The Blue Mosque, a dog and me: Hello Istanbul

The pulsing life, the movement, Istanbul fascinated me from the first moments. First of all there is the incredible location of the 14 million-inhabitant metropolis on two continents that impresses. 3000 years of history left their mark on the Bosphorus town. There is so much to discover- but where to go first? Of course there is the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque that come to my mind. But Istanbul has a lot more to offer.

Shop ’til you drop: The ‘Grand Bazaar’ has more than 4.000 shops

A boat tour along the Istanbul strait is for the daughter of a ship captain like me a clear MUST, to Asia and back to the Golden Horn please. For shopping victims like me it is obligatory to stroll through the oriental market ‘Grand Bazaar’. You absolutely need to schedule some time for this, as there are more than 4.000 shops on 30.000 square miles to visit. I am curious how the sultans in the Topkapi Palace resided and want to get enchanted by the grandest mosque the Sülemaniye. Conveniently those monuments of the old town on the historic peninsula lay in the district of Fatih, so it’s easy to combine these legs of my tour.

Streetlife in the Beyoğlu district, the hottest hood in Istanbul

The facing district Beyoğlu is the hottest borough of the moment, where the member club Soho House just opened its newest hotel (see “Soho House Istanbul: An oriental fairy tale palace“ on MyStylery). Here in Pera – that’s how the old European borough originally was called – a new art scene established with the ‘Istanbul Modern’ and ‘Pera- Museum’. There are many small cafes, galleries and shops, and not to forget the famous shopping street on which the historic tram drives.

Look at: https://mystylery.com/blog/2015/08/16/soho-house-istanbul-ein-palast-aus-1001-nacht/

You can find the most delicious breakfast with croissants that taste like in France at ‘Gram’. Everything is freshly prepared and the menu offers changing dishes. Chef and successful cookbook author Didem Şenol conjures fantastic Turkish- European crossover dishes from regional ingredients for instance warm goats cheese on eggplant and lentils – a truly culinary delight! I would like to highly recommend her branch at the Karaköy- District the ‘Lokanta Maya’ at this point. Culinary art at a high standard in a beautiful ambience.

Lunch- and breakfast spot: Gram, Mesrutiyet Caddesi, 107d in Pera, www.grampera.com

Help, I can’t decide with all the delicacies at the ‘Gram’!

The right address for Turkish Mocha or a Caffe Latte is the ‘Noir Pit’. Next to a tremendous selection of coffee specialties they also offer a variety of small snacks.

Have a coffee at the ‘Noir Pit’, Mesrutiyet Caddesi, 109a in Pera, www.noirpit.com

I love the small Cukurma-district, the antiques quarter offside the hectic ‘Istiklal Caddesi’ in Beyoğlu. It’s a pleasure strolling through the little alleys, past welcoming cafes and partially fallow buildings and then again the already refurbished objects in between like the small Boutique-Hotel ‘Corinne’ with a magnificent restaurant, and art gallery offer a nice surprise.

‘Corinne Hotel’, Kuloğlu Mh., Turnacıbaşı Cad Ayhan Işık 41, www.corinnehotel.com

Here you can also sit outside nicely: Boutique-Hotel ‚Corinne‘

Moving on past the Galata-tower into the direction of Karakoy, the quarter that just awakes from it’s deep slumber. Directly next to the jetties for big cruise ship emerges an interesting scene with chic restaurants for the hip audience. I initially wander trough ‘Fransiz Sokağı‘- the French street of the former Algerian quarter, which was renovated with the help of the French cultural institute, past little shops and cafes.

Popular to tourists and locals: ‚Fransiz Sokağı‘, the French street

Welcoming: Coffeeshop at the ‚Fransiz Sokağı‘

Giant boat infront of a small house: Jetty in the Karakoy district

I decide to have a relaxing lunch at the near, very popular ‘Karakoy Lokantasi’ which was recently furnished by the Turkish design company ‘Autoban’ with very cool tiles in turquoise. I order Turkish starters, so-called ‘Meze’: Hummus with flatbread, eggplant puree, shrimps marinated in coriander and garlic-yoghurt-cream. One should also taste the bulgur balls and the obligatory stuffed vine leaves. The only thing I could have forgone was the dowdy, bad service. But even that can damp my excitement for Istanbul in no way.  BvH

Unmotivated waiters in the otherwise beautiful ‘Karakoy Lokantasi’, Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mh., Kemankeş Cd 37a, www.karakoylokantasi.com

A MUST: Turkish starters, so-called ‘Meze’. Yummy!

Old Byzantium and Ottoman Empire

Ruin in Pera

A cat-city: Istanbul

A boat tour along the Istanbul strait: From Kadikoy to Eminons and back

Between Orient and Occident

Quite windy here! As it is, I have to hold my hat, so it doesn’t end up in the Golden Horn or Bosphorus

In Istanbul the religions live peacefully together. Here the Catholic Church St. Anthony …

… there is the ‘Neve Salom’-Synagogue. Both in the former European quarter Pera

There are a lot of inviting cafes in Pera

Not for calorie counters: Turkish delights like here on the ‚Istiklal Caddesi‘

There are many carpet dealers at the ‘Grand Bazaar’. The most talented (!) seller I met at ‘Rug & Rug’

I bought spices at the ‘Grand Bazaar’. Cooking at home – sounds like a plan

In the mood for a new hairstyle? Kuaför in the Pera district

Good to know:

English is not a matter of course:
A business card of your hotel can help to show the taxi driver where you want to go.

Worth seeing: the Topkapi Palace

By the way following tip saves time and nerves: at the Topkapi Palace I actually hired one of the guides who work there: Mustafa sneaked me past the sheer endless queue and explained – in perfect German – the whole palace including harem and armory to me. Since then I know that the word kiosk has its roots in the Turkish language. The length of the tour is negotiable and was absolutely worth its 50 €.

‘Lokanta Maya’, Kemankes Caddesi 35a, www.lokantamaya.com …

… there is great European-Turkish crossover cuisine

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The Soho House with its white, neoclassical marble facade is chaped by circular arches and Corinthian columns

It’s like a fairy tale from 1000 and one nights, as if Scheherazade would tell her Sultan the story of the rich, Italian businessman Ignazio Corpi, who, in 1873, settled in what was then Constantinople. The successful shipbuilder from Genoa commissioned the architect Giacomo, Leoni , who built a splendid villa for Corpi and his family – the Palazzo Corpi. Soon Corpi, a charmer and womanizer, started an affair with the maid, who however took a bad ending: the young woman fell down the stairs of the magnificent staircase and died – under mysterious circumstances.

Staircase a with history and magnificent details

Corpi, whose family resided in the Palazzo for 40 years, wisely chose the Pera district in Beyoğlu, which was regarded as the European Quarter. Even today there are magnificent buildings of its European builders. Pera reflects, with its many small cafes, shops and galleries, the vibrant life of the city and has thrilled me. Istanbul is more than Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar – which certainly includes a visit to the Bosporus metropolis.

From the roof terrace you can look at the Bosphorus and the Hagia Sophia

When Nick Jones – the founder of the private member club Soho House – saw the Corpi Palace for the first time, it was love at first sight. From this moment, he had the vision to establish his now 13th Soho House, which rooms can also be booked by non-members.

Oops, my camera has probably triggered by itself … at Soho House taking pictures is prohibited. Unfortunately

He carefully renovated the Italian palazzo, which, since 1906, was used as an embassy by the Americans and then as a General Consulate. Jones, the self-made hotelier – who started with a bar in London 20 years ago, dusted facade and interior, let the Carrara glow in a new light, freeing the native of the Piemont wood of doors and window frames of color layers. The wall drawings with their mystical Greek mythology-figures have been restored, as well as the impressive ceiling paneling and frescoes.

Also the bar of the Soho House in Istanbul is equipped with many domestic details such as Turkish rugs or ikat pillows

The Palazzo Corpi is by far the most impressive and most extraordinary of all Soho Houses. Here the club life of members and guests plays out on a total of three floors; whether at the bar, the restaurants ‘Mandolin’ and ‘Cecconi’s’ or by the pool on the roof terrace with fantastic views of the opposite Istanbul silhouette and the Bosphorus. Here I could doze all day on one of the daybeds and enjoy the view.

My room: Small but nice

Adding the adjacent building with its glass facade, the whole hotel is housed with 87 rooms, a spa and gym, a bar and , Allis’ – café where you can have amazing breakfast, also outside on the terrace.
The rooms are in a typical Soho House style; with a radio by the bed, books and a large TV. The carpets in the hotel as well as the tiles of the baths are Turkish handcraft. And the big rain showers are stocked with a great selection of ,Cowshed’ shower gels and shampoos – so I could choose a different fragrance every day.

The bathroom with turquoise, Turkish tiles … an extra lamp wouldn’t be unnecessary

A great selection of ,Cowshed’ products

Every day a different scent! I love the Cowshed products

Only the lighting concept at Soho House is a point of criticism: one needs a flashlight in the hallways to fish the room key out of the purse. And in the bathroom one needs a lot of imagination for makeup or shaving. And – at this point I simply have to say: you must not take pictures, in order to respect the privacy of other guests, a Soho House Law, which incomprehensibly also applies for the views from the pool terrace – but by no means this rule is followed by everyone.

Sometimes the bulbs flicker or the light goes out – as if by magic

By the way: It is being said that Corpi’s wife was not entirely innocent about the tragic death of her maid. She came behind the Liaison of her husband and pushed her rival, in a jealous rage, down the stairs. Since then – according to legends – the poor soul haunts in the house. Sometimes the bulbs flicker or the light goes out. For no apparent reason. Just because. BvH

The rooms at the Soho House are equipped with comfortable beds and seating areas. Wood, velvet and brass are used in many of the Soho Houses

The ‘Mandolin’ terrace: Turkish and European dishes are served all day

The Dining-Room. The wall drawings are really nice

View from my room into the leafy courtyard

Info:
Soho House is a group of private members’ clubs for people working in the creative industries. We have Houses in London, New York, Berlin, Toronto, West Hollywood, Chicago and Miami. Istanbul is our 13th, and there are more in the works.

Contact:
www.sohohouse.com

Soho House Istanbul
Evliya Çelebi Mahallesi Meşrutiyet Cad. No:56
Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey, 34430
www.sohohouseistanbul.com

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