Beer House / Beer Corner – Huseyinaga, Kameriye Sk. No: 14, 34435 Beyoglu/Istanbul
I quote both names because Google Maps has the venue I visited at this address as Beer House, inside it was named Beer Corner, which I believe is a few streets away. Maybe the latter has moved here? The street on which this bar is located must be one of the liveliest in Pera. For Bier, the far superior The James Joyce lies a few metres away.
There was one memorable visit in May 2012, had the management followed the law of the land, there could have been more.
Bier wise, there was nothing much here to excite, the fallback was Efes. What did excite was the band. On arrival, we were shown to a table right in front of the band, in a near empty pub, amusing. Most customers had chosen to sit outside, it was warm enough.
Meanwhile, the door was assuredly closed after every waiter entered or left to maintain the efficacy of the air con. The air conditioning was effective, just as well, smoking was permitted inside, the seats in front of the band would have been otherwise hellish. We took a table at the back wall, comfortable, until the customers at an adjacent table decided to light up.
Since 2009, the law of Türkiye has not permitted smoking indoors: bars etc. I refuse to support any business which flagrantly ignores this.
The band were good, the woodwind player – outstanding. He blended Middle Eastern and Western scales in his solos to great effect. His performance, in particular, I shall never forget. Maybe someone can tell me who this chap is?
