Atlas Axis
Great for listening to jazz, ethnic jazz, funk, trip hop or world music while enjoying your food or drink; you should visit that terrace social club on beyoglu. offers an amazing view of istanbul through galata tower, sultan ahmet and marmara sea and lets you enjoy the quality of the food/drink together with live performances and bosphorus scenery with low prices.
Babylon
Seyhbender sokak 3, +90 212 2927368 (http://www.babylon-ist.com). jazz and world music.
Mojo
Buyukparmakkapi sokak 25, +90 212 2432927. 9pm-4am. rock music.
Mektup
Authentic live music. But, there is restaurant, too. Do expect to pay a cover charge approximately 15 lira if there is a band playing.
Badehane
There is often live music. Every Wednesday, the extremely clever and famous Selim Sesler plays gypsy turkish flavoured music with his band. A must if you like gypsy and turkisk music.
Haymatlos Bar
Live music in the weekend. Rock, folk, etc. Go through the gate at the right of the mosque on Istiklal. At the end of the passage, you will find Haymatlos Bar upstairs on 2. floor.
DoRock
One of the few still operating bars in the city playing loud heavy metal music, which used to be far plentier in 90s and early 2000s. And unlike the rest of them, this one also heavily features more extreme genres such as death and black metal, with live performances on Saturday and Sunday nights. DoRock is easily recognizable by its frequenters with their black clothes and miles of hair sitting in the sidewalk patio in front of the bar. Also one of the cheapest places to have a drink if you can stand to loud music, that is.
Bronx Pi Sahne
Live performance stage. Alternative/Indie Rock. Cocktail experts.
Sal
Buyukparmakkapi sokak 18, +90 212 243 4196. very popular with tourists seeking a true turkish experience. here low coffee tables bump your knees while you sip raki and watch some rowdy musicians.
Indigo
Akarsu sokak 309, galatasaray, +90 212 2451307 (http://www.livingindigo.com). live music throughout the week.
Dulcinea
Meselik sokak 20. mon-sa 3pm till late. popular bar, cafã©, restaurant and art gallery during the week, but on friday and saturday itâs club night with trance and techno music.
Jazz Café
Hasnun galip sokak 20. for some fine jazz, on the top level of the two-floored club there's a performance space where you can enjoy live funk/acid jazz/ blues tuesday through thursday.
Biz Jazz Bar
Topcu caddesi 18, talimhane taksim. 14pm-4am. cozy bar with live music every night.
Balans & Balans Tonique
Istiklal cad. balo sok. 22 beyoälu. (http://www.balansmusichal...). live music in balans, experimental live music and electronic music in blans tonique.
hooka
In Tophane near the waterfront are a number of well-known hooka/hubble bubble nargile cafes all clustered together, though the recent national ban on smoking tobacco products indoors in public places in place since summer 2009 led these cafes not to serve traditional hooka unless you are sitting on their outdoor patios. In reaction to the ban, they have "invented" some other kind of hooka which does not contain tobacco and touted as bitkisel "herbal", thus staying within the borders of legality for smoking inside, though those passionately in love with traditional hooka usually find it unpleasant.
Cafã©s
Melekler Kahvesi
Ayhan iåä±k sk no:36 taksim, 212 251 31 01. melekler kahvesi which is a backstreet cafe is in taksim. it is a very popular place among young people. you can play games such as scrabble and drink turkish coffee 6 tl. after drinking turkish coffee, fortunetellers will look at the coffee grounds and tell your future for free.
Small streets south of Taksim Square offer a variety of cafes with more than reasonable prices. Tea can cost TL1 or TL1.50 instead of TL5 or TL6 in more touristy areas. A more authentic feel with locals spending their time there and also playing boardgames.