Cafeography
Almaty · Golden Square

Cafés in Golden Square

Kabanbay Batyr's espresso bars, Panfilov Street's pedestrian blocks and late tables on Zheltoksan in the Soviet-era center.

Photo: Ismail saja, Pexels License

The Golden Square, Золотой квадрат, is the residential grid between Zheltoksan, Abay, Kunaev and Kabanbay Batyr streets, built between the 1930s and the 1970s as the capital of the Kazakh SSR moved its center west.1 Its first core was bounded by Mira, Kirova and Karl Marx streets and the main irrigation canal, and it holds the Abai Opera and Ballet Theatre, finished in 1941, and the Lermontov Russian Drama Theatre of 1969.1

The city's espresso bars are thickest here, along Kabanbay Batyr, Zheltoksan and Panfilov streets and the cross streets of Tole Bi and Kurmangazy, with a few more east toward Dostyk Avenue.

Local tip: If a driver doesn't place Kabanbay Batyr Street, say Kalinina: the old name still works for directions.2

At a glance

69Cafés listed
14With opening hours
07:30Earliest opening
02:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Shecker Coffee, from 07:30 (Daily 07:30–23:00).
  • Closes latest: Wuqqa, until 02:00 (Mon–Thu 13:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 13:00–02:00 · Sun 13:00–01:00).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (17%), open late (16%), outdoor seating (14%).

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Coffee chains in Golden Square

Kabanbay Batyr, once Kalinina

Plenty of residents still call Kabanbay Batyr by its Soviet name, Kalinina; one joke in a 2026 thread on old street names had a father telling his child that Kabanbay batyr (batyr means warrior) was probably Kalinin.2 Bowler Coffee Roasters started on this street, in a 25 m² ground-floor room of a residential building.3

The street is lined with small cafés. Sensilyo Coffee house at number 33 opens 08:30–20:00 with Wi-Fi and outdoor seats; Алма (Alma) at 79 opens at 08:00 on weekdays and closes at 22:00, or 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays; Julius at 83 keeps weekday hours of 08:00–22:00. Solid Coffee is at 85, ICHI coffee at 96 and fika, with tables outside, at 104.

Panfilov Street on foot

In 2017 Panfilov Street became a pedestrian corridor from Zhibek Zholy down to Kabanbay Batyr, paved with 22,000 m² of granite and fitted with dry fountains lit at night.4

Its cafés sit within a few blocks of one another: Jel Coffee at Panfilov 92, Seven 2 seven at 104, L'eto Coffee at 113 and Arizona Coffee at 114. On Abay Avenue, JumpinGoat Coffee at number 37 opens 08:00–21:00 with Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and outdoor tables, and Six Coffee+Wine has a terrace at Abay 17a.

Zheltoksan and Tole Bi after dark

Zheltoksan (December) Street was called Mira in Soviet times, and Tole Bi was Komsomolskaya; on Tole Bi the Kazakh-British Technical University occupies the former Supreme Soviet building, near Astana Square, which locals call the Old Square.56

Late cafés cluster on these two streets. Voronka at Zheltoksan 160 serves vegan food and has Wi-Fi until midnight; Usta Türik kafesi and Кафе Плюс (Kafeplus) share number 144, the first open 09:00–00:00, the second 08:00–22:00 with Wi-Fi and breakfast. Wuqqa at Tole Bi 65 opens at 13:00 and stays open until 01:00, or 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Earlier in the day, Paco coffee&pastry at Zheltoksan 75 pairs coffee with pastries, 08:00–20:00 on weekdays and until 21:00 at weekends, and has Wi-Fi.

Early starts and Abylai Khan Avenue

Shecker Coffee at Kurmangazy 9A opens at 07:30 every day, serves brunch and stays open until 23:00. Presso is at Tole Bi 50 and ProBarista at Aiteke Bi 57, and Flask Coffee at Abylai Khan 104 has outdoor tables, Wi-Fi and air-conditioning.

Abylai Khan Avenue runs 4.2 km from the Almaty-2 station square down to Abay Avenue, where the National Library closes the view, and its Soviet-era pedestrian alleys and green squares are still a favorite place to sit.5 Daily coffee at Abylai Khan 147 and Aurora, on the corner with Zhambyl Street, both have outdoor seating.

Sources

  1. Золотой квадрат (городской массив), Wikipedia (Russian), accessed October 2026
  2. Фурманова, Калинина, Правды: алматинцы спорят о старых названиях улиц (Yuliya Shults, 31 July 2026), Kursiv, accessed October 2026
  3. «Я уже алматинец». Как нидерландец открыл кофейню на Зеленом базаре (Adi Turkaev, 13 September 2024), Digital Business, accessed October 2026
  4. Реновация Алматы: пешеходная Панфилова, новый Арбат, сухие фонтаны (Vladimir Prokopenko, 19 September 2017), Tengrinews, accessed October 2026
  5. Проспект Абылай хана (Алматы), Wikipedia (Russian), accessed October 2026
  6. Улица Толе би (Алматы), Wikipedia (Russian), accessed October 2026
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FAQ

Golden Square cafés: questions

Where is the Golden Square in Almaty?

The Golden Square is Almaty's central grid between Zheltoksan, Abay, Kunaev and Kabanbay Batyr streets, built up between the 1930s and the 1970s. It holds the Abai Opera and Ballet Theatre, completed in 1941, and the Lermontov Russian Drama Theatre of 1969.

Which cafés are on Panfilov Street in Almaty?

Panfilov Street has been a pedestrian corridor from Zhibek Zholy to Kabanbay Batyr since 2017. Its cafés include Jel Coffee at number 92, Seven 2 seven at 104, L'eto Coffee at 113 and Arizona Coffee at 114.

Which Golden Square cafés in Almaty stay open late?

Voronka at Zheltoksan 160 and Usta Türik kafesi at Zheltoksan 144 stay open until midnight, Shecker Coffee at Kurmangazy 9A until 23:00, and Wuqqa at Tole Bi 65 until 01:00, or 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

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