EXbar

Gay bar · Istanbul Beyoğlu

A period apartment in a historic alley, a hidden garden and no cover charge: since 2025 EXbar has been the most popular warm-up spot of the gay scene around İstiklal.

• ★ 4.8 on Google (268)
• Garden
• No cover charge
• Bear-friendly

Address

Gazeteci Erol Dernek Sokak 11, 1st floor
34433 Istanbul

Opening hours

daily 8 pm–2 am

Entry

free

Crowd

mostly men, roughly late 20s to mid-30s, lots of tourists and expats, bear-friendly

Getting there

Kuloğlu neighbourhood, a few steps from İstiklal Caddesi and Taksim Square

What makes EXbar stand out

EXbar opened in March 2025 on the first floor of a period building in a small alley in the Kuloğlu neighbourhood. Its big trump card is the garden behind the building, a little oasis in the middle of densely built Beyoğlu.

There’s no cover charge or cloakroom fee. The menu has cocktails, beer and long drinks, and DJs play Turkish pop and danceable tunes. From around 10 pm it gets busy, after which the crowd moves on to the clubs. On the current situation: in June 2026 the authorities in Istanbul had the long-established gay bar Tek Yön closed, and in mid-September 2026 nationwide police operations followed against LGBTI organisations and meeting places, with 26 people arrested in Istanbul alone.

Atmosphere and crowd

The crowd is mostly male, according to guests usually between their late 20s and mid-30s, with lots of tourists and expats and a good share of bears. Guests praise the lovely ambience, the very friendly staff and the relaxed vibe. With 4.8 stars, EXbar is one of the city’s best-rated gay bars.

Contact

Editorially researched, as of October 2026. Sources: GayOut, Google reviews (4.8 stars, 268 reviews), Urania Institute and LGBTQ Nation. Opening hours, prices and programme may change, please check before visiting.