Turkish Wine Bar Review: Wayana
My last wine bar review released a maelstrom of comments and conversations about the lack of extensive (or really even good) by the glass options. What a marvelous coincidence then that antidote this problem emailed me days later. Enter Cenap Kuzuoğlu. The man behind the late, lamented BEPPE* has opened a new place in Moda where BEPPE was: Wayana. 
With COVID-related shutdowns and, frankly, being exhausted by the extensive pizza menu, Kuzuoğlu decided to create a new brand that focuses on wine. He began, much like many of us poor saps, as a wine drinker, a wine lover, but not he says, as a wine enthusiast. All that changed in 2014. After several years of running the successful pizzeria, he believed that he needed yet one more thing to set his business apart. The answer, wine (because what goes better with pizza?!). That sparked his new drive to learn about wine, an education he says is a life-long pursuit.
BEPPE had an incredible wine list with many wines available by the glass. Wayana takes that a step further. Of the some 300 labels the wine bar has, almost ALL of them are available by the glass. The only ones that are not, are older vintages from the bar’s cellar. And it’s not like Wayana is stocking the cheap stuff either. There’s plenty from the big wineries like Kayra, Kavaklidere, Suvla, and Pamukkale. Medium-sized wineries like Vinkara, Sevilen, and Diren are there too. But there’s also Paşaeli, Likya, Büyülübağ, Mozaik, most of the Bozcaada wineries, Karnas, Chamlija, Kuzeybağ, Kocabağ, Kuzubağ…the list literally goes on!
Offerings at Wayana don’t stop there. No pizza (still pouting about that) but a selection of tapas. To match the wine bar’s name (derived from Wiyana or “wine land” the Hittite name for Anatolia) all tapas names are also derived from Hittite words. Tapas can be ordered a la carte, or you can choose between tasting menus with options of three, four, five, and six wine-paired tapas menus.
Why should you visit Wayana? So one, there’s the pages and pages and pages of by the glass wines – a unique offering in Istanbul. Two, because someone finally is using his brain and has invested in a Coravin system (which all things considered, are not expensive), and is using it to make even the most expensive wines available to everyone. Building on that, three, with the price of wine these days, pulling the trigger on almost any bottle has us all looking at our bank accounts first then wondering if the wine is even worth it. Here you can try them before you go out any buy them! And one of the little ways that Wayana shows it truly cares about wine is that they serve in Riedel glasses. If they care that much, we should too.
Kuzuoğlu hopes that by this time next year, he’ll have, if not every wine, at least every winery represented on his menu. BY. THE. GLASS. This is something no one else here has cared to offer its patrons. So, go out and support Wayana by stopping in for a glass (or you know, four)!
Where to find Wayana
If you remember BEPPE then you’ll have no trouble finding Wayana. But for those who missed their chance of eating and drinking there…
Caferağa, Ferit Tek Sok. 60/B, 34710 Kadıköy
+90 216 550 22 07
Open 14:00 – midnight daily
Good to know: staff speak English
*BEPPE Pizzeria no longer exists as a restaurant but is now part of a cloud kitchen. You can still order the fantastic pizzas…but only for delivery and only if you live in their delivery circle. Very sad for the rest of us.