Istanbul gay bars, gay clubs, discos, gay friendly cafe
bars in Istanbul listed with up-to-date addresses,
descriptions, visitor reviews, location maps and more
Most of the
venues listed below are open every day and are expected
to be more busy roughly between 9:00 pm and 2:00 am,
although this may vary for each venue and from day to
day. The prices in these bars are slightly cheaper
compared to the nightclubs listed below, and they do not
usually require entrance or cloakroom fees. They
organize various shows, karaoke nights, and live music
performances on several nights during the week. Please
check their social media pages to find out when and what
kind of shows they are offering, if that matters.
Mor Kedi Cafe & Bar (20:00 - 01:00)
Istiklal Cad.
Ipek Sokak 16, Kat 3, Daire 5 - Beyoglu, Istanbul
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
More Kedi is one of the most senior gay cafe bars in
Istanbul. It is a place that may get busy before all
other gay bars. Usually there will be some people from
6pm until around midnight. Clients are mostly younger
gays, and some young bearish guys, but any ages are
welcomed.
Rocinante Bar (20:00 - 02:00)
Ogut Sokak, No:6, Kat 2 (2nd floor), Beyoglu, Istanbul.
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
It is located on the second floor of a typical
historical Beyoğlu building on a back street that runs
parallel to the renowned Istiklal Avenue. They offer
live music and other modest shows on different days of
the week.
Chianti Bar (20:00 - 02:00)
Kameriye Sokak, No:10/A, Nevizade, Beyoglu,
Istanbul
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
This cozy gay cafe and bar opens early in the day, but
it is usually more crowded in the late evening and
around midnight. In the early 2020s, it moved to a new
location in the
popular nightlife quarter, Nevizade.
Babel Park Pub (20:00
- 20:00 / 04:00)
Sht. Pilot Mahmut Nedim Sokagi, No:3,Fatih, Istanbul
Click here for location map on Google Maps
Unlike all the other gay bars in Istanbul, this pub &
restaurant is situated in a distinct district called
Aksaray, approximately 5 kilometers away from Taksim.
It’s tucked beneath the
Babil Park Hotel and has served as a gathering spot
for the Turkish gay bear community since 2018. Another
distinction from Taksim bars is that this establishment
exudes a distinctly local atmosphere, and they
exclusively feature live performances of traditional
Turkish songs. For tourists, visiting this place would
be quite interesting due to its unique ambiance.
Most of the gay nightclubs listed under this category
are busy after midnight. Although they might open their
doors as early as 10p.m, there won't be many clients
before midnight. Without exception, the music is loud in
all of these after-midnight clubs, playing a mixture of
Turkish and Western pop music in turns. Most gay
nightclubs in Istanbul require an entrance fee on
Saturday nights, and some on Friday nights.
However, you can get one complimentary local drink with
your entrance ticket. Typically, there are several
security personnel waiting at the door of each gay club
to stop unsolicited visitors and take care of the
cloakrooms. During the winter season, clients are
expected to leave their large bags, jackets, and coats
at the cloakrooms and pay for some kind of compulsory
tip when they leave.
Check out the social media pages of these night clubs
before going, because they might be closed during some
midweek nights (Sun-Thrs)
Stay Club (22:00 - 05:00)
Siraselviler
Cad. No 35 / 2, Taksim, Beyoglu, Istanbul
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
Stay Club, which especially welcomes the bear community,
opened in 2020, relocated to a new address in April
2024, around 3-4 minutes walking distance from Taksim
Square. The club is on the basement floor of the
building.
Tekyon Club (23:00 - 05:00)
Siraselviler Caddesi,
No: 63/1, Beyoglu.
Istanbul.
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
The most popular gay club in Istanbul since the early
2000s, even though it has moved to different addresses
several times. The venue is fairly
big for the capacity of gay nightlife in Istanbul, so it
might not be very busy during the weekdays, but it is
almost always very, very busy on Friday and Saturday
nights.
Super Fabric (23:00 - 05:00)
Cumhuriyet Caddesi
No: 42 Elmadag,
Istanbul
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
Opened in late October 2014 SuperFabric club usually charge entrance fee on Friday and Saturday
nights. It is located at some 10 minutes walking distance
to the north of Taksim Square somewhere on Cumhuriyet
Caddesi avenue that goes towards Harbiye / Sisli
districts, roughly across from Konak Hotel.
Love Dance Point (23:00 - 05:00)
Cumhuriyet Caddesi,
No: 349 Harbiye, Sisli, Istanbul
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
Love Club is located in the Harbiye quarter, on the main
avenue, about 20 minutes walking distance from Taksim
Square. Saturday night is the busiest night and they
might be featuring some good shows. If it is your first
time visiting, it might be hard to notice the entrance
of the club at first sight. It might also be closed
during weekdays. So, please visit the
club's page for detailed location information
and check their social media pages to make sure they
will be open when you get there.
Cheeky Club (23:00 - 05:00)
Tarlabasi Bulvari, No: 32 Taksim, Istanbul.
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
This exceptional after-hours nightclub is busy on
Fridays and Saturdays. It usually doesn’t get crowded
before 2:00 am, attracting LGBT people after all other
gay bars and clubs close down. It is located very close
to Taksim Square, under the small building before you
get to Cartoon Hotel. They do not have a visible
signboard, but you will recognize it easily from its
dark metallic facade and security guys waiting in front
of it.
Pinokyo Club
(23:00 - 05:00)
Buyuk Parmakkapi Sk,
No:17,
Beyoglu, Istanbul.
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
Pinokyo is located in the heart of Istanbul, just
off Istiklal Avenue. Previously it was in the bar
category but they changed style after moving this
terrace floor in the same building and now they are busy
after midnight as other night clubs. Before
visiting, we recommend checking out the reviews on the
venue’s page to get a better idea of what to expect.
X-Large Club
(23:00 - 05:00)
Ataturk Oto Sanayi Sit.
52.Sok. No:12/1,
Maslak, Istanbul
Click here for guest reviews, location map
and more
When X Large Club was first opened in Beyoglu, Kallavi
Sok in late 2000's and it was overwhelmingly gay. What
made the club very popular was the quality of the stage
shows for that time. Around 2013 X Large moved to a
bigger venue somewhat 15 km outside the city center. It
is still a gay friendly venue but it also has many
straight people in their new place.
Despite the numerous venues in Istanbul where LGBT
individuals can feel at ease, the following
establishments are particularly recognized for being
gay-friendly.
Street Pub (S-Gf) - Mis Sk. No:19,
Taksim, Beyoğlu.
Babel Cafe & Restaurant - Turnacıbaşı Cd.
No:56, Beyoğlu
Mecra Bar (S-Gf)
- Dumlupinar Sk No:5, Kadıköy
Salpa Vegan Bar (S-Gf)
- Piri Çavuş Sk. No:3, Kadıköy
Bocek Cafe (S-Gf) - Moda Cad,
Bademaltı Sk. 17/A,Kadıköy
Following venues have been closed-down completely for
various reasons. We are listing them just to let people
know because they might still being listed on other gay
guides and even on Google maps sometimes.
Chaplin Cafe - In August 2021 it was bought by
the
rival gay cafe, Mor Kedi
Durak Pub - Closed during Covid 19 period.
Club 17
- Closed during Covid 19 period.
Haspa Club
- They
moved to Bodrum in 2019
Following bars and clubs have been closed-down many
years ago:
Yesil Bizans,
Queen, Dejavu, Barbahce,
Kutu Bar, Club 14 (Ceylan's), Machine,
Club 12, Shake-in Bar, Degirmen Pub, Ajda Club, Secret
Club, Exit Club, Purple Club, Gabile Club, Hot Point (TT'S)
Cafe, B Club, Bubble, Pincur's Cafe, Tantana Bar,
Altenatif Club, Oz Club, Club 99, Hans Bar, Telve, Club
Barisik. Rouge Bar, Elysion, Inside Cafe, Prive Club,
OtherSide, Frappe Cafe, Ekoo Club, Neo Club, Sugar Cafe
Attention:
Constantly updated by the local Pink Guides representatives
living in the major Turkish cities, Turkeygay.Net, serves as
the most dependable resource you can find providing information on
LGBT venues and gay-friendly events in Turkey. However, it’s
important to acknowledge that there might be occasional
discrepancies in the provided information, as we may not have
captured all recent changes. Please use the details provided with
this in mind. Additionally, please be aware that many of the venues
listed on the website lack official owner approval and they all are
not gay or gay-friendly places necessarily.
Click here for up-to-date
Gay Map of Istanbul & Turkey.
Click here for private tours to discover
Istanbul's gay night life.
Click here for detailed information about public
transportation in Istanbul.
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