Istanbul
Istanbul's craft-beer scene runs deeper than the tourist taps. These ten are where locals drink. The craft beer bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip, the central districts all show up, and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason.
CADDEBOSTAN · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
360 East draws a steady local crowd in Caddebostan. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
BEYOGLU · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
360 Istanbul draws a steady local crowd in Beyoglu. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
A neighbourhood institution that has outlasted a dozen trends and remains the address every Istanbul insider gives first. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing, the upstairs gets loud.
BEYOÄžLU WITH ROTATING SEASONAL MENUS. THE ROOM IS INTENTIONAL, LEATHER BANQUETTES · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Alex's Place is a serious modern cocktail bar in BeyoÄŸlu with rotating seasonal menus. The room is intentional, leather banquettes, dim warm lighting, around 3. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
KARAKOY · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cervecero draws a steady local crowd in Karakoy. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
We recommend arriving 45 minutes before sunset. By the time the muezzin calls from the mosques below and the sky turns amber over the Golden Horn, you will have. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
ORTAKOY · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Anjelique draws a steady local crowd in Ortakoy. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing, the upstairs gets loud.
SUADIYE · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Anjelique Asian Side draws a steady local crowd in Suadiye. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
KARAKOY · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Ankle draws a steady local crowd in Karakoy. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
KARAKOY · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Arabesque Istanbul draws a steady local crowd in Karakoy. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Istanbul or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten craft beer bars that any serious drinker in Istanbul would tell you to put on the list.
360 East draws a steady local crowd in Caddebostan. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
360 Istanbul draws a steady local crowd in Beyoglu. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Istanbul? See our guide to the best craft beer bars worldwide, or compare craft beer bars city by city. Or find craft beer bars near you.