Istanbul
The new Istanbul Airport, opened in 2018, replaced the old Atatürk hub and immediately set out to become a destination airport rather than a transit one. Turkish Airlines runs the largest single-airline lounge in the world at IST — a 5,900-square-metre operation with full sit-down restaurant service, a live-cooking station, a piano bar, a billiards room, and a serious wine and cocktail programme. The lounge is accessible to Turkish Airlines Business and Star Alliance Gold passengers. Most international travellers passing through IST do so on a Turkish Airlines connection, which means most international travellers passing through IST should know about this lounge.
City centre · $$
A neighbourhood institution that has outlasted a dozen trends and remains the address every Istanbul insider gives first.
BeyoÄŸlu with rotating seasonal menus. The room is intentional — leather banquettes · $$$
Alex's Place is a serious modern cocktail bar in BeyoÄŸlu with rotating seasonal menus. The room is intentional — leather banquettes, dim warm lighting, around 3
Karakoy · $$
Cervecero draws a steady local crowd in Karakoy. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$
We recommend arriving 45 minutes before sunset. By the time the muezzin calls from the mosques below and the sky turns amber over the Golden Horn, you will have
The cheat code at IST is the Yotel Istanbul Airport, located airside in the international transit zone — it's one of the only proper airside hotels in Europe, with showers, transit napping rooms, and a small bar that pours competent drinks 24 hours. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, the metro from city centre takes about an hour, which makes pre-airport drinking impractical for most travellers — better to plan an extra hour in the Turkish Airlines lounge if you have access.
Plays for Istanbul Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 200+ cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Istanbul? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.