Karaköy Lokantası is a heritage Turkish restaurant with a serious cocktail bar attached. The room is preserved Ottoman — turquoise tiles, dim warm lighting, brass fittings — and the cocktail programme uses Turkish ingredients heavily.
The drinks are precise. The Raki cocktails are the bar's signature. The food is modern Turkish — meze plates, kebabs, Anatolian regional dishes. Reservation strongly recommended.
The crowd is mid-thirties Istanbul professionals and visiting tourists. Pair with Mikla for a complete Istanbul evening.