Walk. Breathe. Eat. Drink. Consume. Repeat.
Wasn’t life nice and easy in Istanbul before coronavirus? We didn’t realize how fortunate we were back then. Thankfully, sooner or later this sweet life pre-pandemic will come back and when it does, we will jump right into hedonism and consumerism without limits. Then surely we will give a new value to every corner of one of the most avant-garde, multicultural, and cosmopolitan cities in the world.
When that happens, we urge you to focus on lesser-known streets. Let’s look past Istiklal and Bağdat Caddesi, and join us in walking through five pedestrian gems of the ‘bul.
1) Turnacıbaşı Caddesi (Çukurcuma)
This L-shaped alley is right in the middle of the city but away from the hustle and bustle of Istiklal Caddesi. A few steps away from mass tourism, just before reaching Galatasaray Lisesi to your left, you will find a box full of surprises. Upon entering you will see Hayvore, a small venue that offers some of the best Black Sea food you can try. Along this cobbled street you’ll bump into two of the best hammams of Istanbul, Tarihi Galatasaray Hamamı and Aga Hamamı, the first mixed Turkish bath in Istanbul since 1454. A few steps from Aga, you must try one of the best pizza joints in town, Çukurcuma 49, with their amazing family-owned wines.
If you lift your head up on this narrow street, you’ll find a couple of interesting historical buildings – the Zografeion Lyceum, a Greek school, and the Özel Galileo Galilei Italyan Lisesi, which offers English language and literature courses in addition to Italian starting from prep class. To travel back in time, enter the many second hand shops along Turnacıbaşı’s path. For those who are up for some great contemporary Turkish art, Gama Gallery is your place. Also, don’t miss out on the hip street art by graffiti artist Leo Lunatic.
2) Sofyalı Sokak (Asmalı Mescit)
Sofyalı Sokak is the party cousin of Turnacıbaşı Caddesi. Never has 115 meters provided so many chances to have fun after sunset. If you need to escape the crowds of Istiklal but still enjoy the energy of the city, enter Sofyalı Sokak and your impulse will be rewarded with peculiar, lively places scattered all along. At the head of the street, behind a small door and going up only with a shabby elevator, you’ll find yourself at Tavanarası where you can enjoy some delicious casseroles and more in a charming wooden joint.
Some of the best-kept secrets of the city center are hidden in this narrow street that goes unnoticed by most, like a bar with one of the bests panoramic terraces, Balkon, or great cocktails at the tiny Moretenders’ Cocktail Crib.
The intersection of Sofyalı Sokak and Jurnal Sokak is the heart of the street, and you’ll always find a crowd enjoying their cocktails and good company standing outside.
Head to the end of Sofyalı Sokak to enjoy some tasty Turkish homemade food at Helvetia and finish with a nice dinner at one of the several classy spots at the passage that connects with Tünel square.
3) Icadiye Caddesi (Kuzguncuk)
Am I still in Istanbul? You may ask yourself this as you wander the street. Well, yes and no. Yes, you are technically still in the city but no, you just entered a village from another time.
Icadiye Caddesi is not IN Kuzguncuk. Icadiye Caddesi IS Kuzguncuk.
The must-see in this bohemian street is Kuzguncuk Bostanı, an urban garden with a long history where the municipality annually distributes the lots to neighbors to take care of them. The 2000 square-meter vegetable garden is a remarkable example of how to preserve cultural heritage and encourage urban farming along with additional open-air activities.
The other must-see here are the colorful houses in the back of the garden, that compete in fame with the ones of Balat. Here you will always find brides taking pictures and photography aficionados trying to capture the best angle. This street, always buzzing with people, is all about infinite possibilities: a cake shop with famous cheesecake (Dilim), an unassuming köfte place with – for once – great not-overcooked meatballs (Kuzguncuk Klas Köfte), a bakery that gave name to a famous Turkish TV show from the 2000s (Ekmek Teknesi), a small joint serving an excellent fish soup (Kuzguncuk Balıkçısı) or a restaurant that always makes it, rightly, to the top 10 lists of the best kebabs in Istanbul (Metet). Of course, I have barely scratched the surface of the awesome places along this street.
4) Kadife Sokak (Kadıköy)
You know it, of course, as Barlar Sokağı, as this street is, you guessed it, full of bars.
The concentration of night owls, partygoers, and social drinkers per square meter is one of the highest of the metropolis and makes it worth visiting just to observe the relentless tide of people that fills it with life.
The street starts at both sides with the classics Rexx Cinema (now sadly closed) and Reks Kokoreç (formerly Reks Büfe). Worth mentioning is Kimyon, offering many different kinds of soups for cold winter nights. On the contrary, for hot summer nights, the open terrace of Bahane Kültür is an oasis of beer. Bina has also one of the nicest interior gardens you can enjoy in sunny season. But honestly, the best you can do, is, once it is safe, is go many, many times there and explore one by one all the bars that this street has to offer.
5) Moda Caddesi (Moda)
This street is clearly the heart of Moda; the Asian side’s coolest neighborhood. Its route will take you from the heart of Kadıköy to the grassy coast of the Sea of Marmara and in between you will relish the diversity of this lively district. There is too much choice so don’t miss out on Zoo, a café with amazing cakes, just in front of Çiçek Isleri, a lovely little shop selling designer home accessories. A few steps away from there, Moda Midyecisi has brought to the mainstream the, until recently, underground street food snack of stuffed mussels. Mini Eatery, around the corner, offers yummy mini gourmet burgers. And if, after those bites, you are feeling thirsty, a stone’s throw away from them you can calm your thirstiness with the many variety of beers offered at Ayı. But if you have a sweet tooth, Pasifik Pastanesi has got you more than covered.
After this eating festival, walk under the porched street to continue this bacchanal with some classic burgers (BiberBurger), newbies betting on hotdogs (Saucisse), or prepare for long queuing to taste the famous ice-creams at Meşhur Dondurmacı Ali Usta. The final stretch of the street is presided by a panoramic view over the Sea of Marmara. What else can we wish for?
Note: As of this publication date, it unfortunately remains to be seen if all these establishments will survive the pandemic’s toll on businesses, so the list is of course subject to change. The best way to find out, once it is safe to do so, is to go out and discover for yourself. We wish them all the best.
