The destinations listed here include restaurants, pubs, bars, and waterpipe cafes. None of these charge a cover; but depending on the type of place you choose, it's perfectly acceptable to linger over mezes and raki, a cup of tea, or as long as it takes for the tobacco in the waterpipe to burn down.
Taksim, Tünel & Beyoglu -- Taksim is undeniably the heart of this city's commerce, while the entire district of Beyoglu brings to mind characteristic back-street cafes, atmospheric bars, and stylish restaurants. While the tourists are shuttling between Taksim Square and Sultanahmet, the residents of Istanbul are making reservations in Beyoglu. Twenty years ago this was not so, when Istiklal Caddesi looked more like the pre-Disney 42nd Street than the open-air shopping mall it is today. But tucked inside this neighborhood of opulent 19th-century mansions and former consulates are some of the classiest bars in town. Beyoglu is still a neighborhood in transition, and the closer you get to Taksim Square, the seedier it gets.
Along the Bosphorus -- Istanbul's nightlife succumbs to the lure of the Bosphorus in the summer months (generally Apr until the end of Oct), moving alfresco and up to the seafront venues of Ortaköy and Kuruçesme. Names tend to change seasonally, but the locations and general theme stays the same.
