This is a very small gay cafe shop & restaurant located at the end of a narrow blind-alley on Istiklal Avenue, somewhere opposite from St. Antoine Church. There is a sign-board of the cafe with rainbow flag colors at the entrance of the alley (Saka Salim Sokagi). In summer-time they put tables to the outer courtyard and its gets crowded in the evenings. There is free wireless internet connection in the area.  Various foods are available from 13:00 till 22:00 o'clock. There are no hustlers or rent boys usually.

Attention: It was a reasonable priced venue - still may be so for local clients, but now this place is the only gay venue officially applying tourist rates (with the approval of the owner), hiding it with a little note in Turkish at the bottom on the menu saying that they make so-called %40 discount for regular clients. Which means you may pay almost twice of what Turkish clients pay. It is highly advised to ask the price of each item before you order anything.

Visitor comments about this venue
"This coffee place is popular solely because there is no other gay venue around. Coffee is only from instant powder. Beer is heavily overpriced. The staff can be arrogant. The music competes with the music from the live-music-place next to it. Still, you can meet nice people there." (Posted by John from Denmark on 11 June 2011)

'Good music, nice atmosphere. But the young waiter should be more professional, always on move, even when we wait for ask for drinks, not very friendly, and when asked for help with the directions for another gay bar (that all people there knows) answered, roughly, I don't know that bar! (Posted by Manu from Portugal on 19 May 2010 )

"I probably was here too early, but it was empty except for the barista and his new boyfriend. I'm sure that it would have been nice had it been more crowded, but it's a good GAY place to get a cup of coffee when you're wandering around Istiklal Caddesi. " (Posted by Way from USA on 22/03/2010)

Haspa Cafe Bar (12:00- 01:00)
Address: Istiklal Cad.  Ipek Sokak 16/2  Beyoglu/Istanbul
A senior straight cafe bar on a small street off the Istiklal avenue was undertaken by gay people in April 2011 and they now want to turn it a semi-gay or a mix venue, specifically declaring that they want to welcome straight acting gay men.  The drink prices were cheaper at first, but they raised only on the 5th month, right after they got a little popular.

Pinokyo Cafe (12:00- 01:00)
Address: Istiklal Cad.  Buyukparmakkapi Sk No: 26/1  Beyoglu/Istanbul
A new cafe bar opened in March 2011. It is located on Buyukparmakkapi street across the Benetton on Istiklal. It is a modest place on the 1st floor. You can see live Turkish music and drag show performances on different days of the week.

Chill Out Cafe (12:00- 24:00)
Address: Istiklal Cad. Balyoz Sok. No:17 Beyoglu Tel.+90 (212) 249 47 84  Google Map
Gay friendly cafe-shop at the entrance of the 5 storey hostel. Actually it is the lobby of the hostel and not very big. Not a place to be visited for deliberately to meet gay people.

Frappe (09:00- 24:00)
Address: Istiklal Cad. Zambak Sokak  No.10/A Beyoglu/Istanbul
Cafe & restaurant located very close to Taksim square, on the same street where 2 other gay clubs; Other Side and Club 17 located. It is advised to check the menu and ask the prices before you order anything.

Inside Cafe Lounge (12:00-24:00) Closed down in August 2010


 

Cruisy day time venues. Not particularly gay or gay-friendly
There are several straight venues around Taksim square which are like meeting places for gay men usually before going to gay bars/clubs., or early in the day time. They are mostly self-service cafe-restaurants and the managers/staff are not very gay-friendly in real meaning. But probably because of their location, especially some gay-men living in the neighborhood would always be around. But there will also be many rent boys and bad hustlers in and around these venues, so please be selective with the people you may encounter.
 

Mc Donald's Taksim on a summer day

Taksim Mc Donald's (09:00-02:00)
The Mc Donald's near Taksim Square (there is also another one along Istiklal street, not far away) is frequented by some gay & queer people living in or near Taksim. It is also a meeting place before going to gay-clubs for some others. Most of the staff is gay-friendly, or at least they don't not make any problems with gays. Beware of cheap hustlers in the neighborhood.

Simit Sarayi (09:00-:00:00)
Address: Cumhuriyet Caddesi Taksim.
A Turkish style fast-food cafe restaurant, mainly selling traditional Turkish pastries. These pastry shops are named after simit , a traditional ring-shaped bread covered with sesame seeds. which was once sold on the streets by the street vendors only. In recent years these "Simit Houses" because popular, competing with Mc Donald's and the like. We recommend you to try simit and Turkish tea menu at least once.  There are 2 Simit Sarayi venues at Taksim square since April 2011, one of them is next to Mc Donald's, which was a cafe - restaurant until recently (former Birra Mancha/Birahi). The new one can be more suitable for cruising. The other senior one is right across the street.

Haci Baba & Jimmy's (09:00-01:00)
Address: Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Taksim Square, Next to Mc Donald's-Taksim, Istanbul
Former Han cafe-restaurant was transformed into a self-service restaurant in early 2008, half of which offers Turkish style fast-food (Haci Baba) the other half is Jimmy' Fried Chicken, but there is not even a wall separating both. Probably because of its location just at the center of Taksim, it is still a little cruisy in the evenings, just as it was when it was Han Cafe.

Burger King's Taksim  (09:00-02:00)
Address: Istiklal cad. NO:1 Taksim (At Taksim Square)
You can rest for a cafe and sometimes see few gay people. It's as cruisy as any self service cafe could be near Taksim square. But there may be rent boys or some tourist hustlers hanging around inside and in front of the entrance.