It doesn’t matter how early one heads for breakfast at Leyla in Beyoglu’s Tünel Square - one seat is always taken. Smokey the cat is a part of the inventory and can usually be found in of the chairs under the first or the second table, and from its chair it does not move.

Smokey owes its name to its colour, but it’s hard to miss the reference to the lack of smoking ban in Turkish cafes and restaurants. Smoking is, until the summer of 2009, allowed everywhere.

The smoke in Leyla is by all means not heavier than the well nourished cat, and Leyla is no better or worse than most other places when it comes to smoke, but when it comes to a variety of breakfast, Leyla’s sure better than most.

If one is in a Scandinavian mood there is the Oslo-plate including smoked salmon, if Spain is your thing the Madrid-plate comes with chorizo and fans of British food may opt for the Londra (London) that offers bacon, eggs and more. If one of those isn’t enough there is also a choice of seven different omelettes.

I am very picky with my coffee and sorry to admit that neither Turkish coffee nor Nes-coffee floats my boat. It has to be filtered or espresso, and they do both pretty well at Leyla.

Leyla; Tünel Meydanı No. 4 Beyoğlu, Istanbul
 

Cahide is probably your most unexpected experience in Istanbul. It’s yet another of the city’s well kept secrets, this time hidden in Macka Park, below Taksim Square, where a fabulous drag show takes stage.

The drag queens are a peculiar mix of artists in all sizes, some of them more fascinating by their big bellies than by their dress and some probably better performers than singers.

So what make the show such a marvellous experience, is not the artists themselves, but the combination of drags and the huge enthusiasm by the audience. The age of the spectators vary from youngsters in their early 20’ies to seniors of 60 or 70 years, and despite the fact that Turkey to a large extend is considered intolerant towards sexual minorities, the crowd has nothing but love and affection for the drags.

After their show, they are treated like rock stars when they circle the floor to collect hugs and have their pictures taken with members of the audience. The cabaret also features some of the city’s best belly dancers and other shows, but they all remain a side act to the drags.

Cahide, Kadirgalar Caddesi, Macka Parki, Macka, Istanbul. The show is only on in winter