Istanbul · Nightlife

A small jazz room just below the Galata Tower at Galata Kulesi Sokak 8, with sets running from about 21:30 to midnight most nights and tickets around 1,000 TL. The room seats very few people, so book rather than turning up.

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts runs its own mid-sized performance space in Beyoğlu, programming contemporary music, jazz and one-off gigs through the season. The same foundation runs the city's film, music, jazz and theatre festivals, so its calendar is the quickest way to see what is on.

A large performing arts complex at Zincirlikuyu with several halls, covering musicals, opera, ballet, stand-up and touring concerts. It sits directly on top of a metro station, which matters when a show ends at 23:00 and you are on the European side's traffic.

Kadife Sokak, known locally as Barlar Sokağı, and the lanes around it on the Asian side. Cheaper than Beyoğlu, busy on weeknights as well as weekends, and reached by ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy; check the last sailing or budget for a long taxi over a bridge.

The Turkish night out is a meyhane: a long table of meze, rakı and often live fasıl musicians, taking three or four hours. Nevizade and Asmalımescit off İstiklal are the concentrated versions. You are billed per head for the meze spread rather than by round, so agree what is coming to the table first.