Tuesday

Beyoglu Authorities Turn the Tables on Outdoor Seating

Late afternoon on Sofyali Sokak, the restaurant-crowded street in Beyoglu’s Asmalimescit district, is usually happy hour – two for one tequila shots, raki glasses clinking, half-liters of Efes hoisted. But today, in the aftermath of a Beyoglu-wide crackdown on outside seating that left the street bare of a single place to sit outside, the scene was palpably unhappy. (The “before and after” photo above is of Sofyali Sok.)

Since the indoor smoking ban went into effect, outdoor seating has become even more prized on this street, a hot destination for revelry. While most businesses held permits for their outdoor seating area, violations of the space were clearly rampant. Over the past year, tables seemed to multiply like mushrooms overnight until finally, pedestrians were forced to pass in a single file line between the gauntlet of tables filled with diners, drinkers and smokers.

But this afternoon, police and municipal inspectors swept through, confiscating outdoor furniture and ordering the demolition of decks built outside of restaurants. A pile of rubble, previously a deck, stood just downhill from the stylish House Café, while across the street waiters worked frantically with crowbars to remove a particularly permanent looking structure. Continue…