Reinventing meyhane culture for a new generation

Amsterdam, Berlin, London, 2025: The House of Yeni Rakı was conceived as a bold reinterpretation of the meyhane, the traditional Turkish tavern that sits at the centre of social life, storytelling and shared ritual. Created for World Rakı Week 2025, the project reimagined this cultural institution as a contemporary, multi-sensory experience designed to resonate with a new generation while remaining rooted in tradition.

Presented as a series of immersive pop-ups across London, Berlin and Amsterdam, the House of Yeni Rakı invited guests to step across a threshold from city streets into a warm, convivial interior shaped by music, food and the distinctive ritual of rakı. The experience celebrated the act of slowing down, gathering together and sharing time, offering a counterpoint to the pace of modern urban life.

The spatial design blended analogue warmth with contemporary expression. White tablecloths, warm lighting and enamel crockery sat alongside bold graphic language, polaroid walls and listening bars where guests curated the soundtrack of the evening through vinyl selections and shared playlists. Interactive moments, from the Lion’s Milk fountain to communal tablecloth doodling, encouraged participation and collective memory-making throughout the week.

More than a pop-up, House of Yeni Rakı positioned the brand as a cultural connector. By fusing heritage with modern living, the project reframed rakı as a social ritual for today, embedding it within moments of music, food and togetherness that extended beyond the event itself and into the everyday lives of its audience.