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Weekend getaway In Istanbul for clubbing and shopping in style

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June and July are very good times to entertain and be entertained in Istanbul. With the summer heating up and the major clubs initiating their grand openings, Istanbul becomes lively and cheery.
The coast line of Bosphorus gets crowded with people, cars, pets, flowers and blossoms; everyone trying to get a glimpse of the sea breeze and shine.
The following trip is a variation, definitely not a recipe, of what the locals would do on a given Saturday and Sunday in the summer in Istanbul.

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Author: aisha

Day 1 - Istanbul

As Friday may well be the day of arrival for most people, there may not be a lot of time for sightseeing or shopping. Recommended check-in places include the Sofa Hotel for the convenience of its location and its proximity to the metro and the minibus station. W Hotel is another highly recommended point of stay, given its trendy neighborhood and hip decor. The Bebek Hotel in Bebek, the Ritz-Carlton or Les Ottomans are other high quality places with beautiful views and a sophisticated atmosphere.

For the "tired arrivees" of the day, a special massage for relaxation or perhaps a wine & caviar or a chocolate therapy may be scheduled at a nearby spa or even better right at their hotels' spa. For those, who are not willing to enclose themselves within hot steam rooms, baths or etc., they may enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or a pre-dinner apertivo in their hotels' bar or an open-air brasserie like Beymen Brasserie in Nisantasi or Assk Cafe in Kurucesme.

Dinner recommendations for the night also vary. Those staying inside the Sofa Hotel may prefer to stay in enjoy the delicacies of the Long Table restaurant, a restaurant renovated and redecorated almost every season with a new theme and frequented by the social-elites of Istanbul. Long Table accommodates both an elegant dining area and a lively bar. Their cocktail list is as enchanting as their "Safran Martini."

Dinner inside Les Ottomans against the cool sea breeze on a summer night is also a very romantic and a relaxing option. Yet another highly recommended option would be Mikla, that offers a unique view of the city from the roof-top of the Marmara Pera Hotel.

Those arriving earlier in the day or the day before may use the opportunity to go to Taksim, and walk all the way down the Istiklal Caddesi until the tunnel. All along the lively Istiklal Street, one of the only pedestrian streets of Istanbul, are antique shops, inns, small bazaars selling second hand clothes, jewelry, bags, shoes and crafts. Down at the tunnel are various music stores, cafes, boutiques; last, but not the least the Dervish Lodge. For lunch or coffee: Litera or Ara Cafe are recommended.

Do pay a visit to Asmali Mescit Street after 8 or 9 pm on the weekend. It is a buzzing street of bars and restaurants, as well as Turkish style taverns. To enjoy dinner at one of the taverns, make sure you make early reservations. You may also choose to stay around Asmali Mescit District for late night as well. There are a variety of bars -where you can grab a mojito or beer and hang around the lively / crowded streets; or you can hit one of the nearby clubs, such as Public, Nu Club, Babylon Lounge or 11.11... Of course, you may also always do bar-hopping...

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The Sofa Hotel

Location:

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Teşvikiye Caddesi no. 123
Nışantaşı
34367 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 368 18 18

Ritz-Carlton Istanbul (The)

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Location:

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Askerocaği Caddesi No. 15
Suzer Plaza, Elmadağ, Şişli
34367 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 334 4444

Ottomans (Les)

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Location:

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Mualin Naci Caddesi No: 68 Kurucesme
Muhsinzade Yalisi
34345 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 359 1500

W Istanbul

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Location:

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Suleyman Seba Cad 27
Akaretler, Besiktas
34357 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

866-539-0036

Taylife Spa

Location:

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123 Tesvikiye Caddesi
The Sofa Hotel and Residence
34367 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 291 1614

Laveda Spa at The Ritz-Carlton

Location:

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Askerocagi Caddesi No: 15
The Ritz-Carlton, Suzer Plaza, Sisli
34367 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 334 4444 (Hotel)

Galata Mevlevihanesi (Dervish Lodge)

Location:

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Galip Dede Caddesi 15
Tünel
34430 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 245 4141

İstiklal Caddesi

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Location:

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İstiklal Caddesi
Istiklal Cad., Beyoglu
34437 Istanbul, Turkey

Tünel

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Location:

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Galip Dede Caddesi
34430 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

+90 21 2522 4902

Aşşk Kahve

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Location:

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Muallim Naci Cad. 170/A
34975 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 265 47 34

Long Table

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Location:

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Tesvikiye Caddesi No:123,
Sisli
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 224 81 81

Mikla

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Location:

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Meşrutiyet Caddesi Tepebaşı
The Marmara Pera
34430 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 251 5656 / 90 212 251 4646 (Hotel)

Ara Café

Location:

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Tomtom Mahallesi Tosbag Sokak 8/A
Galatasaray
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 245 41 05

Litera

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Location:

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Yeni Carsi Caddesi No:32 Kat: 6
34440 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 292 89 47

Asmalimescit Sokak & Sishane District

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Location:

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Asmalı Mescit Beyoğlu
Istanbul,

Babylon

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Location:

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Seyhbender Sokak 3 Tunel-Asmalimescit
Tünel, Asmalimescit
80040 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 292 7368

Nu Club

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Location:

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Tepebaşı Mesrutiyet Caddesi 147-149
Petit-Champs Passage
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 245 6070

11.11

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Location:

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Tepebasi Mesrutiyet Caddesi No: 69/B
Beyoğlu
Istanbul, Turkey

Day 2 - Istanbul

Start early on Saturday and visit the Dolmabahce Palace around 9.00 AM. For more information visit: http://www.dolmabahce.gov.tr After the visit to the Palace, you should be able to go to Nisantasi, which is in the proximity of the Palace, by noon. Have a break at the Tatbak Kebap for a taste of the traditional Turkish cuisine, or enjoy one of the hip cafes on the Abdi Ipekci Street for lunch. Stroll through the streets of Nisantasi. Go in and out of the back streets, mark the inns and the small boutiques, shop a little on our so-called 5th Avenue: the Abdi Ipekci Street. Drop your bags back at your hotel by early afternoon, and head for Bebek, the trendy little elitist town by the Bosphorus. Walk by the coast for a little to see the perfect view of the Anatolian coast. You may then enjoy a waffle at Abbas Cafe or a cone of ice-cream at Gunes Dondurma -both of which are located right next to the coast. Next, head for Lucca (café & bar), also in Bebek, for an early pre-dinner drink. This trendy little spot may very well be packed, but do not get discouraged. The trend is to linger on foot and to people-watch. Try a variety of the bartenders' blended mojitos (apple, passion fruit, strawberry…) or the Satsuma Vodka, the fine print of the place. Have a platter of shrimp or duck rolls to go with your drink. For dinner you have a variety of different options... Sunset Restaurant is highly recommended, which offers a full view of the Bosphorus from the top of the Ulus hill. You may then roll into the night at one of the clubs by the Bosphorus :Reina, Angelique or Sortie.

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Abdi İpekçi Caddesi

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Abdi İpekçi Caddesi
Kağıthane
Istanbul, Turkey

Dolmabahçe Palace

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Location:

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Dolmabahce Caddesi
Besiktas
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 236 9000

Lucca

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Location:

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Cevdetpasa Caddesi No:51/B
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 257 12 55

Sunset Grill & Bar

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Location:

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Adnan Saygun Caddesi, Yol Sokak No:2
Ulus Park
34340 Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 287 0357

Reina

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Location:

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Muallim Naci Caddesi 44
Ortaköy
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 30 212 259 5919 / 90 30 212 259 5921

Reina

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Location:

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Muallim Naci Caddesi 44
Ortaköy
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 30 212 259 5919 / 90 30 212 259 5921

Anjelique

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Location:

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Muallim Naci Caddesi Salhane sokak no. 5
Ortaköy
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 327 2844

Crystal

Location:

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Muallim Naci Street No:65 Ortaköy
Istanbul, Turkey

Phone:

90 212 229 7152

Day 3 - Istanbul

Enjoy your Turkish style brunch by the Bosphorus at Sade Kahve or Kale around the Rumeli Hisari (the Rumeli Fortress) or Bebek Kahve in Bebek. Make sure to taste honey & cream, gozleme (the Turkish tortilla), simit (the Turkish bagels), feta cheese, olives, olive oil, the Turkish tea and the menemen (a unique assortment of cheese, scrambled eggs and tomato). To burn some of those calories walk by the coast as far as you enjoy yourself. If you walk far enough you should spot fishermen fishing along Arnavutkoy. From Arnavutkoy or earlier from Bebek take the vaporetto to go to the Anatolian side. Enjoy the sea breeze by sitting outside. Get off at Cengelkoy or Kandilli. Enjoy these little towns and watch the people whose traditional living styles and authenticity make the stories of various TV series. If you have time you can also go to see the Hidiv Kasri in Beykoz. Take the ferry back to European side. Enjoy an early dinner around 6 pm at a fish restaurant. Try out Iskele (expensive), Park Fora (expensive), Set Balik (budget), all by the Bosphorus.

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