Entertainment in The Black Sea & Northeastern Anatolia
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Şişman Efes Pub
Now this is a proper pub: wooden tables, doodling barman, music drowned out by the general hubbub and the eponymous Efes beer served in 2.5L towers (around €8) on request.
reviewed
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Sıra Geceleri
Nightlife in Urfa? In the City of Prophets, this may sound a contradiction in terms, but the evenings in Urfa are the hottest in eastern Anatolia, with high-octane dancing almost every night. What makes the city tick is the sıra geceleri , 'traditional nights' that are held in upscale restaurants. The best venues to check out are Beyzade Konak, Gülizar Konukevi, Pınarbaşı Konağı and Cevahir Konuk Evi. Send us the pictures!
Picture şark odası (lounges) where guests sit, eat, sing and dance. After the meal, a live band plays old favourites that keep revellers rocking and dancing to their hearts' content.
reviewed
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B
Barış Türkü Cafe & Disco
The Barış was the flavour of the month when we visited, and it's easy to see why. Housed in a historic mansion, this atmosphere-laden café-bar-disco-restaurant has a happening buzz and is a magnet for students of both sexes who come here to flirt, gossip, puff a nargileh, dance and listen to live bands (three times a week). If hunger beckons after swigging more than a few glasses of Efes in the basement, you can order an excellent yayla kebap (kebap with yoghurt) to restore balance to the brain.
reviewed
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C
Barabar Türk Evi
The closest thing Van has to a pub, the Barabar is a definite rare breed in eastern Turkey. It may be lodged on the 1st floor of an unprepossessing building, but there is a fever-pitch energy with its mainly student crowd of both sexes gulping pints of frothy draught beer. Yes, BEER! It gets frantic at weekends, with a live band knocking out Kurdish tunes - tear it up on the dance floor if you dare.
reviewed
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Çay Bahçesi
Van's undoubted social hub, this tea garden boasts lots of shade and greenery and is an attractive place to imbibe the atmosphere of central Van. It's deservedly packed with an eclectic crowd any time of the day. Nab a seat under the trees and linger over a cup of tea.
reviewed
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Çay Bahçesi
Need some hush and a cool place to rest your sightseeing-abused feet? Nothing beats this delightful, leaf-dappled tea garden, just off the Turkish Islamic Arts & Ethnography Museum. Nurse a (soft) drink and you'll feel happy with life.
reviewed
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F
Stress Cafe
Stress? You must be joking. One of Trabzon's best live music and nargileh spots, the Stress Cafe is so laid-back it's almost horizontal. The Ottomans-R-Us decor is a bit naff, but this is a relaxing haven. Look for the backgammon-playing mannequins out front. Live music kicks off at 8pm most Friday and Saturday nights.
reviewed
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Yağmurcu Cafe & Bar
A handsome disco-bar popular with trendy young things, come here to sample a glass of beer during semester time. With an interesting mix of wood and stone patterns, the décor here is imaginative.
reviewed
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Keyif Coffee & Tea Store
Trabzon's studenty types gather amidst Anglophile vintage sporting gear and leather armchairs to enjoy more than 200 varieties of hot beverage.
reviewed
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Beer Time
Another hostelry in the same vein as the Şişman, but spread over two whole storeys, with wooden floors and a largely male crowd just avoiding that spit'n'sawdust feel.
reviewed
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Halay Türkü Bar
Multiple floors add up to multiple ways to enjoy Van's low-key nightlife scene. Kick off with tasty meze and grilled meat before graduating to draught beer, generously poured local spirits and regular live music.
reviewed
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Café Life
Choose Life: just opposite the Bordo Mavi, this wood-floored café-bar offers a beguiling mix of fast food and folky live music.
reviewed
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İstihkam Çay Bahçesi
This leafy spot by the canal is the perfect salve after trudging up to the castle. Sip a glass of tea in the shade.
reviewed
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Vitamin
With its dramatic bright orange walls adorned with musical instruments, this pea-sized joint on the main drag has to be Mardin's kookiest spot. Freshly squeezed juices are served in glasses filled to the brim.
reviewed
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Sinema Lara
Hollywood blockbusters show just days after their international release. How's that for globalisation?
reviewed
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Şampiyon Vitamin
Recharge and replenish your inner traveller at this terrific fresh juice bar on the edge on the Urfa bazaar. It's all good, but we found the zingy greyfurt suyu (grapefruit juice) especially refreshing. If you're after something more substantial, the atom is a delicious smoothie combining yoghurt, banana and chopped pistachios – almost a mini-meal in itself.
reviewed
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Otel Büyük Kervansaray
The expansive courtyard is a great place to unwind over a cup of tea and take in the atmosphere. It's also licensed if you feel like a cold beer.
reviewed
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North Shield
Go on – wanting a cold pint in a dusty Kurdish city is not a hanging offence. Head to the North Shield in the Hotel Tamara for a familiar English pub-type ambience. After a couple of beers make a beeline for the excellent mangal restaurant upstairs.
reviewed
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Luna Park
Head to this park between the old and new coastal roads for Black Sea fairground action.
reviewed
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Koza Caffe
Ignore the incongruous medieval decor and settle in for coffee and snacks with a soundtrack of bouncy Turkish pop. Get lucky and grab a seat at the tiny outdoor balcony. They'll even outsource a beer or a glass of wine if you ask them nicely.
reviewed
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Hasan Paşa Hanı
This restored caravanserai is slightly touristy, but it still has some great cafes and teahouses. Keep an eye out for flyers advertising canlı müzik (live music).
reviewed
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Gümrük Hanı
Here's the ideal spot for the first coffee of the day – a wonderfully restored caravanserai crowded with locals enjoying a caffeine hit. Ask for kahve mirra, the super-strong and bitter local variation. You're not at Starbucks now…
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Efes Pub
Two floors of smokey, blokey ambience with good bar snacks and draught Efes in 0.7L glasses and 2L 'beer towers' – perfect for sharing with the Russian sailors on the adjacent table. Female travellers may prefer Cingil Bar.
reviewed
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Durum X
Apple, orange, kiwi, grapefruit – the list goes on at this handy hole-in-the-wall juice bar. Also on offer are cheap grilled sandwiches. Grab a quick lunch and keep exploring.
reviewed
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