Monday

Hayyam Birahanesi: Reeling in the Beers

We’ve come to accept the fact that in Istanbul, the corner bar – in the American tradition, a neighborhood institution for local working folk to commiserate over a quiet drink after clocking out – is not a bar at all, but a teahouse. There, much like in the old neighborhood taverns of American cities, neighborhood men come and go, join a card game, read the sports page and pick the ponies.

“Old man bars”, as they are sometimes called, can be found around Istanbul but often lack the rhythm and texture of what we expect. We had all but given up on the search, until a certain little no-name joint on Tarlabaşi Bulvari attracted our interest. Continue…