The rooftop, month by month
Mikla, at the top of the Marmara Pera
Mikla is the rooftop bar at the top of the Marmara Pera hotel in Tepebaşı, eighteen floors above Beyoğlu. The view runs east toward the Golden Horn and the historic peninsula - Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı - and south toward the Marmara Sea. The bar opened in 2007 and has, alongside the hotel restaurant of the same name (a fixture on World's 50 Best Restaurants for nearly a decade), become the city's standing sunset bar. The right time to visit is around sunset; the time of sunset changes dramatically across the year. A guide by month.
January
17.05 sunset
Cold rooftop, partially enclosed. The bar runs glass-walled winter pods on the south side. Arrive at 4.30pm for an hour with the light. Order an Old Fashioned or the bar's house Rakı Negroni; eat indoors at the restaurant after.
March
18.50 sunset
The sun starts setting behind the Marmara Sea rather than the Golden Horn. Outdoor seating partially reopened. Arrive at 6pm; the air is sharp but the rooftop is properly usable for the first time since November. The crowd is mostly Istanbul-based locals on weeknights.
June
20.45 sunset
The defining month. Sun sets behind the historic peninsula at almost exactly the right angle to silhouette Hagia Sophia. Reservations essential from May through August; arrive at 7.30pm. The cocktail menu is at its full strength — the bar pours about 60% spritzes and aperitivo drinks at this hour.
September
19.10 sunset
The other ideal month. The summer crowd has thinned; the heat has eased; the light is warmer at sunset than it was in June. The week-around-Istanbul-Biennial is the high point. Reservations recommended.
December
16.40 sunset
Earliest sunset of the year. The rooftop is mostly enclosed; the city below is lit. The bar takes on a different identity — quieter, more conversational, more local. Order something warm — the bar's spiced-mulled-wine programme is a low-profile excellent for the season.
Mikla's standing house cocktail is the Galata Sour - rakı, blackberry, lemon, egg white. Order it on the way to dinner downstairs; the bar pairs naturally with the restaurant. Reservations through the website. The view is the right reason to come; the cocktails are the reason to stay.
