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. 

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

+90 532 285 43 96

Located on Beşiktaş’s busy Barbaros Bulvari is new wine bistro, Carafe Istanbul Wine & Bistro. Passion project of sommelier Murat Çelebi, it offers a wide range of wines by the bottle (for drink in and 10% off take away). A nice (if limited) selection of wines by the glass, cocktails, coffees for drinking in with yummy tapas, pastas, and pizza, Carafe Istanbul manages to be both as chic as it looks but also laid back and unpretentious. Comfy seating, a great playlist, and super friendly staff make this a great new hang out!

Cihannüma, Barbaros Blv. No:79/A, 34353 Beşiktaş

+90 535 987 01 66

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, offering Turkish mezes, pizza, pasta and steak. But you didn’t come here for a meal, you came to drink your way through their extensive wine list, through which the friendly, wine-loving staff are happy to guide you.

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. Twenty years ago, while working in the restaurant business he fell in love with wine. After studying to become a sommelier he traveled extensively learning about wine around the world. In 2011, he founded Solera, and in 2013, planted his vineyards. This fall he harvested the grapes that will make his first vintage and hopes to build a winery that offers people the chance to visit, learn about wine, and gather the tea and herbs also grown on site.

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. Here you’ll find wines not often seen elsewhere in the city, and that is Er’s goal. He chooses wines with an eye to small, boutique wineries, and his selection represents both unique grapes and the varied terroirs from across Turkey.

With some 50 wines available by the glass from more than 15 producers, there’s something for every taste at Solera.

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

+90 212 252 27 19

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.

At Pano, wines are chosen with an eye to grape variety. Turkish and international grapes varieties march alongside each other on the lengthy wine list. There are plenty of Chardonnays and Cabernets for the shy wine drinker; Emir, Narince, Öküzgözü and Boğazkere for those wanting to sample the most common Turkish grapes, and more unusual and challenging grapes like Kerküş and Acı Kara for the more adventurous. Pano also continues its own winemaking tradition begun by Papadapulous and the menu offers several of the bar’s own wines.

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.

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.

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 of class and excellent wine. 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.

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

+90 212 245 45 40

Set just steps from Moda’s popular Moda Caddesi is the charming Bordo Şaraphane. Similar to Beyoğlu Şaraphanesi, the menu comes 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! And similarly unfortunately, for a restaurant that calls itself a winehouse (şaraphane) there are a disappointingly few wines available by the glass.

Caferağa, Sakız Gülü Sk. No:7, 34711 Kadıköy

+90 216 450 26 98