After Dark

A night out in Görükle

Bursa's student town beside the university — cheap plates, live music, and a crowd that is twenty-two and talking to strangers.

₺an eveninga term-time Thursday or Friday, from 8pm

Not yet checked by the Smileys team — prices and hours may have moved.

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Why do it?

Uludağ University's main campus sits out in Nilüfer, and Görükle, the town at its gate, is where tens of thousands of students live, eat and go out. It has its own rhythm, separate from the center's: cafés open until late, pubs with live music, cheap and good student food, and the loosest, most talkative crowd in the city. For a newcomer under thirty-five — or anyone who wants a Bursa night that isn't a mall — this is where the energy is.

The Smileys Take

Term time only; in summer it empties out. Start with a plate of something cheap and filling, find whichever bar has a band, and stay open to the table next to you — in Görükle people talk, which is exactly why we like it for Smileys evenings. It's a fair way out, so go with a group and sort the ride home before you start. Don't expect polish; expect a good time.