The Asian side is growing in popularity and has more to offer now than ever before. We've broken it down into sections best for nightlife, shopping, and eating for you. Esen Boyacigiller, Sibel Karabeyoglu and Merve Arkunlar

Best for nightlife

 

Kadıköy has been one of the city’s top barhopping districts for as long as we can remember. It’s the only area on the Asian Side to give Taksim a run for its money. Kadife Sokak is lined with bars on both sides; you’re bound to find somewhere that fits and best of all, prices are cheaper than in Taksim, for now.

 

Bahane Kültür

This bar/café located on Kadife Sokak is without a doubt one of our favorite places to grab a beer. Nestled snugly under a huge tree that provides ample shade, Bahane features a patio, which seats over 100, that is raised a few steps from the main path, which means you can look down on, but not be bothered by, passers-by. The menu features alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, coffees, teas, fresh juices, snacks, cakes, crepes, salads, spaghetti, tosts and more. In addition to these traditional café items, they’ve got some unusual ones such as espresso chino (espresso, chocolate, whipped-cream) and flavored coffees galore (hazelnut, almond, banana, strawberry, peach and mint). The alcoholic coffees made us want to come back after dinner; the Maria Teresa (double espresso, orange liquor and cream) in particular caught our eye. Make sure to ask what the specials of the day are, as there are usually 3 to choose from. Inside, the vibe is cool and dark, and they’ve got a great selection of music playing at all times as well- when we stopped by old favorite Mattafix was playing. The wait-staff is also attentive without being obnoxious, a major-plus.

Kadife Sokak, 27

 

Dunia

Dunia is a bar/café, which has a funky vibe and great drinks. The menu includes frozen drinks, beer, cocktails, cold and hot sandwiches, smaller starters, burgers, wraps, pasta, salads, desserts and more. We liked that the walls are covered in art, and that there are several floors, each quite intimate, rather than one larger space. As you ascend the stairs, it feels almost like you’ve stopped by a friend’s place for a drink, so comforting is the environment. There is even a mini-balcony on the top floor that looks over Kadife Sokak. It’s so small we couldn’t believe it when the manager told us they’ve had 5-6 people out there before! Prices are normal with beer at 5.5.TL.

Kadife Sokak 19/2

 

Isis Bahçe

Isis Bahçe seems like your ordinary Egyptian-themed café (if you know of any, that is); there are hieroglyphics covering the walls, framed on reed paper and giant murals of mythic Egyptian gods and figures. The inside is made of a light colored wood, almost a sand color (we’re thinking to recreate the Egyptian desert scenery?), with seating in the front, center and back. We always talk about the back garden area of a venue, but this garden is definitely worth seeing. Narrow wooden boardwalks direct you to the ginormous bar at the end of the garden. Seating throughout the garden consists of small tables and chairs, perfect for an intimate conversation or a meeting amongst friends. The lighting throughout is subtle and relaxing. It’s literally like walking into an elegant garden party, except with cool, young people. The garden area and inside area have a Feng Shui concept going on it seems, everything is very spread out and neatly organized. They serve lunch and dinner, and the menu is made up of typical café foods: pastas, salads, sandwiches, soups and some meat dishes. A drink to try while you’re there should be from the long list of wines they have. Don’t think that once the weather gets colder you can’t enjoy the garden area, a tent is extended over the top so that you can sit outside and enjoy your meal or drink. Sit inside if desired, because it’s just as pleasant, with a view of the garden. The bottom floor also has a large bar and a DJ booth. Definitely a great place to bring friends or guests before hitting the Kadıköy bar scene. They have a somewhat odd policy, claiming they don’t let those who aren’t regulars in, but we got past the one man “security” at the door, so obviously that’s a joke.

Kadife Sokak 26, Kadıköy

Kadıköy

(0216) 349 73 81

 

Arkaoda

Arkaoda feels like one of those venues that has a particular fan-base and is so happy with it, they don’t feel the need to advertise. Or for people ‘in-the-know’. That’s because the venue doesn’t even have a sign outside; literally, there is no signage, so if you haven’t been before, you won’t be able to find it. The minute you walk in, you are faced with a bar to the right that is always packed. They have quite an impressive roster of DJs and musicians- David Brown of Brazzaville played new tracks in anticipation of his upcoming album a few months ago, while ‘I Create Soundscapes’ and Tara Jane O’Neil also have performed of late. Bant Magazine also hosts its parties here while special events like Plak Pazarı (records are played exclusively on Sundays) are popular as well. Be sure to try their most popular and deadly (!) shot, the Üç Maymun (3 Monkeys), which is super spicy and must be chased by a beer. It gets its name from the fact that if you have 3 in a row, you’ll get so messed up, you might hallucinate 3 monkeys! Hah. The garden, which is open year-round, is also really nice to chill in.

0216 418 0277

Kadife Sokak, 18/A

 

Trip2.0

Owner Mete Avunduk has created an entirely original venue, so much so that no one can really compete. First off, their themed nights aren’t de rigueur ‘electro night’ or ‘80s night’ as you often find on the European side, especially around Taksim. Instead they have nights such as ‘The Smiths Night’ (our favorite), ‘70s Turkish Pub night’, ‘mini-skirts night’, ‘exes night’ and more. They are one of the few venues to still be playing records. All this speaks volumes about the creativity of the Trip2.0 team as well as serving as an indication of the type of customers, hip and original. They’ve got a fireplace in the main room, which is great for winter’s cold nights.

Kadife Sokak 10

(0216) 346 04 13

 

The Music Box

This hole-in-the-wall music store is full of music, movies and other knick-knacks. In addition to recent movie releases- all originals, not black market copies- CDs, DVD box sets, books (mostly in Turkish), they also sell guitars, Playstation, sunglasses and other tchotchkes. When we stopped by they had Cesaria Evora playing, and being that music is so important to the vibe of a store, the pleasant music encouraged us to browse for a substantial period of time. They’ve also got lots of old black and white movies as well, such as ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’ as well as Greta Garbo movies. ‘Goodbye Lenin’, ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ and Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones movie confirmed our suspicions: someone running the shop has really good taste in movies! This shop is perfect for expats and the helpful staff was more than willing to fill us in on some of the best movies on offer.

(0216) 449 09 09

Bahariye Caddesi, no: 76/A

 

Kadıköy also has a lot of great outlets. Try the Mango Outlet of which the top two floors sell heavily discounted pieces (the bottom floor features the current season’s items). Also, try the Mudo and Mithat Outlets.