Bant Mag Cafe started as the physical outlet for Turkey's most respected independent music magazine, and it has never pretended to be anything else. The ground floor is a record shop and bookstore stacked with international and local releases. The bar at the back serves a short list of craft beers, natural wines and simple spirits. Downstairs, a 60-person basement hosts live sets 4 nights a week.
We consider this the best live music bar in Istanbul for people who care about the music. The acts range from Istanbul's emerging jazz and experimental scene to international touring artists who want an intimate venue rather than a concert hall. The crowd is almost entirely local, largely under 35, and the noise level between sets is that of people actually talking about music.
The beer list rotates across 8 local craft breweries from Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara. The wines are mostly natural, mostly Turkish, mostly good. The bar team will tell you which draught is fresh that week if you ask, and they usually know which artists are worth staying for.
Bant Mag is not the place to bring someone if you want a perfect cocktail in a dimly lit room. It is the place to bring someone who wants to feel genuinely inside a city's cultural life rather than watching it through glass. For that, it is irreplaceable. Check the Instagram for live show listings before you visit.
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What to order
- 01
Craft Draught of the Week
Rotating selection from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir breweries. Ask the bar team what's freshest. Typically 3 on tap, all independent.
- 02
Turkish Natural Wine
Short but honest list of biodynamic Turkish producers. Bogazkere and Kalecik Karasi varieties appear frequently. Ask for the skin-contact if available.
- 03
Raki and Soda
No bar in Istanbul should be without it. Bant Mag keeps it simple and honest. An excellent way to pace yourself through a 3-set night.
- 04
Çay (Turkish Tea)