Soho House Istanbul

Worth getting out of bed for

The pulse of the city is thrillingly fast-paced in artsy Beyoğlu. The city’s modern side is home to Istanbul’s busiest street (Istiklal), a diverse food scene and plenty of cultural crowd-pleasers. Escape the crowds at Salt – an expansive contemporary arts hub with a walk-in theatre, library, English-language bookstore, cinema, rooftop garden and panoramic restaurant. Arter is another of the area’s must-sees for aesthetes. Aside from a collection of mixed-media contemporary works from the 1960s to the present day, the building is a striking silver structure with a light-filtering facade by London-based Grimshaw Architects. In the district’s less trafficked parts, Cihangir and Çukurcuma, you’ll find a smattering of cafés, antique shops, cocktail bars and one-off gems like the Museum of Innocence – an ode to Nobel laureate’s Orhan Pamuk novel of the same name which tells the story of the city's bourgeoisie at the tail end of the 20th-century. No trip to the city with seven hills is complete without a visit to a traditional Turkish hammam. The Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex is one of the most storied, an Ottoman mosque, religious school, tombs and baths of which it’s said Cervantes – the author of Don Quixote – had a hand in building. Think of it as a starter course for the main event; the Hagia Sophia. This Constantinople church-turned Ottoman mosque is the arguably Istabul’s most significant landmark, an architectural marvel adorned by portraits of bygone emperors and intricate Byzantine mosaics. Take it all in from the eighth floor platform of the Galata Tower, a 220-foot-tall mediaeval watchtower where the Bosphorus-bracketed city can be gleaned from up high. 

Local restaurants

For fine dining with rooftop views of the city look no further than Mikla Restaurant, a Turkish-Scandinavian concept with retro furniture from the 50s-70s and a gorgeous railway sleepers bar. Opt for the six-course tasting menu with wine pairings – with dishes like Sarose Octopus with purslane, almonds, fish roe, pickled green beans and cherry vinegar, you won’t be disappointed. More convivial bites can be found at cosmopolitan Aheste, a modern Turkish meze restaurant in an intimate, industrial-style building where you’ll find sharing plates like asparagus with nectarines, vine leaves with cashew cream or fishcakes with tarhana. 

Local cafés

Exposed brick walls, a wood-panelled bar, and a day-to-night crowd of Istanbul creatives? You’ll find it all at Geyik Coffee Roasters and Cocktail Bar, alongside artisan pours from El Salvador to Honduras. Ravouna 1906, meanwhile, wows with its Art Nouveau interiors, rooftop bar and smattering of patio-sprayed seats. The coffee, you ask? With staff trained by LA-based pro-barista Chris Owens, you can bet on a bloody good brew. In the summer months, we recommend hitting the rooftop deck with a New-Orleans style cold drip. 

Local bars

You’ll find Monkey cocktail bar strategically placed on the rooftop of the city’s Foundation for Culture and Arts building. The beating heart of Istanbul’s cultural scene, you’ll find collectors and curators mingling their way through the decked terrace, cocktail in hand as the Golden Horn curves down below. Opt for one of Monkey’s signature cocktails, the English Breakfast, made with Gordon’s gin, lemongrass, cucumber, fresh ginger, Bergamot and camomile tea. If hops are your thing, head to the Populist, a hip craft brewery (Turkey’s first, in fact) with bright, Industrial-style interiors in the up-and-coming Bomontiada complex.