Istanbul continues to lure world travelers to its magnificent metropolitan destination on the Bosporus Strait. There are many worlds to discover when visiting Istanbul, with multiple layers of history revealed through spectacular ancient architecture. Founded as Byzantium by the Greeks, it became Constantinople as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire and then was renamed Istanbul by the conquering Ottomans. Today, Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the country’s economic, cultural, and historic hub.
Sitting astride Europe and Asia, the best things to do in Istanbul are a reflection of the colourful, clamorous culture-clash of East meets West in a fascinating city where old meets new, religion meets hedonism, and grandeur meets tumbledown. Its food alone is an exuberant coming-together of cuisines, from the ancient spice markets to contemporary waterfront restaurants. Part of the joy of Istanbul is following your nose, wandering up and down its steps and side streets to see what you might find and who you might meet. But make time, too, for a few of these memorable experiences, to immerse yourself in Istanbul’s soul and see this unique and many-layered city in its very best light. On the city’s buzzing streets there are cocktail bars worthy of Barcelona and Lower Manhattan, stores stocked with wares by homegrown designers, boutique hotels that could give Rome a run for its money and restored historic spas as well as contemporary art galleries.
FOOD & DRINK
Don’t confine yourself to kebabs — Turkey’s cuisine is expansive, with every town laying claim to a local dish. All of them can be found in Istanbul. A true Turkish breakfast — salads, cheeses, eggs, jams and more — is a leisurely affair, best enjoyed with friends. The lively breakfast street in the Besiktas district is the best place for people-watching while you eat.
If you’re feeling brave, pick up for lunch: ground-up sweetbreads, grilled with spices and served between bread. It’s a divisive dish even among Turks but, even if you hate it, you’ll get kudos for trying.
In the evening, head to a meyhane — literally “wine house” in old Ottoman. There is a whole culture around these fish and mezze restaurants, involving raki, a fiery aniseed spirit, atmospheric music, often live, and meandering conversations. Expect to find yourself toasting with the next table by the end of the night, even if you don’t speak the same language. Beyoglu’s Nevizade is the meyhane street to go to — best to book in advance if you are a large group.
STAY
Astride the glittering Bosphorus, Istanbul is the hotspot where worlds, cultures, religions, and empires collide. A unique fusion of East and West, ancient and modern, grit and grandeur. Old bohemian neighborhoods thrum with new-wave chefs and contemporary artists. Exquisitely restored Ottoman palaces and mansions now house an abundance of top-drawer hotels.
SOHO HOUSE
A 19th-century Italianate palazzo-turned-US Consulate lends itself perfectly to the Soho House aesthetic. When it opened, Soho House Istanbul was the group’s most ambitious yet, and for many, it’s still the most beautiful, with all the original detail preserved: painted and paneled-oak walls, frescoed and embellished ceilings, intricate Art Nouveau ironwork, and marble staircases the color of tobacco. It’s an altogether grand, grown-up backdrop for the group’s clubby decor—midcentury furniture, armchairs in leather, velvet and cane— mixed up with elements from the locale: antique Turkish rugs, and hammams in the spa. Up top, the palazzo sprouts a green crop of trees offering sun-dappled shade over Apheleia Terrace, its brand-new rooftop restaurant, where Mykonos chef Athinagoras Kostakis has devised a menu of punchy Mediterranean mezzes with a Mexican twist. Fittingly it’s bang in Beyoğlu, the bohemian neighborhood where Orhan Pamuk set his novels, vibrant with restaurants and bars, independent galleries and boutiques.
RAFFLES INSTANBUL
What’s this? A five-star Istanbul hotel with not a jot of faded Ottoman splendor to be seen… Yet Raffles is Istanbul through and through—a new moneyed side to the city that’s all-gilt glass and Gucci, set as it is within the Zorlu Center (a sort of Dubai-does-Westfield on a giant scale) on a hilltop in Besiktas. Overstated glamour is the name of the game here. Vast crystal chandeliers dominate its sparkly atria and gourmet restaurants. Swimming pools glitter inside and out—in the extensive spa and in Lounge 6, a summertime rooftop pool bar showcasing long-reaching views and the work of the world’s leading cosmetic surgeons. The Long Bar is a wine-red Turkish take on the Singapore original which, as well as the signature Sling, shakes up uniquely Istanbul concoctions (the bourbon, cumin, and baklava Topkapi Palace, for example). There are 181 contemporary rooms and penthouse suites stacked in high-rise towers (all with butler service), the best with views across the city to the strait beyond. Rest assured; the helipad is heated in winter.
SIX SENSES KOCATAS MANSIONS ISTANBUL
Sitting pretty beside the Bosphorus, Six Senses’ Istanbul outpost has been created from two refurbished Ottoman mansions in the leafy, prosperous Sariyer neighborhood, a private boat ride from the centre. It’s deliciously elegant: creamy as lor cheese, inside and out. Vast windows let in beams of light, illuminating the soaring spaces of pale marble, delicately paneled walls and intricate cornicing, and allow Bosphorus views from the big brass beds in the best of the 45 rooms and suites. The sprawling spa opened late last year on a hill above the hotel, and has sensational views across the strait. Appropriately, treatments include East-meets-West options such as the traditional hammam (a full-on scrub down from a local therapist) and the Alchemy Bar workshop (making your own products using organic ingredients from the garden). Indeed, Istanbul’s unique east-west offerings are in evidence everywhere, from the ingredients in the two restaurants (pan-Asian and Italian) in colorful dishes artfully presented, the cultural experiences recommended by insiders, and the community-focused initiatives run by the hotel’s Earth Lab, which runs educational eco workshops for guests.
