Istanbul: address book

Admittedly, per capita income in Turkey is still a quarter of what it is in France. But the rate of growth is not the same either... Turkey is continuing on its path to prosperity after a year of growth of 9 % in 2010. The rest of the world is not indifferent to these figures. One sign: according to the Central Bank of Turkey, foreign investment rose by 230 % between January-August 2010 and January-August 2011!

The whole world is beginning to open its eyes to a modern consumer society, where mobile phones already have 66 million users, credit cards 45 million, and online commerce continues to grow at a rate of 50 % per year. French companies are not excluded from the game and, since the conclusion of a customs union with the EU in 1996, trade with Turkey has taken off. It is now France's 3rd largest non-EU customer behind the United States and China, neck and neck with Russia and ahead of Japan, Brazil and India. This position is set to grow even stronger, with French exports to Turkey up by more than 29 % in 2010. Istanbul remains the undisputed capital of this rapidly changing economy, accounting for almost 28% of GDP and more than half of national exports.

TURKISH AIRLINES offers four to six daily flights between Paris CDG 1 and Istanbul Atatürk. The Turkish national airline also offers direct daily services from Lyon and Nice, and this summer launched four weekly flights from Toulouse. Information: 0825 800 902

AIR FRANCE offers three daily flights between Paris CDG and Istanbul Atatürk. Information: 0820 320 820

PEGASUS AIRLINES operates several flights a week to Istanbul Sahiba Gokcen airport, on the Asian shore, from Paris Orly, Lyon-St Etienne, Marseille, Nice and Basel-Mulhouse. Contact: 01 70 70 07 37

REACH LEVENT FROM ATATÜRK AIRPORT By taxi : Allow around 60 Turkish lira (€24.5).
Another option: take a Havas shuttle bus (€4) to Taksim Square, then take the metro to Levent or 4-Levent stations.

Time difference : + 1h

Currency : Turkish lira, or lira. 1 euro = 2.43 Turkish lira (November 2011).

MÖVENPICK HOTEL ISTANBUL

In the 'large business hotel' category, it's hard to find a better performer in Istanbul's new business district. The location is ideal, just a stone's throw from the 4-Levent station. The hotel's style is sophisticated, with a service that combines Turkish hospitality and Swiss rigour. Among the 249 rooms - including 21 suites - there are 71 Executive rooms, which offer special benefits such as free WiFi and laundry service, as well as access to the Skyline Club Lounge. The hotel also has a large fitness room, swimming pool with whirlpool, sauna and massage rooms. On the business side, the hotel offers nine meeting rooms plus a ballroom that can accommodate up to 600 participants. Note: the hotel has just been awarded the title of "Europe's Leading Business Hotel" at the 2011 World Travel Awards. Büyükdere Caddesi, 4 Tel: +90 212 319 29 29

EISTANBUL EDITION

Istanbul is a trendy city, and here is further proof: the Marriott group and Ian Schrager, the pope of design stays, have chosen to open the first European establishment of their new Edition brand here. Inaugurated last spring, the Istanbul Edition, with its 77 rooms and a floor reserved for the presidential suite, is a luxury boutique hotel with a large spa, a Gold Bar and a nightclub. Also in the spotlight is the Italian restaurant Cipriani, the latest addition to the chain that originated in Venice and has since been rolled out all over the world, from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. Büyükdere Caddesi, 136. Phone: +90 212 317 7700

The Avantgarde bills itself as "Istanbul's new boutique hotel", even though its aesthetic is closer to that of a contemporary, functional four-star hotel than a furiously trendy one. Alongside its 81 rooms, the Avantgarde offers three residential suites with kitchenette and dining room. All of which benefit from the hotel's excellent location, just south of Levent and a stone's throw from Sisli. There are also half a dozen meeting rooms, two restaurants and a spa. Büyükdere Caddesi, 161. Tel: + 55 90 212 337 04 44

Modernity without fuss: that's what this hotel with 144 rooms and eight meeting rooms in the south of the Levent district has to offer. Büyükdere Caddesi, 84. Phone: +90 212 337 4900

On the steps of the Levent district, on the boulevard leading to Büyükdere Caddesi, the Plaza may not have the prestige of its Parisian namesake, but it offers business travellers everything they would expect from a five-star hotel. This contemporary design hotel offers 234 rooms, including 43 Club and 49 Executive rooms, plus a view of the Bosphorus. Barbaros Bulvar? 165. Tel: +90 212 370 2020

An original proposition, at the end of an admittedly uninviting alleyway, but just a stone's throw from the 4-Levent station. There are a dozen colourful suites, plus a 100 m2 presidential suite with balcony. Eski Büyükdere Caddesi. Yamac Sk. 13. Tel: +90 212 269 38 41

Just one block from the main thoroughfare of Büyükdere Caddesi, the scenery changes radically. Shoemakers, blacksmiths and hairdressers: set amidst a variety of crafts, this unpretentious hotel offers a setting closer to the local colour. Talatpasa Caddesi. Bacadibi Sok. N°7. Tel: +90 212 283 22 85

Lovers of gilt will be delighted beyond reason at this four-star hotel with 117 rooms - including 18 suites - located just a few hundred metres north of the 4-Levent station. There is also a hammam. Eski Büyükdere Caddesi N°29 Tel: +90 212 324 20 24

Inaugurated in 2007, this tower of luxury residences located next to the Astoria shopping centre includes a section reserved for short and long-term rental, with hotel services to boot (concierge, spa access, fitness centre, WiFi, etc.). The complex also offers a number of offices for rent, with ergonomic furniture and views over the city. Astoria Towers. Büyükdere Caddesi, 127 Tel: +90 212 370 00 00

Halfway between Levent and Taksim Square, in the Isli district, the luxury residence Fraser Place offers 116 flats on the top floors of the Anthil twin towers, the tallest in the city. Cumhuriyet Mahallesi Incirli Dede Caddesi Tel: +90 212 232 0203

The hostsls and shopping centres concentrate the bulk of the district's upmarket dining options. Hotels include Azzur at the Mövenpick and Cipriani at the Edition Hotel. When it comes to shopping centres, Kanyon Shopping Mall is the place to be, with a long procession of open-air establishments on the ground floor. For 'grand style', you need to go up to the top floor of the mall to find the most exclusive boutiques.There's also the Italian restaurant Gina and the excellent Konyali, a replica of an establishment built into the Topkapi Palace. For a quick lunch, there are even more options, from ground-floor bistros like The House Café to the informal establishments on the top floor. Sosa, 1935 Garay, Mahal, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Num Num Restaurant offer everything from sushi to kebabs. The same applies at the other end of the district, in the Astoria shopping centre, where the Kitchenette restaurant in particular stands out, a voluminous replica of a Parisian brasserie that is genuinely busy at lunchtime. Outside the hotels and malls, there is the Turkish cuisine restaurant Venge, set back slightly from Büyükdere Caddesi.

ULUS 29 Less than ten minutes by taxi from Levent - if the traffic isn't catastrophic, which can always happen in Istanbul... - the restaurants on the heights of the city, around Ulus Park, are the most natural choice for a business lunch or dinner with a modicum of style. The first stop is Ulus 29, whose main attraction is its exceptional view over the Bosphorus. All this is enhanced by a menu and décor that do nothing to spoil the pleasure of the eyes, especially in fine weather when the terrace completes the idyllic picture. There is also a cosy bar and, at weekends, a nightclub. Adnan Saygun Caddesi, Ulus Park? Içi No:71/1 - Tel: +90 212 358 29 29

SUNSET GRILL AND BAR Just below Ulus 29. The view is just as graceful, the decor just as elegant, and the space is impressive too: in summer, with the terrace, the Sunset Grill can seat up to 400 guests! There's also a bar and a sushi bar. Adnan Saygun Caddesi. Yol Sokak, 2 Tel: +90 212 287 0357

Of course, there's always the glitzy Billionaire, in the basement of the Edition hotel. But, to be honest, Levent is not really the centre of 'Istanbul's wild nights', those that continue to haunt the dreams of young travellers and attract television coverage. For that, it's best to head down to the shore, under the Bosphorus Bridge and along Muallim Naci Caddesi, where the most fashionable clubs and bars are lined up: Reina (at number 44), Supperclub and Nomads (at number 65), Blackk (at number 71)... In the early evening, on the same avenue, there's the Park Fora restaurant on the water, at number 54.

Two figures: every weekend, Turkish shopping centres now receive 15.5 million visitors. And there are already plans to open 92 more malls in the next two years! Nowhere is this madness better expressed than in Levent. Astoria at number 127, MetroCity at 171, Kanyon at 185 or Sapphire a little higher up: year after year, the options multiply on Büyükdere Caddesi, giving a population in search of consumption its havens of completion. In this fierce competition, Kanyon has unquestionably been the winner since it opened in 2006. The ingredients of its success: a seductive, undulating architecture, an exceptional range of restaurants and the attractive Cinebonus multiplex. Not forgetting, of course, the retail park, with nearly 160 shops where semi-luxury rubs shoulders with the ordinary. But if you're looking for more local souvenirs, you'll have to fall back on the Grand Bazaar, far, far away, on the other side of the Golden Horn...