Wine Factory N1
A beautifully restored 19th-century wine factory near the river, relaunched as one of Tbilisi’s coolest dining-and-drinking precincts, with restaurants, wine bars and courtyards tucked into the old industrial buildings.
Listings
Mag Cafe
A hip cafe-bar on the Naviglio Grande, packed morning to night with Milan’s creative crowd for coffee, vintage-styled cocktails and canal-side people-watching. A Navigli institution.
Funny Fox
A fun, high-energy cocktail bar in Riga’s Old Town, known for playful drinks, dancing and a buzzy weekend crowd. A reliable spot to kick off (or keep going) a night out in the centre.
Komsu Kafe Kollektifi
A worker-run cooperative cafe in creative Yeldegirmeni on the Asian side, owned and run collectively with no bosses, doubling as a community space for events, film nights and solidarity projects. Come for coffee and a glimpse of grassroots Istanbul.
Impact Hub Istanbul
A coworking and community hub for people building social and environmental projects, with events, incubators and a network of changemakers. A window into Istanbul’s growing social-enterprise and startup scene.
Soho House Istanbul
A members’ club and hotel spread across a restored 19th-century Italian palazzo and a modern annexe in Beyoglu, with a rooftop pool, hammam and see-and-be-seen crowd. Rooms are open to non-members; stylish and central.
Cheers Hostel
A friendly, long-running hostel in the heart of Sultanahmet with dorms, private rooms and a cosy rooftop bar looking to the Blue Mosque. The affordable, sociable base a short walk from every major sight.
The Stay Bosphorus
A sleek, design-led hotel right on the Bosphorus at Ortakoy, with a waterfront terrace and rooms looking across to Asia. A calmer, glamorous base away from the old-city crowds, with the strait at your feet.
The Vault Karakoy
A striking design hotel in a monumental former bank on Karakoy’s old banking street, its soaring lobby and vault details intact. Handsome rooms and a hip neighbourhood of galleries, cafes and nightlife on the doorstep.
Sirkeci Mansion
A warm, well-run boutique on a quiet street in the old city, with a small pool, a hammam and famously friendly service (and free walking tours and tastings). Great value and superbly placed for Sultanahmet.