Istanbul by David Mills

Why I Went: To visit my friend Ugur and his coterie of stylish hangers-on.

Most Surprised By: The crowds of people wandering along İstiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue) Istanbul’s main shopping thoroughfare at midnight on a Tuesday at midnight.

Best Early Evening Bar: Sugar Club Cafe Address: Sakasalim Çýkmazý no:7, Tunel- Beyoðlu. A charming mixed, cosmopolitan crowd. Cheap and cheerful open until 12:30. Arrive around 10 PM, drink, chat and flirt with the friendly crowd. Work your charms and you’ll likely be invited to go on for clubbing

Best Sunday Brunch: Lemon Garden (limonlu bahce — Yeniçarþý Caddesi No: 98 Galatasaray, Beyoglu) Hidden away behind a generic-looking apartment block this lovely garden café offers fresh and fruity breakfasts, coffees and juices. Relax on couches in the Boho splendour and while away your Sunday morning.

Best Café: Leb-i Derya (Kumbaracý yokuþu 115/7 Tünel, Beyoglu) 4th floor restaurant/bar with amazing view of the Bosphorus with both indoor and terrace seating.

Best Late Night Place: Tekyon (Tarlabasi Cad. Ekrem Tur Sok. No: 14
Beyoglu), a slice of 1970’s disco décor on a windy back alley in Taksim. Alternating Turkish pop hits with underground dance floor fillers that wouldn’t be out of place in (certain districts) in London and New York, Tekyon keeps it churning well into the early hours.

Best Store: The little music stores at the end of İstiklal Caddesi are full of traditional and electronic instruments. Loads of additional non-music merchandise – old postcards, hats, brass letters and numbers and other curiosities.

Best Cultural Recharge: The commuter ferry down the Bosphoros to the mouth of the Black Sea. Work-a-day Turks mix with tourists on this cheap cruise that provides perfect vantage point for picture-postcard snapshots.

What I Loved: The commuter boat ride down the Bospherous is better than any tourist boat. Jostle with professional Istanbul-types for a rollicking ride with multiple stops all the way to the Black Sea.

Don’t Miss: For the best Kebab in Istanbul try Medi Kebap on Istiklal Street (Medi Sark Sofrasi Istiklal Cad. Kucukparmakkapi Sok. No:46/A Beyoglu). Always fresh and delicious and mostly a local joint so prices are reasonable. The décor is strictly East Anatolian kitsch.

Where To Stay: I stayed w/friends near Taksim Square however for a reasonable, central hotel with ridiculous ‘DYNASTY on the Bospherous’ décor check out The Marmara Istanbul. http://www.themarmarahotels.com/istanbul/overview.php

Medi Sark Sofrasi (Medi Kebap)
Istiklal Cad. Kucukparmakkapi Sok. No:46/A
Beyoglu/Istanbul
(The side street near McDonald’s on Istiklal Street)

Tekyon
Tarlabasi Cad. Ekrem Tur Sok. No: 14
Beyoglu/Istanbul

(Cad. means Avenue, Sok. means Street)

David Mills is a fashion PR and writer. His play ‘Stark Dallas Naked’ has been seen Bistrotheque and the Soho Theatre in London.