INFO:

Truth about nightlife in Istanbul as a guy STORYTIME ⬇️: ⚠️ Disclaimer, I can only speak from my personal experience and the insights I gathered from locals ⚠️ A big part of my travel adventures involves exploring nightlife. You all know I love to party, so it’s a big deal for me when traveling. Generally, I’ve had mostly positive experiences going out in other countries. However, during my last night in Istanbul, my friend and I decided to explore the nightlife in the Kadıköy area on the Asian side, and I was pretty mind-blown: legit every bar and club we tried to enter was dismissive and refused us entry. I documented only a few of these interactions during my trip to Istanbul. I understand that no one is entitled to entry, and rejection happens, but it was definitely eye-opening and disheartening. From my conversations with locals, it seems common practice that you need to be accompanied by a female companion to gain entry, and some instances of racism also are at play. While similar policies can be found in NYC, there are usually more inclusive spots available nearby. It's worth noting that these weren’t upscale clubs we were trying to enter, just a casual strip of bars and clubs. I’m not sharing this to play the victim but to shed light on the reality for guys planning to explore Istanbul’s nightlife… bringing a female companion seems to be the norm. If you’re a local and know of more inclusive spots to check out, I’d love to hear your recommendations