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 cafes

 

Moda is one of those districts that never seems to be on your, though it should be. It’s beautiful and strangely resembles Brooklyn’s Park Slope. Exploring Moda is like walking around a silent utopia for the artsy and academic types. The area itself is very historical, which is obvious from the architecture and the famous pier-turned-café.

 

Viktor Levi Wine House

The Viktor Levi Wine House looks like a haunted house when you pass it by. Dark wood floors, walls, exterior, everything screams scary. When you walk inside don’t be surprised to see racks of wine (obviously) and a long bar that stretches nearly the length of the first room. Walk up onto the elevated floor, and you’ve got massive dining tables, booths and rectangular, that can fit up to 12 people. Right outside the window you’ll see the backyard. Talk about sticking to a theme: the outdoor seating area is covered in vines (although not grape vines) immersed in trees, shrubs, and little pathways that lead to seating areas. The pub-like atmosphere is complemented by the plethora of alcohol selections they have besides wine. As for the wine selection, it’s massive. They have every kind of Turkish wine you can imagine from Angora to Kavaklıdere Selection. Wines from all over the world are also popular, from Tegole Toscana (red wine) to Les 7 Seurs Syrah (red wine), and a wide selection of Viktor Levi wines, kept the same since the inception; Viktor Levi founded the place after he had been selling wines all over Turkey in 1914. The venue also has a menu that is bursting at the seams with Grilled Salmon, T-bone steak, Chicken Amaretto, and of course, appetizers (hot & cold) that go great with a drink. Editor’s note: This venue could also be considered in Kadıköy; it’s on the cusp and they told us Moda, so Moda it is.

Caferağa mah. Moda Caddesi Damacı Sokak no 4

(0216) 449 9329

 

Bast Café Kitap

Students, teachers, indie-rockers, smokers, drinkers unite! Bast Café is going to be your new favorite place, so get used to it. First, it’s awesome concept of combining art, coffee, alcohol, books, food and more transforms it from a café into a young person’s universe. The décor is funky, with Goebel cat figurines (plus a live cat occasionally wanders in!), artwork hanging on the walls from exhibitions by small-time artists, bookshelves filled to the ceiling, small tables in the front, center, back and natural lighting for the most part; they’ve pretty much thrown everything strange into one setting, and somehow it all works.  Their menu is basic, with a breakfast menu, lunch and light dinner that goes until midnight, you won’t have much to choose from but at least you’ll have something to munch on after having sat for a few hours. We highly suggest going for their breakfast since it’s available until closing. Hurry on over, before it gets too cold, and take advantage of the outdoor seating, opt for tables and chairs or cushioned booths, and enjoy the scenery of the placid street in front of you. Later on you can stroll on down to the boardwalk, which is roughly 5 min. away.

Moda Caddesi Nesime apt 245/2

(0216) 450 2640

 

Moda Iskele Café

Every district in Istanbul has its thing, or things in many cases, that are landmarks- they’ve been there forever and still function daily. For Moda it’s the Moda Iskele Café. The old pier now has a café on the top floor, and during the warmer months, tables are lined up all the way along the boardwalk leading to the main café. It does have quite a dreamy atmosphere; you can just imagine couples sitting around on Valentine’s Day eating tost and sipping on tea, ah love. For all the other non-coupley people out there, it’s also a great place to go and sit, read, study, talk, or just gaze out onto the spectacular view you have of the Bostancı area and islands. Their menu goes from breakfast until dinner and the options are the usual, with a few unusual. Seafood dishes, sandwiches, main courses and desserts, and obviously coffee and tea are served. Breakfast is available from 9am-2pm and the restaurant itself is open until 11pm. The outdoor seating on the boardwalk really is a great place to sit- you literally feel like you’re eating in the middle of the sea, and you can bring your dog!

Tarihi moda iskelesi yolu

(0216) 337 31 00

 

Moda Teras

 

Moda Teras is arguably the nicest place to dine in the area. Its panoramic view of the sea and islands is a great place to choose for a calm, yet classy night. Their menu is pretty extensive with hot and cold appetizers that get your taste buds ready for what’s next. For a main course try the Thai Style Chicken (26TL), which is to die for, with cucumbers, peppers and spicy chicken bits. The Walnut Greek Kebap (21TL) is bursting with flavor. The kebaps are marinated in white wine and stuffed with walnuts, served with rice and mushrooms, how could you pass that up? The beverage menu is pretty extensive and they have some funky cocktails, try the Black Cherry Margarita (25TL) made with orange juice and cherry syrup. They have an outdoor seating area that will be covered with glass panels for the winter season for smokers. During the warmer months, the outdoor patio is amazing. It also would work very well for large parties, events and the like due to the spaciousness and the glamour that this establishment has boasted for the past decade.

Moda Mektep Sokak No:1

(0216) 338 7040

 

Babil Sahaf

Ever wondered where there was a bookstore equivalent to the ones in Taksim that carry old books? Well, Babil Sahaf in Moda is it. When you first walk in, it’s pretty narrow and lacking in character (we had to jump over bags of books) but then when you head to the back it’s like you’re in an old professor’s home. Books on Turkish history, Greek History, American history, German poetry, French short stories, geography books, all the classics, famous novels and reference books are piled, and we mean piled, to the ceiling. There are even books downstairs, so bookworms can spend hours blissfully browsing. There are also books in English, so ex-pats fear not. We even found Irfan Orga’s translated “Portrait of a Turkish Family” amongst the rubble. And they’re all second hand, the way books should be purchased. It’s a great place to wander into and get lot for hours, we did.

Ressam Şeref Akdik sok. no 38

(0216) 418 9259