Updated in June 2015..
1. Minimüzikhol
Minimüzikhol is a very famous club, located at the heart of Cihangir and notorious with its late hours. The venue attracts the most hipster crowd of Istanbul that all seems to know each other. The club is curated with impressive range of DJs. It is casual, gay-friendly and unfortunately a little bit hard to get in. If you're determined, don't wait for late hours and be at the door the latest at 2.00 am. Inside is always crowded and as an advice, if you want to have fun, never stop drinking at Minimüzikhol. The club is open for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
2. Suma Beach (only open during summer)
Suma Beach (only open during summer): If Copenhagen has Christiana, Istanbul has Suma. We can also define Suma Beach as the Bar 25- Kater Holzig of İstanbul. Located at Kilyos, northern sea coast of the city; the place is ready to offer you anything possible. The place has a very selective sound mostly inspired by Berlin electronic scene. Parties start on Friday or Saturday and go on till the early lights of morning. After the party you can enjoy the sea, beach or the forest as you like. If you’re coming to İstanbul in summer Suma Beach is a must. Very important note: This is a hippy location. Beware!
3. Otto Asmali
Located in Asmalimescit, Otto or with its old name kucuk Otto has proven one of the leading dance-music venues in Istanbul. The club or let's say the bar is very small, casual and the djs are very good. Even though Küçük greets its fans with resident DJs such as Aliço, Nevzat you can also find yourself in a special program that has powerful names such as Canson, Uffe, etc., or in the middle of a party in conjunction with Another Magazine. The place is very packed during weekends and also one of the best options if you want to go out during week. Lastly, don't forget to check out the classics sakız (mastic gum) and gelincik shots!
4. Babylon
Babylon is a very famous performance center which hosts very important artist with special bookings. The place is cool and entertains many young people. It's in Asmalımescit, very close to Küçük. The program of the place is extremely diverse and we advise you to check out before going. If you forget to check the program you may end up with exotic sounds with Afro beats or Latin melodies because they definitely don't work with a specific genre. Babylon is closed in summer, while its sister venue in open in Cesme and curates a festival there. Still, the Babylon lounge is always open nearby Babylon.
5. Arka Oda
Arka Oda is your friendly bar with good music and a backyard! They provide quality music under the direction of the owners of Deform-probably the best vinyl store in İstanbul. Occasionally, Arka Oda hosts Istanbul's local DJs, up-and-coming indie bands and producers during the weekdays, and weekends. It's usually a cozy atmosphere to catch up with friends and listen to underground tunes. Important note: The place is in Kadıköy, Kadife Sokak.
6. Indigo
As one of the oldest representatives of electronic scene in Istanbul, we can say that Indigo has the best sound system in town. The club offers a bit more commercial electronic music with world-wide famous names and attracts hundreds of electronic music lovers every weekend. As a casual club, you don't need to spend a long time in front of your wardrobe and can just get to the heart of Tom Tom where the club is. Indigo is only open during weekends and its schedule is based on booked DJs. For the best night, it would be smart to check who's playing at the club. Among the famous playing names, you can actually bump into Damian Lazarus, Solomun, Amirali, Francesca Lombardo, etc. The best time to get into the club would be around 1.00 am.
7. Kasette
Kasette, located on İstiklal Street, is always full with lots of foreigners and we can say that it's more of an international club/bar rather than a local one. Although the club usually parties with its resident dj Semih Akay, underground names from Berlin also come by and play at the club. The club has an outside section where you can listen to music and smoke comfortably which is kind of a bliss in the nightlife. The club is open till first hours of morning, and is mostly full with students, we can say it’s a bit like an Erasmus crowd.
8. Machine
Machine is very popular among the group of people who love progressive, hard-core electronic music. It's again a club till very late hours in weekends. The place has constant resident djs so you don't need to check their schedule daily. If you're going to the club you will dance and never look back. Again here, it is a good advice to never stop drinking. They say what happens in Machine, stays in Machine.
9. Kiki Sıraselviler
Kiki is one of the most hit places in Beyoglu district –there is another one in Ortakoy-. The place serves both as a restaurant and a bar/night club. You can experience good music with local or foreigner djs here. Also the back garden that offers a smoke-free area is another perk of the venue.
10. Topless Terrace
Topless is the largest terrace you’ll find in Beyoglu. Even though it has a menu, it serves more as a bar / event space rather than a restaurant. Besides the concerts and festivals hold here, the place is also available for private parties. The sound-system offers high quality music, matching with the amazing panoramic view of Istanbul. You can find numerous djs playing, including Nicholas Jaar.
Note: Previously "10 Best Night Clubs For Listening To Electronic Music in Istanbul" was published by our beloved contributor Müge Tüzer, then updated by Aslı Toraman.
