Beyoğlu's night is not one thing. One street is fasıl, the next is rock, the third a quiet bar. All of them are a ten-minute walk from us.
Fasıl. Live Turkish music in the meyhanes around Nevizade: musicians moving between the tables, classic songs, a full room and a high volume. It is the most classic form an evening takes in Turkey, and it is not for anyone who wants to talk.
Rock and jazz. Small venues around Asmalımescit and Tünel. Most start late — live sets rarely begin before eleven. Some charge admission, most do not, but the drinks are dear.
Quiet bars. On Serdar-ı Ekrem and the lanes off it, places where you can hear each other. The ones with small doors and no sign are usually the best of them.
Terraces. There are roof bars around Galata; what you pay for the view shows up in the drinks. Worth going once, not worth spending the evening on.
The hours. Istanbul is a late city. Dinner at eight, music at eleven, home at two. The metro stops around midnight; after that it is a taxi or a walk.
Getting back. Walking home from İstiklal takes ten minutes on a lit, busy street all night. If you take a taxi, book it through an app; our street is narrow, so tell the driver "Şah Değirmeni Sokak" rather than the full address.
One note. Drinking in the street is not permitted; keep it to the bars and meyhanes.