Kadıköy and Moda: a guide to Istanbul's Asian side

Understanding Kadıköy

Kadıköy stands on the site of ancient Chalcedon, founded in the 7th century BC by settlers from Megara, a few years before Byzantium on the opposite shore. The city gave its name to the Council of Chalcedon, held in 451. Almost nothing of it remains visible: today's Kadıköy is a dense residential district, built mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries.

For visitors, the district divides into four areas, all within walking distance of the pier:

• the centre (Çarşı), just behind the waterfront, with the market, restaurants and cafés;
• Bahariye street, a pedestrian thoroughfare that climbs south to the Altıyol junction;
• Moda, a residential peninsula to the south-west, lined by a long seafront;
• Yeldeğirmeni, to the north, an old neighbourhood of small apartment blocks covered in murals, between the centre and Haydarpaşa station.

Allow half a day for a first look, a full day if you want to have lunch there, stroll around Moda and stay for the sunset.

Getting there by ferry: the best introduction

The crossing is part of the visit. Şehir Hatları public ferries link Kadıköy with Karaköy and Eminönü on the European side, in about 25 to 30 minutes to Eminönü with the stop at Karaköy, and with Beşiktaş in around twenty minutes. On weekdays, the first departure from Kadıköy to Karaköy and Eminönü is at 6:10am and the last around 1am. Private companies such as Turyol and Dentur Avrasya also run services from the same piers. All these boats are paid with the Istanbulkart, the city's rechargeable transport card.

As you arrive, look to the left: Haydarpaşa station, with its turrets and slate roof, rises at the water's edge just before the Kadıköy piers. For other ways of reaching the district and fare details, see our guide to getting around Istanbul.

Other ways in

• Metro M4: the line starts at Kadıköy, beneath the waterfront square, and serves the south of the Asian side as far as Sabiha Gökçen airport; see our guide Istanbul airports and the city centre.
• Marmaray: the train that runs under the Bosphorus does not stop at Kadıköy itself; the nearest station is Ayrılık Çeşmesi, with a connection to the M4.
• Tram T3: a vintage tram runs a loop of about 20 minutes between the Kadıköy waterfront, Bahariye street and Moda.

Kadıköy market

Behind the waterfront, on the other side of the main avenue, lies Kadıköy market (Kadıköy Çarşısı), around Güneşlibahçe street and the neighbouring lanes. It is not a covered bazaar for tourists but a working neighbourhood market, open every day: fishmongers, greengrocers, olive and cheese sellers, pickle shops, grocers, coffee roasters and pastry shops follow one another over a few hundred metres. The fish stalls of Serasker street form the historic heart of the market.

It is the best place in the district to snack on the go and buy food to take home: Turkish delight, dried fruit, spices, ground Turkish coffee. Come late in the morning to see the market in full swing, or early in the evening, when the restaurants in the area start to fill up.

The district's large weekly market, the Salı Pazarı ("Tuesday market"), is held separately, in Hasanpaşa, east of the centre: food on Tuesdays, textiles and accessories on Fridays.

Bahariye street and Altıyol

Bahariye street (officially General Asım Gündüz Caddesi) is Kadıköy's pedestrian shopping street, about 700 metres long. It starts at the Altıyol junction, marked by the bronze statue of a bull: made in 1864 by the French sculptor Isidore Bonheur, it stood in several places in Istanbul before being installed here.

Along the street you will find bookshops, clothing stores, cafés and performance venues. The most remarkable building is the Süreyya Opera House, completed in 1927: designed as an opera house by Süreyya İlmen Pasha, it served as a cinema for decades before being restored and finally becoming an opera and concert hall. Its façade can be seen from the street; the performance programme is published by Kadıköy municipality.

In the parallel streets, especially around Kadife street, are the district's bars (see below).

Moda and its seafront

South-west of the centre, Moda is a residential peninsula of quiet streets, old apartment buildings and gardens. Moda Caddesi, lined with cafés, pastry shops and ice-cream parlours, leads there from the centre in about ten minutes on foot.

The seafront is followed by a promenade that rounds the point, with sloping lawns where locals settle at the end of the day. The view takes in the Sea of Marmara, the entrance to the Bosphorus and, on clear days, the skyline of the old city and the Princes' Islands. At the bottom of the park, the small Moda pier, with its white pavilion and tiled roof, is one of the district's landmarks. It is one of the best places in Istanbul to watch the sun set over the European side.

Continuing east along the coast, you reach Kalamış bay and the Fenerbahçe marina, then, further on, Fenerbahçe park.

Where to eat in Kadıköy

Kadıköy is known in Istanbul for the quality and variety of its food at reasonable prices. Rather than a specific address, here are the types of places to look for around the market and Bahariye street:

• esnaf lokantası: small workers' restaurants serving ready-cooked dishes displayed in a counter at lunchtime (stews, vegetables in olive oil, pilaf), which you choose by pointing;
• fish restaurants in the market, where you can pick your fish at the stall;
• meyhane: taverns where you share cold and hot meze, then fish or meat, often with rakı;
• kebapçı and lahmacuncu for a quick meal;
• pastry shops and ice-cream parlours on Moda street for a sweet break.

In meyhane and fish restaurants alike, ask the price before ordering fish, which is sold by weight. For payment and tipping customs, see our guide money, payment and tipping in Istanbul.

Going out at night

Kadıköy's nightlife is among the liveliest on the Asian side, and more local than Beyoğlu's. Bars are concentrated around Kadife street, nicknamed "bar street" (Barlar Sokağı), and the neighbouring lanes between Bahariye street and Moda: beer bars, rock bars, small concert venues. Things get going after 10pm, especially from Thursday to Saturday.

For a quieter evening, the cafés and terraces of Moda and the seafront promenade stay busy late. To get back to the European side, check the time of the last ferry (around 1am to Karaköy and Eminönü): after that, there are night buses and taxis, to be taken from a rank or through an app.

Haydarpaşa station

North of Kadıköy, Haydarpaşa station, completed in 1908 by German architects, was the terminus of the lines to Anatolia and the Middle East. Trains have not served it since 2012-2013, with the construction of the Marmaray and the high-speed lines. The building, damaged by a fire in 2010, is being restored, and excavations carried out on its tracks since 2018 have uncovered ancient remains. In September 2026, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was aiming to open a first section in 2027.

The station therefore cannot be visited, but the best view is from the ferry as you arrive in Kadıköy, or from the waterfront. The Yeldeğirmeni neighbourhood, between the station and the centre, is worth a detour for its murals.

Summary of sights

Prices checked in October 2026.

Continuing to Üsküdar

North of Kadıköy, the Üsküdar district shows a completely different side of the Asian shore: Ottoman mosques, two of them built by Sinan facing the pier, and the Salacak seafront. From Kadıköy, the simplest way is to take the M4 to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, then the Marmaray, whose next station is Üsküdar. A bus also follows the coast via Harem.

From the Salacak promenade, south of Üsküdar, boats leave for the Maiden's Tower, restored and open to visitors since 2023. A day on the Asian side can thus combine Kadıköy market in the morning, Üsküdar in the afternoon and the sunset at Salacak or Moda. Further north, along the Bosphorus, Beylerbeyi Palace rounds off the visit.

Practical tips

• The best time: weekdays for the market, which is quieter; Friday and Saturday evenings for the bars, which are livelier.
• Sunset: arrive in Moda an hour early to find a spot on the lawns.
• The Princes' Islands: some ferries to the Princes' Islands call at Kadıköy, which is handy if you are staying on the Asian side.
• Staying in Kadıköy: the district is well connected and quieter at night than Beyoğlu; our guide where to stay in Istanbul compares it with the other districts.

Further reading

To see Kadıköy and Üsküdar from the water, the Bosphorus cruise leaves from Eminönü and follows both shores. Back on the European side, our guide to Galata and Karaköy takes over as you step off the ferry.