From TIME OUT, ISTANBUL
( September 2008 ) |
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"When I was living in Paris a couple of years ago, a single American woman friend living there gave me some advice for feeling emotionally stable when the going gets rough. 'Find an oasis (bar, cafe) in your neighborhood. Get to know everyone there. You'll need it.' (P.S.: she met a wonderful guy there and married him a year later.) So, I'm compelled to share my own good fortune: Kahvedan, my Istanbul oasis. My first year in Istanbul was made possible personally, professionally, and spiritually by the restaurant, Kahvedan, in Cihangir. The owner, American ex-pat Shellie Corman, is the hostess deluxe; she personally greets everyone by name (in several languages) and generally radiates a charming energy that keeps the place a tip-top oasis for ex-pats from around the world. The Happy Hours on Tuesdays (offering a house special drink of the week and beer & wine at reduced price from 8-11 pm) is where you can score job contacts, info, gossip, a boyfriend/girlfriend, maybe even a studio to work in or an apartment to rent/buy, but above all—meet new friends." --Alexandra Ivanoff |
