Gay Bars and Gay Clubs in Istanbul
While gay life in Istanbul may be subdued in public, at night behind closed doors, there is a thriving and vibrant nightlife scene where locals and foreigners come together to dance, drink and socialise with their queer family.
Many gay clubs in Istanbul attract a mixed crowd, but we have done our best to distinguish these from the Istanbul gay clubs which have an active LGBT focus.
There are many gay bars in Istanbul most of which pull double duty as gay-cafes during the day – mostly around the gay area of Istanbul aka Taksim Square in Beyoglu district, which is the best place to head to start your night if you don’t already have a plan.The Turks love to party, and while the Istanbul gay scene is under pressure, it seems local queers are merely more determined to come together at night and celebrate pride and diversity in the face of increasing adversity. Things can get crazy on a night out in Gay Istanbul, and what better way could there be to get to know the locals than in Istanbul gay bar! Just don’t forget your common sense.
Gay Bars in Istanbul
Chaplin Cafe – A cheap and cheerful little Taksim gay bar tucked away upstairs. Local gay guys in Istanbul in the know head here to enjoy cheap drinks before the main party, so if you’re lucky you can probably tag along with them!Pinokyo Bar – Gay bar in Istanbul offering live music and the occasional drag show – but we can’t really recommend as the staff here are useless, to say the least! They only appear interested when they can rip tourists off (which is all the time). Best to head to Haspa Bar up the road.
Arjin Cafe – A new LGBT venue / Taksim gay cafe that is more popular during the day. Delicious and fresh Turkish food and plenty of cats, this gay cafe in Istanbul is out-and-proud, very friendly and the perfect place to meet queer locals in Istanbul day or night.
Haspa Bar – Our favorite Istanbul gay bar offering a great mix of go-go dancers, live music, drag shows and karaoke depending on the night. Great DJ and a regularly updated Facebook page with special events.
Chianti Bar – Super-chilled and laid back, this bar opens at 3 pm and doesn’t close till the early morning. The perfect gay bar in Istanbul to meet up with friends and have a quiet beer – and actually be able to talk to whoever you are with. Friendly staff and easy to start conversations, especially in the little garden out back.
Cafe MorKedi – Taksim gay cafe and bar with a young local crowd. Open from 10 am till just past midnight if you in the area you should stop by, but it seems always to be quiet and have weird vibes.
There are also a few transgender bars & clubs in Gay Istanbul which can be fun to explore, but be aware trans people here often acts as hosts. This means if they sit and talk with you at the bar, you are expected to pay for their drinks. If you don’t want to – just tell the bartender in advance you will not be buying drinks for anyone. An exciting experience given the strong transgender community in Istanbul, the best trans bars in Istanbul to visit are:
Club Gia – *reported closed A popular trans and lesbian bar in Istanbul located just off Taksim Square. Funky decor, friendly stand and plenty of themed events as well as a DJ and dance floor most nights.
No Name Club – Probably the most popular trans club in Istanbul. Small and filled with local trans people and their admirers – gay, straight and bi.
Sahara Club – The oldest Istanbul trans bar. Dark, dirty and a place where you are almost guaranteed to get ripped off.
Gay Clubs in Istanbul
Club Tek Yön – The largest and busiest gay Istanbul club. Open every night of the week you can always find a somewhat mixed international and local crowd here covering all ages and types – Muscle bears, queens, twinks, you name it! Saturdays are the most popular night, but the dance floor gets busy most nights of the week, and there is even drag shows on Sundays and through the week. The bonus features are the outdoor backyard for fresh air, a cruisy atmosphere and free drink with entrance!
Stay Club – Stay Club recently opened its doors in Takshim and is currently the only bear gay bar in Istanbul. Woof! Stay Club is open every night and frequented by bears, cubs, otters, and wolves as well as by other queer locals and foreigners. Packed out most Friday and Saturday nights, the venue has two floors and offers visitors fun pop and campy music. Regular parties and dance shows are advertised on their website.
A small gay club in Istanbul that has been around for over a decade. Hot shows featuring go-go dancers and talented drag queens on the weekend and this place get insanely packed. Maybe even too packed, if crowds are not your thing. Great music, themed parties most Friday’s and plenty of fun – though drink prices are quite steep and if you’re a non-white lone visitor they have been known to turn you away.
Posh and LBGT-popular, SuperFabric is the place to go for table service, muscular belly dancers, and larger-than-life go-go dancers. Often too crowded to dance especially given all the tables – and the bouncers can be over-zealous but perfect for people watching and cruising if you have the cash to burn.
Club 17 – A cruise club popular with trans people in Istanbul as well as rent boys. Can get pretty popular after 2 am on the weekend, but it’s a total ‘pay to play’ situation here.Often listed as a gay club in Istanbul but these days it’s very mixed or frequently majority straight people. While they do offer hot shows with drag or trans dancers, many gay travelers have reported feeling uncomfortable here so we only recommend if you looking for a mixed venue to cater to everyone.
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