In Istanbul for a family holiday, I discover that the city has a fairly developed bar scene, with high-quality bartenders and a very cosmopolitan guest set. A request for suggestions on where to drink leaves me spoilt for choice. So I decide to start with one of the top-ranked places and then let the bar team guide me to my next destination. This works out quite well because there’s nothing like insider knowledge!
Galista Café, Şahkulu
On my trip to Gallipoli, my guide, Burak, tells me that Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, died of liver cirrhosis, brought on by his habit of drinking two ‘doubles’ of raki, or Lion’s Milk, as they call it, every day. So, when I settle down at Galista Café, in the shadow of the Galata Tower (the medieval stone tower in Istanbul), I resolve to stick with just a double. The brand, Yeni, is synonymous with raki here, and, following the waiter’s recommendation, I also order a fruit and cheese plate — with strawberries, banana, watermelon and cheese. This signature drink, served with a glass of chilled water on the side, is made from twice-distilled grapes and aniseed, and is similar in taste to ouzo and pastis. The Yeni I’m drinking is 45% abv. Here’s a tip: when you ask for it, pronounce it ‘rakh’, with a pronounced accent on the ‘kh’.
Moretenders’ Cocktail Crib, Asmalı Mescit
Five minutes from Galata Tower is Istiklal Street, probably the most famous shopping avenue in the city. With my wife and daughter in the thick of it, I head off for some liquid salvation. Moretenders’ Cocktail Crib is a centrally-located bar, just off Istiklal. It’s a small bar, with a compact cocktail menu, with each drink mentioning the name of the bartender, sorry ‘moretender’, who has created it. The Negroni is one of my go-to drinks, so I ask Kaan Gundogdu behind the bar if they have a variation of it. He points me to 5th Avenue, with Tanqueray, Campari, lemon, egg white and aquafaba (chickpea water) for 52 lira (approximately ₹640, a price range I find across bars). I find the egg white gives it the texture of a Sour, and the smell of egg, normally disguised, quite off putting. So, I ask Kaan for his recommendation. The Cursed Vespucci, a spicy margarita with Don Julio Bianco Tequila, orange liqueur, chilli sauce, passion fruit purée and lemon more than makes up for the initial misstep. I’m still in the mood to try another bar, so Kaan recommends Alexandra, Effendi, Mikla, Tail and Geyik. I head to the last because it is just a 20-minute walk away.
Geyik Coffee Roastery & Cocktail Bar, Cihangir
As I walk through Cihangir, lively with coffee shops, bars and music, the drinking often overflowing on to the sidewalks, I think how stifling drinking out in our metros is in comparison. Geyik has the talented Dogus Turumen behind the bar, who describes it is an old-school American bar. I start with a classic, the Hanky Panky, a cocktail credited to Ada Coleman, the head bartender at the Savoy in London. With 45 ml each of gin and sweet vermouth, and a couple of dashes of Fernet-Branca, it is not for the faint hearted. As I chat with Dogus, he tells me about his experiments with tepache, the fermented beverage from Mexico made with pineapple. He, however, has made his batch with plums, from nearby Malta. I find it sweeter, less citric, when compared to the one I’d tasted at Jay Khan’s COA in Hong Kong last year. My next drink is a well-balanced Trinidad Sour, with bourbon, Amaretto, lime juice and Sour mix. Meanwhile, Dogus recommends the Alexandra, too, but as my family is waiting for me at dinner, I decide to push it to the next day.
Alexandra Cocktail Bar, Arnavutköy
The next day, on a 90-minute Bosporus Cruise, we pass the historic Arnavutköy (literally Albanian Village). The same evening, I navigate its narrow streets in a taxi, my wife beside me, on the way to the Alex. The quiet ground floor bar is manned by Telat Arslan. As we nurse an Aphrodite (Havana 7 infused with cinnamon, Chivas 15, Jameson Caskmates, passion fruit and citrus blend) and a Hypnos (Havana 3 infused with tea, orange marmalade, citrus and espresso), we notice Istanbul’s swish set shimmy through the doors and up the elevator. The action, it seems, is a couple of floors above, and Telat promises to send us up soon. The elevator catapults us into a small yet buzzy club and bar, with a narrow outdoor area and lovely views of the hills and the glistening Bosporus. The crowd is eclectic, largely dominated by local Turks, with a fair smattering of different nationalities. The Elixir bar is sponsored by Absolut Elyx, and we end our evening with a Clarified Milk Punch, which is nowhere as virtuous as it sounds (packed as it is with Elyx, Cognac and St Germain among other ingredients). Those are always the best kind.
A series that tracks the best of Asia’s and Europe’s ever-changing bar scene. The writer is co-founder and CEO of Tulleeho, a drinks training and consulting firm.
