Karaköy: How To Spend The Day In Istanbul’s Coolest Neighbourhood

One Of Istanbul's Oldest Neighbourhoods, Karakoy Has Gone From Being A Bustling Port Filled With Workshops And Warehouses, To The City's Coolest, Where Hipster Bars And Cafes Sit Next To Gorgeous Boutiques And Galleries.

Sitting on the waterfront of the Galata Bridge’s northern side at the point where the Golden Horn meets the Bosphorus, Karaköy was once one of Istanbul’s most important ports. Settlement of the area dates back as early as the time of the Byzantine Empire when in the 13th century it was the main commercial centre of Constantinople.

Populated at that time mostly by the Genoese, the area was modelled on a typical Italian city. It quickly spread, incorporating the surrounding area and becoming one of the largest ports in Europe. The wealth attracted a vast array of differing communities: predominantly Jewish, Greek and Russian People. Unfortunately, a decline in trade over the last 2 centuries has meant that this once commercial powerhouse fell on hard times, and the magnificent buildings were divided into workshops for local traders.

Nowadays, Karaköy is a neighbourhood of contradictions. Its differing populations living in close quarters have left an indelible mixture of differing architectural styles and religious heritage. The noisy, dusty workshops still exist in places, but now share the narrow grid of streets with chic cafes and modern galleries. Dusty antique shops, traditional bakeries and bustling markets coexist with pricy boutiques and designer stores splattered with street art. In a way, Karaköy exemplifies the dichotomy at play in Istanbul more than anywhere else: A city that is vibrant, exciting and modern but retains its pockets of tradition and conservatism.

It was the opening of the Istanbul Modern art gallery in 2004 that is thought to have sparked the renaissance and it wasn’t long before artists and hipsters moved in. Now, the cycle of gentrification is almost complete. This is no longer the hip hangout reserved just for those ‘in-the-know’ like it once was. Karaköy is very much on the tourist map but for good reason. It is possible to spend an entire day here wandering the numerous galleries and shops that sit among the dilapidated buildings, stopping for a coffee or cocktail below the canopy of umbrellas that cover Hoca Tahsin street and finishing the evening by sampling the high-spirited bar scene that has cropped up here.

Afternoon
Heading east along Kemankeş Caddesi, passing the waterfront and wandering under the Galata Bridge, you will find yourself in (the Thursday Market), a jumble of rustic, tumbledown Ottoman-era caravansaries, workshops and houses that have largely been left untouched by the slow gentrification of Karaköy. Although this is normally just a good shortcut up to Galata, there are a couple of points of interest. The small (Balık Pazarı) next to the ferry dock is worth a visit, and the few fish restaurants dotted along the shore are passable if you haven’t eaten. They at least have a good view of the Golden Horn and can claim to be better than the majority of the tourist traps that are dotted along the bridge’s lower level.

Next, make your way to the edge of Karaköy and neighbouring Tophane to pay a visit to one of Istanbul’s major cultural attractions and the institution that kick-started Karaköy’s resurgence. Along the way, you will pass Bankalar Caddesi (Banks Street) lined with the beautiful, imposing building that were once the headquarters of Turkey’s major banks and insurance companies. This area at the foot of the Galata Tower was historically the financial centre of the Ottoman Empire.

The marble halls of the landmark Imperial Ottoman Bank are now home toS, a cultural institution that puts on a variety of talks, screenings and workshops. It also contains its own research library, art gallery, café, restaurant, bookstore and museum. It is free to enter and open to the public, so make sure to head inside this stunning building, stopping at the floor to ceiling window at the top of the staircase for expansive views across the Golden Horn and Bosphorus.

Beside SALT, you will find Kamondo Merdivenleri, an elegant passage containing a stunning 19th-century art nouveau staircase. The stairs are named after the family of the bankers of the Ottoman Court, which had built the stairs to reach their apartments at the foot of the Galata Tower. Once near the tower, ensure you seek out the tiny Jewish Museum of Turkey, situated next to the Neve Şalom Synagogue, housing a small but fascinating exhibition of photographs and documents.

By now, you are above Karaköy in Tophane. Developed after the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans, the district was home to a cannon foundry (Tophane-I-Amire) under the reign of Sultan Mehmet II that was used for the production and storage of the Empire’s arsenal. straddles the border of Karaköy and Tophane. Starting life as a waterfront customs warehouse before being converted into a vast public space in 2005, this was Instanbul’s first contemporary art gallery and has developed a fantastic international reputation thanks to its exhibitions of 20th-century and contemporary Turkish works.

Where To Eat & Drink In Karaköy
It didn’t take long from the opening of the Museum of Modern Art for the grid of little streets adjacent to the Museum to quickly become a hipster draw. Amongst the art galleries, a huge number of stylish cafes and restaurants have flourished alongside more traditional tea houses and lokantas. As young creatives have begun to move to Karakoy, the charming terraces have become a lively spot to hang out alfresco with a coffee, watching life unfold. Here are some of the best. ‍

KARABATAK
Ask anyone for a café recommendation in Karaköy and it’s more than likely that you will be pointed in the direction of Karabatak, a quirky coffee house situated in a formerly abandoned metal workshop. Named after the cormorants that swoop around the choppy Bosphorus, it began life as a training café for Austrian coffee brand Julius Meinl but has since bloomed into the neighbourhood’s most popular coffee spot thanks to the fantastic Austrian coffee, Viennese cakes, and quirky vintage décor. The breakfast menu is a little sparse, but sitting outside on a morning beneath the hanging vines that trail over Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa is a wonderful thing. ‍

Where: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Karaali Kaptan Sk. No:7
When: Daily 8.30am – 10.30pm ‍

FILBOOKS
Decked out in pastel colours and minimalist furniture, the achingly cute FiLbooks is part café, part bookshop. This is a true haven for photography enthusiasts, as the shop boasts one of the best collections of photo-books in the city and regularly hosts workshops, talks and roundtable discussions on art and photography. Martin Parr is just one of the many renowned photographers to have stopped by. ‍

Where: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Ali Paşa Değirmeni Sk. No:1
When: Daily 10am – 10.30pm ‍

OPS CAFE
Modern and relaxing, Ops café is a perfect coffee stop while exploring the streets of Karaköy. The open kitchen dishes out a hoist of Balkan flavours, from Albanian breakfasts to Macedonian smoked beef and Bosnian dried meats paired wedges of eski kaşar. Photography enthusiasts may also want to head over to Ops in order to view the rotating photography exhibits that adorn the café’s walls, showcasing the works of both known and unknown local artists. ‍

Where: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Mumhane Cd. No:45
When: Daily 7.30am – 2am ‍

NATO LOKANTASI
Istanbul’s lokantas are an institution. These traditional tradesmen’s restaurants are where locals head to avoid the tourist crowds and indulge in fresh, home-style Turkish cuisine. Nato Lokantasi, which opened in 1952, is named in honour of Turkey’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation over 60 years ago, and serves simple dishes of sauteed vegetables, soups and regional classics like orman kebabı and patlıcan. ‍

Where: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mahallesi, Necatibey Caddesi Karanlık Fırın Sk.no.4
When: Mon to Fri 11am – 4pm ‍

KARAKÖY LOKANTASI
Another of Karaköy’s lokantas, this place started life as a traditional esnaf lokantasi, but soon pivoted to paying closer attention to food and design, delivering traditional Turkish dishes with a modern twist. Hünkar beğendi, an Ottoman-era dish of charred and mashed eggplants topped with slow-cooked lamb and drizzled in sauce is the star of the show. This stylish restaurant is a popular lunch spot with both the local bankers and creatives but transforms itself into a popular taverna come evening time. ‍

Where: Kara Ali Kaptan Sokak 7
When: Mon to Sat 12pm – 10pm; Sun 4pm – 10pm ‍

KARAKÖY GÜLLÜOĞLU
The first Baklava shop in Istanbul was opened by Mustafa Güllü in Karakoy on November 7th 1949, introducing the city to this sticky delicacy. While the city’s residents didn’t take to it straight away, it soon became a local institution. Although many imitators have cropped up, the Güllüğolu family only own two shops, one in the basement of their Baklava factory (the first in the world) and one in Karakoy that still attracts shoppers from all over Istanbul. ‍

The crowds of both locals and tourists make Güllüoğlu Karaköy difficult to miss and while it looks fairly nondescript from the outside, the interior is heaven for those with a sweet tooth as counters filled with dozens of baklava varieties line all four sides of the store. Just pay at the till for your portion and then order from the smartly dressed servers behind the counters. I recommend picking up a few portions of the classic flavours – fıstıklı (pistachio) and cevizli (walnut) – all washed down with a hot tea to cut through the sweetness. ‍

Where: Kemankeş Cad. Katlı Otopark Altı No: 3-4
When: Daily 7am – 1am