Istanbul Wine Guide

A must for those wanting to try the breadth of Turkish wine is Wayana Wine Bar and Tapas in Moda. Great location, friendly staff, and good food aren’t the only things this place has going for it. An extensive wine list features wines from around the country, representing many wineries, and offering guests some of the country’s rarer grapes. The absolute best part? Wayana uses Coravins in order to offer something like 90% of its wine list BY THE GLASS. 

Explore more of Istanbul’s wine bars, restaurants, and shops with my Wine Lover’s Guide to Istanbul guide!

Caferağa, Ferit Tek Sok. 60/B, 34710 Kadıköy

+90 532 285 43 96

Concealed in a narrow storefront on Yeni Çarşı, Solera’s small sign and deeply recessed space is are easy to miss if you’re not looking for them. This wine bar offers an intimate and cozy setting with squat tables, cushy low stools, and a retro playlist. The food menu is limited but eclectic. But you didn’t come here for a meal, you came to drink your way through their wine list, one of the most affordable left in the city.

Owner Süleyman Er approaches wine differently than many restaurant owners. For him, wine isn’t a business, it’s his life. Er doesn’t just own Solera, he also has his own vineyards in Tekirdağ.

Like its owner, Solera also wears multiple hats. More than just a wine bar, it is also a shop where you can buy any of the wines in stock for a 20 percent discount. 

Explore more of Istanbul’s wine bars, restaurants, and shops with my Wine Lover’s Guide to Istanbul guide!

Tomtom Mah., Yeni Çarşı Cad. No:44, Galatasaray

+90 212 252 27 19

Comedus is a great place to stop in for a glass and a cheese plate or get things to go. It started as a cute deli and wine shop with just a few tables for those who wanted to enjoy something while there and has now expanded into a full service wine bar. The by the glass selection disappointingly leans toward international grapes, but the bottle list is fantastic.

This is must visit for cheese lovers as well. Comedus offers regional Turkish cheeses (which you can still buy to take away) that you can’t find elsewhere.

Explore more of Istanbul’s wine bars, restaurants, and shops with my Wine Lover’s Guide to Istanbul guide!

Asmalı Mescit, General Yazgan Sk. No: 9, 34430 Beyoğlu

+90 212 266 51 18

Not far from Solera is Tarihi Pano Şarap Evi (Pano), an old-school spot that takes you back in time, to when wine and multiculturalism were still in fashion. Established in the 1920s by Panayot Papadapulous, Pano has the feeling of an old-fashioned Greek taverna. The extensive food menu includes both Turkish and international favorites but according to Yüksel, the wine expert you’ll usually find behind the bar, the cheese plate and wine are the biggest sellers.

Papadapulous, from a Greek Orthodox family in Samatya, moved to Istanbul in the 19th century where he began secretly importing and selling wine from Bozcaada (then known its Greek name Tenedos). In 1898 he went legit and opened the Pano Şarap Evi. Members of the Papadapulou family ran the bar until the death of Emel Hanım, the last surviving member, died in 1987. With that the bar remained closed for 10 years until 1997 when Fevzi Büyükerol purchased it and restored it to its former glory.

Explore more of Istanbul’s wine bars, restaurants, and shops with my Wine Lover’s Guide to Istanbul guide!

Hamalbaşı Cad. No. 12/B, Galatasaray

+90 212 292 66 64

An honorable mention goes to Meat & Meet, a restaurant also known as Kasap Durum in Bomonti. While this meat lover’s paradise does not offer the best by the glass wine selection, the eclectic and affordably priced bottle list is well worth the visit. The offerings are heavy on the red wines, as one would expect in a meat-based restaurant, and most were chosen with meat pairings in mind.

Explore more of Istanbul’s wine bars, restaurants, and shops with my Wine Lover’s Guide to Istanbul guide!

Silahşör Cad. No. 24, Bomonti

+90 212 234 24 34

Owned by Suvla Winery, Suvla Kanyon is a restaurant located in the Kanyon Mall. With a large wine list that includes all of Suvla’s wines (by bottle or glass), you can enjoy food prepared to match Suvla’s wines or sip the wines on their own while taking advantage of the sunshine out on the restaurant’s large terrace.

Explore more of Istanbul’s wine bars, restaurants, and shops with my Wine Lover’s Guide to Istanbul guide!

Kanyon Shopping Mall, Esentepe Mah., Büyükdere Cad. No:185, Levent, Şişli

+90 212 353 54 64

Tucked away in the warren of bars that is Asmalı Mescit, Beyoğlu Şaraphanesi is like a calm oasis. The French bistro-style façade opens into a long gallery warm, exposed brick walls and warm lighting gleaming off shining glassware. The wine list is extensive and full of names rarely found elsewhere. The best part is that it’s color-coded by wine style which they’ve also done on the food menu to help assist diners in selecting a wine to best pair with the food! However, for a restaurant that calls itself a winehouse (şaraphane) there are a disappointingly few wines available by the glass.

Explore more of Istanbul’s wine bars, restaurants, and shops with my Wine Lover’s Guide to Istanbul guide!

Asmalı Mescit Mah., Sofyalı Sk. No:7, Beyoğlu

+90 212 245 45 40