Istanbul's rooftops, meyhane nights, and Bosphorus crossings — all on the map.
Istanbul is a city that exists in layers — Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern — and the best way to peel them back is through its drinking and eating culture. Begin at the waterfront, where Bosphorus ferries cut between two continents and the salt air smells of grilled fish and diesel, an intoxicating combination that will anchor you to the city for the rest of the day. At night, Istanbul's meyhanes — the boisterous, raki-soaked taverns of Beyoğlu and Kadıköy — pull you into a world of shared meze plates, improvised toasts, and tables that stretch on until midnight. Then, as the city catches its breath, rooftop bars suspended between Europe and Asia offer you the most cinematic skyline on earth: minarets illuminated gold, the Bosphorus a sheet of black silk below, and the hum of a city that never quite sleeps.
