There are some strange places with strange bars in Istanbul, like the Beyoglu Pub, which attracts a close-knit, insider crowd of middle-aged, professional Istanbullis who gossip and talk business late into the night on its expansive terrace (which, almost uniquely, doesn’t have a good view of anything – perhaps that’s why its popular) or in its reasonably well-designed interior (dark wood, cream furniture).

It’s a good place to avoid other tourists, especially since it’s hidden away on the first floor of a run-down shopping arcade, Halep Pasaji, on Istiklal Caddesi.