Everybody knows about Oktoberfest—the ultimate beer-drinking festival with no limits and no regrets. The Mexicans have a much more hardcore version of this: the Tequila festival and presumably an unofficial national post-festival hangover day to go with it. You may have never heard of this but Turks created their own festival a few years back—World Rakı Week. Since 2006, Turkey’s national drink rakı is being celebrated—responsibly, of course—within Turkey and all around the world (in Germany, the United States, Australia, Azerbaijan, China, and Greece).

This year, several Istanbul neighborhoods (Kumkapı, Samatya, and Beyoğlu) and meyhanes are hosting the festival between 3^rd and 10^th of December with discounted set menus of 55TL. It won’t be just about rakı though—expect belly dancing shows, live fasıl music, wish trees, and even fortune tellers!

The Istanbul leg of World Rakı Week begins on the 3^rd of December in Kumkapı and finishes on the 10^th in Samatya. Of the participating meyhanes, we suggest you make reservations at:

Kör Agop on 5^th of December – Ördekçi Bakkal Sokak No. 7, Kumkapı; P: (0212) 517 23 34 
 

Boncuk on 8^th of December – Asmalımescit Sokak No. 29, Beyoğlu; P: (0212) 245 31 69 
 

Kuleli Meyhane on 10th of December – Büyük Kuleli Sokak No.38, Samatya; P: (0212) 587 94 28 
 

Günbilir Balık Restaurant on 10th of December – Hacı Hüseyin Ağa Mahallesi Eski Kulluk Sokak No.18, Samatya; P:  (0212) 529 26 45

Ali Haydar’ın Yeri on 10th of December – Hacı Hüseyin Ağa Mahallesi Samatya Meydanı Gümüş Yüzük Sokak No.6 , Samatya; P: (0212) 584 21 62

If you don’t care for the discounted prices or the accompanying events, but want to take the opportunity to enjoy a long night of rakı and meze with your friends, take a look here for Istanbul’s classic meyhanes.