Istanbul New Year’s Guide: Dining and Dancing in Taksim

Talya Arditi / December 12, 2011

If you don’t want to be stuck at the same venue on New Year’s Eve, pick from our list of places to eat and places to party in Taksim.

Places to Eat in Taksim

ÇokÇokThai: ÇokÇok Thai has put together a four-course meal of Thai favorites and traditional dishes. The set menu will feature coconut milk chicken soup or tiger prawn soup, Thai fish cakes, tiger prawn satay, steamed sea bass and chicken in curry sauce or green curry chicken or beef or tiger prawns with garlic sauce, and chocolate cake. Although ÇokÇok Thai is a restaurant, there’ll be some NYE entertainment after dinner. A DJ will play a mix of popular dance songs with lots of Turkish pop songs after 11:00pm. The price is 99 Euros per person including unlimited local and standard international drinks. Meşrutiyet Caddesi No. 51, Tepebaşı; P: (0212) 292 64 96

Meze By Lemon Tree: The set menu at Meze by Lemon Tree features cold quail cutlets with sweet mustard foam, grouper ceviche marinated with grapefruit and lime juices, snail stew with plums and pine nuts, zucchini blossoms stuffed with seafood, trio of Aegean wild greens, stuffed chard leaves, lamb sirloin braised in milk with lemon-flavored rice, tropical fruits sautéed with cognac served with vanilla ice-cream. The price of the set menu is 150 TL per person including unlimited local drinks (only select brands of wine, rakı, and beer).Asmalımescit Mahallesi Meşrutiyet Caddesi 83/B, Beyoğlu; P: (0212) 252 83 02

La BriseBrasserie: The set menu at La Brise Brasserie features pumpkin soup, turkey quiche, green salad with pomegranate, chicken liver pate with quince marmalade, charcuterie plate, honey and ginger glazed roast turkey with bread sauce and aromatic rice, grilled fillet steak with mushroom sauce and dauphinoise potatoes, smoked pork chops with apple sauce and almond croquette, white chocolate mousse with chestnut puree, crème brûlée with winter fruits and lemon ice-cream. The price of the set menu is 150 TL excluding drinks. Asmalımescit Sokak No. 28, Asmalımescit; P: (0212) 244 48 46

Places to Party in Taksim

11:11: 11:11 will be filled with DJs (Junior, Tangun, Cure-Shot, Fuchs, Cervus, Gürhan) playing a mix of groovy, funky, sexy house and tech house. There will be confetti guns and confetti rain, so get ready for a hardcore party that will last until dawn. Entrance is 50 TL including one drink. If going with a group, it’s recommended that you book a stand. The prices for stands and VIP areas start at 500 TL for five people, including juices, energy drinks, snacks, and finger foods for those who get there early. Meşrutiyet Caddesi 69, Tepebaşı; P:(0212) 244 88 34

Babylon: Babylon is hosting an Oldies But Goldies “3D PARTY” spread over Babylon, Üst Kat, and Babylon Lounge. Murat Beşer and Mabbas will be at Babylon to play the ultimate classics from Depeche Mode, The Cure, Madonna, A-Ha, Chic, Duran Duran, Snap, Cyndi Lauper, ABBA, Donna Summer, James Brown, Nena, Culture Club, U2, Blondie, The Smiths, Wham!, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Michael Jackson, and The Clash. Engin Eraydın will also be there with his nostalgic visual show. Those at Babylon Lounge will dance to the best of disco music while those at Üst Kat will dance to the 90s.The party starts at 10:00pm, and the price is 66.50 TL. Get your tickets from Biletix before they run out.

Babylon; Seyhbender Sokak No: 3, Tünel; P: (0212) 292 73 68

Üst Kat and Babylon Lounge; Jurnal Sokak No. 4, Asmalımescit; P:(0212) 245 38 00

Ghetto: DJs Dearhead, Mr. Sür, and dYG will be at Ghetto playing deep electro house, deep house, Tech-house, disco, and electronica from 10:00pm onwards. The price is 56 TL including a glass of prosecco. Get your tickets from Biletix before they run out. Kalyoncu Kulluk Sokak No. 10, Beyoğlu; P: (0212) 251 75 01

The Hall: The Hall is hosting Burn presents: ROUTE 2012 with a lineup of 15 House, Tech-house, Deep-house, Trance, Techno DJs: BeeGee, Murat Uncuoğlu, U.F.U.K, UHR, Ferhat Albayrak, Alican Yüksel, Mert Yücel, İlker Aksungar, Altan Balgır, Orkun Bozdemir, Ömür Sarı, Doğuş Çabakçor, Sinan Çatak, Nurettin Çolak, and Doruk Güralp. The night will kick off around 09:00pm and last until 05:00am. Regular entrance is 56 TL, VIP entrance is 112 TL (which will allow you to get a VIP bracelet that allows entrance to VIP areas with less crowd), and a Bistro entrance is 575 TL for four people, including a bottle of vodka, four energy drinks, and snacks. You can get your tickets through Biletix.

Tomtom Sokak: Barhopping at its best will take place at Tomtom Sokak. You’ll get one ticket that will allow entrance to five different venues with five different genres of music. There will be disco music at Indigo, worldwide chart toppers of the 80s and 90s at Indigo Pub, the best of 80s Turkish songs at Alt, classic rock pieces at We, and a mix of upbeat songs at Tektekçi. The night will kick off at 09:00pm and continue until 05:00am. Entrance to five separate venues is 40 TL, and tickets are sold through Biletix. All these venues are located next to each other in Tomtom Mahallesi, Akarsu/Acara Sokak, Galatasaray.

The Guide Istanbul

Istanbul New Year’s Guide: Dining and Dancing in Taksim

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