightful; we always head to Otto determined to eat a salad, but end up giving in to one of the pizzas. We recommend the Chef’s Choice, which includes mozzarella slices, fresh arugula, pine nuts, drizzled with a yummy pesto sauce. After dinner the vibe really gets going. Nevzat Atasoy, one of the partners, also makes electronic music. After 23.30, the venue turns into what is best described as a house party. Ain’t for nothing that we awarded Otto ‘Best Asmalımescit venue’, after all! On weekends reservations are a must, unless you have an ‘in’. The latest Otto, Otto Sofyalı, is located just around the corner from the original. The most noteworthy detail would have to be the long bar that stretches from the entrance all the way to the back; well that, and also the private dinner party room in the back, perfect for birthday parties and such. This location is both larger and features a more expansive menu. Otto has also recently added happy hours; stop by from 18.00-19.30 and enjoy cocktails 10% off and free mini pizzas. The antipasti plate is 25TL, while the pizza ricotta spinaci (large) is 19TL. A glass of wine is 10-11TL.

The House Café Tünel

(0212) 245 95 15
Asmalımescit 9/1-2, Beyoğlu
Weekdays from 09.00-23.00; weekends from 09.00-00.00; Sundays from 09.00-22.30.
The most charismatic of all the House Cafés has to be the Tünel location. When the weather is nice, you can’t beat sitting at one of the tables outside, people watching and enjoying one of their many cocktails. House Café’s customers tend to be the hip artists, photographers and models known to live in the Tünel area. The entrance floor has two separate sections connected by a simple passage. With its gloomy lighting and cool bar, the venue definitely has a romantic and familiar vibe. The bottom floor is a renovated cellar, thus it’s not as pleasant with its low ceiling, but preferable for private parties. We recommend the grilled sea bass salad (19.50TL) and our favourite the pizza rustik (22.50TL).

Lokal
(0212) 245 57 43
Müeyyet Sokak 5, Asmalımescit
Weekdays (except Sunday) 10.30-01.00; weekends from 10.30-02.00.
*Lokal Meydan
(0212) 245 40 28
İstiklal Caddesi 186 A, Tünel
Open weekdays from 08.00-02.00, weekends from 08.00-04.00, Sunday from10.00-02.00. Credit cards accepted.
This is Asmalı’s most cosmopolitan and exotic venue and with its eclectic interior design, which includes foil-like mirrors, China (çini) floors, chairs and tables that resemble those from our public school cafeteria, punk rock toilets with chalk-writing on the walls…nothing is as you would expect, and we love it! The food is Thai fusion. The most popular dishes are the chicken coconut curry (18.50TL) and shrimp pattahi (Thai rice noodle) (25 TL). For when the original location gets to full, you can try Lokal Tünel, where parties are organized frequently (the old Lokal is solely for dinner and drinks). The top floor resident DJ, Kiwi, plays on Fridays and Saturdays. The bottom floor is frequented by some of Istanbul’s best DJs including Fuchs, U.F.U.K. and Cure-Shot. The menu at this location is more café-style, featuring salads, sandwiches etc. A vodka-cocktail will cost you 18TL. The unconventional (and unisex?) toilets are a must-see.

Merdiven Cafe

(0212) 245 73 68
Nergis Sokak 8/1, Asmalımescit
Open everyday except Sunday 09.00-02.00.
This venue features mostly Turkish cuisine. The Zeytinyağlılar (olive-oil based cold veggie dishes), steaks and pasta varieties are appropriately priced for the location. Kayseri mantı (Kayseri ravioli) and ‘içli köfte’ (meatballs) are 7TL each while the Circassian mantı is only 6.50TL. The most distinctive aspect is hidden in the back (by descending the stairs)- a water cistern leftover from the Byzantine period!

Charlotte Bistro

(0212) 245 84 21
Meşrutiyet Caddesi 163, Asmalımescit
www.chartlottebistro.com
Open everyday except Sunday from 11.00-00.00.
Charlotte Bistro, with its wood décor, uniquely round windows, delicious food and rich wine menu, has been our favourite bistro-style restaurant since its inception in 2006. The chicken, meat and fish entrees are most noteworthy on the world cuisine menu. Their steaks and grilled entrees are favourites. We recommend the lamb served with spiced, garbanzo bean puree (28.50TL) and steak served with sautéed Swiss chard and oven-baked creamy potatoes (31.50TL). Enjoy live jazz on Friday nights.

The Junction

(0212) 252 71 60
Meşrutiyet Caddesi 1/3, Asmalımescit
Open everyday from 07.00-02.00.
The Junction’s menu consists of meat, fish and chicken entrees as well as delicious pasta dishes. The chicken Lolita is 16TL, salmon cutlet is 20TL and then penne tuna pasta is 14TL. On Wednesdays and Thursdays you can enjoy Ulaş Ay on guitar singing Turkish and foreign pop songs. As for the remaining days of the week, DJ Mehmet plays music according to the ambiance of the particular evening, making sure to cater to the customers.

Canım Ciğerim

(0212) 252 60 60
Minare Sokak 3, Asmalımescit
Open everyday from 12.00-00.00.
This venue gets manages to get even the most anti-ciğer (liver) diners eating ciğer! For those who won’t even try it (because if you do, we bet you’ll like it!), there are alternatives to the ciğer including meat and chicken. So this is how it goes: the ciğer is cooked on a skewer, while the accompaniment of onions, tomatoes and peppers are cooked on another skewer. You then grab a warm lavas bread and slide the ingredients off the skewer into the lavas. One portion is 15TL.