Come With Me: Bar hopping in Karaköy
- Ogheneyoma
- May 20, 2021
- 5 min read
Hi guys!
So as promised I’m back from my hiatus, and I’m going to be posting a lot more blog posts and YouTube videos.
Today’s blog post takes you guys with me on my trip to Karaköy, a normally lively and hip neighborhood in Istanbul, however as you’ll see as we go along, the pandemic has slowed things down a bit, and the once bubbling city is a shadow of itself.
At this point I must say that I don’t like drinking, I don’t drink to get drunk, and I only drink cocktails and wine, and do so responsibly, as should you.
Having said that, I took the M2 train from Yenikapı, and stopped at Haliç station then walked to Karaköy. I did get lost, (watch the vlog coming out tomorrow for more details) so if you’re a tourist you should definitely take a taxi, and ask to go to Pim, Karaköy where you can start to explore the neighborhood and all it’s fine restaurants, cafes and bars. That’s what I eventually had to do.
Before I got lost tho, I walked around and found this lovely Balık Ekmek stand by the road with the loveliest men manning the stand, and even though I only wanted to get vlog content, I had to buy some which I was grateful for in the end, because I didn’t have to drink on an empty stomach.
The sandwich was made with fish, lettuce, onions, soy sauce, lemon juice, sweet peppers and a spice mix. It was fantastic. The lemon juice and sweet peppers were the first flavors to shine through, then came the smokiness of the fish, and the hints of the spice sprinkled in the wrap. All in all the wrap was a delicious explosion of flavor, it managed to be sweet, spicy and tangy all at once. Definitely recommend finding these guys if you can. Very decent use of 18TL, if you ask me.
I ate while on the go, and then as I said earlier I got lost and when I finally found the place I wanted to start my crawl from - a 7 minute taxi ride later - it was closed. On the day I took this trip, Istanbul had just announced a total lockdown for 3 weeks - it’s first since the pandemic started for the next day, so a lot of places were not open. It was also ramadan, which according to the people I asked affected the pubs.
After asking questions, I finally found Chez Moi my first stop for the day. Set in a standard Turkish residential building with 5 floors, Chez Moi has many different sections and seating areas. It’s vibe is dark and intimate on almost every floor except for it’s rooftop which has an open roof that allows for lots of light and a view of the surrounding area.
The interior design at Chez Moi is industrial while the decor straddles vintage and modern style decor. It has a few interesting decor pieces like a bicycle with bright lights, and a shelf that resembles an upright piano. It’s also decorated with string lights, it’s tables are covered in red gingham tablecloths reminiscent of a diner? It’s a very quirky place that you could come to love as a frequent visitor as it has its own personality.
I ordered the Blackberry Bramble a tequila based cocktail according to the menu, made with Chambord, lemon juice and sprite.
It was a very sweet cocktail with the consistency of nectar. The first thing you taste is the fruity blackberry taste, and you don’t even taste any alcohol at first, but you feel it. Later you’ll taste the alcohol, but it’s not that unpleasant taste that alcohol usually gives, because it’s overpowered by the sweetness, however don’t be fooled, as this cocktail is quite strong, and definitely has the ability to get you tipsy by the second glass and drunk by the 3rd.
After Chez Moi, I walked a bit past several cafes and coffee shops that were open, but weren’t serving cocktails, just taking in the beauty that is Karaköy and enjoying the art. I stumbled upon what I believe to be the most magical part of Karaköy on my walk - a beautiful street covered in several colorful umbrellas, with huge drawings of bugs bunny(?) and the joker(?) painted on the closed metal gates.
Frankly I think everywhere being closed was a blessing, because I wouldn’t have been able to see so much of the graffiti art if the shops were open, and even though I know Karaköy has its own magic when it’s bustling and lively, I’m glad I was able to experience this, and maybe sometime in the future I can show you guys what it looks like in its full glory.
I finally found my next spot with help from a lovely gentleman called Mustapha Kemal at a restaurant called Pandan. Together we walked to Ambar Karaköy.
Like it’s name suggests Ambar is a bar, but it really is more of a pub, because it doesn’t serve cocktails. It has antique decor and dim red lights that make you feel like you’re in a speakeasy. Maybe it felt that way, because of the curfew and impending lockdown.
Even though Ambar doesn’t serve cocktails, they offered to make me a gin and tonic, since I don’t drink beer. It was pretty evident that the gin and tonic wasn’t made by a professional, but that was fine. They also partner with some of the restaurants around them to serve things like Pide to their clients.
My gin and tonic served in a tall beer glass, was heavy on the gin, while the tonic came in as an after taste. The lemon didn’t make an appearance at all. It wasn’t a bad cocktail overall, but I drink cocktails because they’re sweet, so this was not my cup of tea.
My waiter offered me a bowl of mixed nuts, which I thought was on the house, but found in the bill when it came for 15TL. I wasn’t pissed, but it would have been nice to know beforehand as I don’t really like nuts, and would have preferred to decline them if I knew I was paying for them. I barely even ate them. My gin and tonic cost 45TL.
By the time I was done at Ambar I had only 10 minutes left on the clock, and I tried to find somewhere else that was open, but I didn’t, so I took a few more photos of the city, and then went to my friends, before heading home.
I had a splendid time even with all the hiccups. I was very happy that I found a couple places to review, and that I got to explore the magical city of Karaköy in a way that may not be possible in years to come.
I think Karaköy is a wonderful wonderful place to visit, solo, with friends, or with a lover. It’s romantic and fun, lively and hip, and it’s one of the few places that really show the soul of the city, and it’s youthful side. Istanbul is an ancient city, and it has a very traditional and cultural heritage, that’s often shown, but it also has this youthful side too that’s vibrant and colorful and fresh. If you do visit, be sure to explore these parts of the city and not just the famed historical tourist sites, for the full Istanbul experience.
Love, Yoma
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