Divine
WHAT: Brasserie & Jazz Club
Divine is one of those places you go "when in doubt" or when you just want an easy hassle-free place. It's a reassuring constant you can go to at any time of day, alone or with company, and always feel satisfied. It's not hip, but it's never empty. It's not avant garde gourmet but it has a great selection of dishes covering pretty much all your possible moods. The quality and freshness of the products used really comes out as a leading factor here.
And if you are into jazz I would strongly recommend checking out the schedule online to make an evening out of it; dinner and drinks before heading to the small jazz club below the restaurant. Not many places around that give you that old-school jazz club feeling anymore...
OCCASION: Breakfast, lunch, dinner or anything in between from coffee to wine&cheese. Casual get-togethers with friends or as a couple. Or for an evening of jazz obviously!
ENVIRONMENT: Located in the main "square" of the Topağcı neighbourhood; Divine is one of the only locales around to have a decent and relatively large outdoor seating area. Although it's not as tranquil as one might wish for; with car traffic close by, neighbourhood dogs barking and street cats wandering around... it still remains very pleasant! The inside area is warm and cozy with a wooden decor and wine display wall. And the downstairs jazz club is rather snug with a limited number of tables - but this, together with the "underground" feeling, makes it seem even more secluded and private. Just make sure to secure yourself a good spot!
AMBIANCE: Relaxed and warm. Many mid-upper aged neighbourhood locals come here at all times of day; alone or in groups.
STYLE: As you feel comfortable; no need to particularly dress up in the evening either as people are generally rather casual. You can go a little more dressy for the jazz club though!
LOCATION: Nişantaşı, Istanbul
