Cafeography
İstanbul

Cafés in Istanbul a glass of water on the side

Turkish coffee off İstiklal, tulip glasses of çay in Sultanahmet, roasters on Kılıç Ali Paşa Mescidi Sokağı in Karaköy and terraces along Moda Caddesi.

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Photo: Fatih Ekmen, Pexels License

2366Cafés listed
3Open by 6am
130Open past 10pm
37Specialty & roasters

Istanbul drinks tea all day and coffee with intent. Turkish coffee is ground to a fine powder, heated slowly in a pot with cold water and sugar until it foams, and poured into small cups served with a glass of water; UNESCO added the culture around it to its intangible heritage list in 2013.1 Turkey also has the highest per-capita tea consumption in the world, over 3 kg a year, drunk from small tulip-shaped glasses called ince belli.2

The coffeehouse came early. Two Arab merchants opened Istanbul's first one in Tahtakale, near today's Eminönü, in the 1550s, and by the end of the 19th century the city had nearly 2,500.34 Some old names still pour: Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi has sold roasted, ground coffee on Tahmis Sokak since 1871, the Tezçakar family's kiosk in the Grand Bazaar goes back to at least 1909, and Mandabatmaz has made coffee in Olivya Geçidi, off İstiklal, since 1967.56

After the republic was founded the state promoted tea, and it became the national drink.6 Specialty coffee arrived in 2012, when Çağatay Gülabioğlu opened Kronotrop, described as Turkey's first specialty coffee shop.6 Four years later European Coffee Trip toured cafés and roasteries in Karaköy, Cihangir and Balat, and found new cafés that roasted their own beans as well as brewing them.7

Start with a semt

Istanbul by area

Istanbul has 39 districts and straddles the Bosphorus, with about two-thirds of its people on the European side.16 People place a café by its semt (neighborhood): Sultanahmet and Fatih on the old peninsula, Karaköy, Galata and Cihangir across the Golden Horn, Kadıköy and Moda on the Asian shore.

Balat & Fener

Painted houses, churches and synagogues on the Golden Horn, with cafés on Kürkçü Çeşmesi Sokağı and Vodina Caddesi.

100 cafés

Sultanahmet

The old peninsula around Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome, with tea houses and cafés on Divan Yolu.

92 cafés

Karaköy

The old port and banking quarter at the Galata Bridge, with roasters on Kılıç Ali Paşa Mescidi Sokağı.

77 cafés

Galata & Şişhane

The lanes around Galata Tower and Galip Dede Caddesi, with roasters on Tatar Bey Sokak.

72 cafés

Cihangir & Çukurcuma

Bohemian lanes above the Bosphorus, from Kronotrop on Firuzağa Cami Sokağı to the back streets of Çukurcuma.

91 cafés

Beyoğlu, İstiklal & Taksim

İstiklal Caddesi from Tünel to Taksim Square, with Mandabatmaz in Olivya Geçidi and bookshop cafés on the avenue.

155 cafés

Moda

Kadıköy’s seaside peninsula: terraces on Moda Caddesi, late cafés on Kadife Sokak and a cliff-top tea garden.

161 cafés

Kadıköy Çarşı & Bahariye

The market lanes behind the ferry piers and Bahariye Caddesi, with a 1923 coffee house and a 1961 pastry shop.

213 cafés
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Nitelikli kahve

Specialty coffee

Roasters and espresso bars from Karaköy's back streets to Moda Caddesi and Balat.

37 cafés
Açık hava

Outdoor seating

Terraces in Moda and Yeldeğirmeni, Bosphorus tables in Kuzguncuk and Bebek.

137 cafés
Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi tables in Moda, Yeldeğirmeni and Nişantaşı, and how long the receipt password lasts.

114 cafés
Geç saate kadar açık

Open late

Open until 22:00 or later, from Kadife Sokak and Karaköy to Bebek's 03:00 closers.

130 cafés
Kahvaltı

Breakfast & brunch

Serpme spreads and brunch plates in Moda, Yeldeğirmeni, Cihangir and Üsküdar.

28 cafés
Pastaneler

Bakery cafés

Pastaneler and fırın cafés: cakes, poğaça and simit with a glass of çay.

80 cafés

New in Istanbul

Recently opened and recently added

Balat & Fener 100 cafés

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Sultanahmet 92 cafés

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Eminönü & Sirkeci 94 cafés

Fatih & Grand Bazaar 289 cafés

Karaköy 77 cafés

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Galata & Şişhane 72 cafés

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Cihangir & Çukurcuma 91 cafés

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Beyoğlu, İstiklal & Taksim 155 cafés

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Nişantaşı 81 cafés

Kurtuluş & Feriköy 74 cafés

Beşiktaş 164 cafés

Ortaköy & Kuruçeşme 35 cafés

Arnavutköy & Bebek 39 cafés

Levent & Etiler 37 cafés

Moda 161 cafés

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Yeldeğirmeni 93 cafés

Kadıköy Çarşı & Bahariye 213 cafés

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Acıbadem & Koşuyolu 117 cafés

Rainbow Kids Cafe

  • Yıldırım Sokağı / Fortis Sinanlı
  • Tue–Fri 11:00–21:00 · Sat–Sun 12:00–20:00
  • +90 543 714 39 45
  • Card payment
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Üsküdar 240 cafés

Şişli & Mecidiyeköy 117 cafés

Kasımpaşa & Hasköy 25 cafés

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Coffee chains in Istanbul

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Gloria Jean's Coffees

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Before you sit down

How coffee and çay work in Istanbul

Say how sweet you want Turkish coffee when you order, because the sugar goes into the pot with the water: sade (plain), az şekerli (a little sugar), orta şekerli (about a teaspoon a cup) or çok şekerli (two teaspoons or more).8 The pot comes off the heat as soon as the mixture froths, and the coffee arrives unfiltered with a glass of water, to sip first, and often a piece of lokum (Turkish delight).38

The grounds, telve, stay at the bottom; some people turn the cup over onto the saucer and have their fortune read from them, a practice called kahve falı.311 Turkish coffee cups hold about 90 ml, so one cup is a few sips.3

Çay is brewed strong in the top pot of a double çaydanlık, and each glass is diluted with hot water from the lower one, so you can ask for it açık (light) or koyu (dark).2 The ince belli glass is held by the rim. Tea gardens, çay bahçesi in Turkish, draw a crowd in Sultanahmet and Taksim, often with tavla (backgammon) on the tables.2 The older kahvehane, also called kıraathane, was a men's meeting place where people talked, read and played chess or backgammon.12

Tea is the cheap part of the day. In September 2026 a glass cost ₺20–50 at a municipal or budget tea garden and ₺50–90 at a neighborhood café; a Turkish coffee cost about ₺60–110 in April 2026, and a flat white at the independent roasters around Moda ₺110–160.91013 Tipping is optional: leaving the change or about 5% at a café is enough, given in cash, after checking the receipt for a service charge.14

Breakfast is its own institution. The word kahvaltı joins kahve (coffee) and altı (under, before), and the meal is a spread of cheese, olives, fresh vegetables, simit, börek and menemen eggs, with black tea.15

What coffee costs in Istanbul

DrinkTypical price
Çay
Glass of tea, municipal or budget tea garden		₺20–50
Tea gardens, September 2026
Çay
Glass of tea, neighborhood café		₺50–90
Neighborhood cafés, September 2026
Türk kahvesi
Turkish coffee		₺60–110
Cafés, April 2026
Flat white
Flat white at an independent roaster		₺110–160
Moda and Kadife Sokak, April 2026

Prices by the glass or cup. The tea ranges are Yemek.com's for September 2026, by type of place; the Turkish coffee range is from an istanbul.com guide published in June 2026 with April 2026 prices, and the flat white range from its July 2026 Kadıköy guide, also priced in April 2026.91013 A demlik (teapot) of two to four glasses ran ₺150–300 in September 2026.9

Sources

  1. Turkish coffee culture and tradition, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, accessed October 2026
  2. Turkish tea, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Turkish coffee, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Ottoman coffeehouse, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  5. Istanbul historic coffeehouses, The Guide Istanbul, accessed October 2026
  6. A connoisseur’s guide: Istanbul coffee culture and the best cafés, The Guide Istanbul (April 9, 2019, updated April 27, 2020), accessed October 2026
  7. Best Coffee in Istanbul – Part 1, European Coffee Trip (February 21, 2016), accessed October 2026
  8. Turkish Coffee (Türk Kahvesi), Turkey Travel Planner (updated June 18, 2025), accessed October 2026
  9. İstanbul’un En İyi Çay Mekanları, Yemek.com (September 29, 2026), accessed October 2026
  10. Istanbul Street Food: 25 Flavors to Try in 2026, istanbul.com (June 12, 2026), accessed October 2026
  11. Taseografi, Vikipedi (Turkish Wikipedia), accessed October 2026
  12. Kahvehane, Vikipedi (Turkish Wikipedia), accessed October 2026
  13. Kadıköy Waterfront & Market Guide: The Heart of the Asian Side, istanbul.com (July 2, 2026), accessed October 2026
  14. Do You Tip In Turkey? Yes, Here Is Your Tipping Etiquette Guide, Chasing the Donkey (January 11, 2026), accessed October 2026
  15. Turkish breakfast, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  16. Istanbul, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
FAQ

Cafés in Istanbul: common questions

How much does a glass of tea cost in Istanbul?

In September 2026 a glass of çay cost about ₺20–50 at a municipal or budget tea garden, ₺50–90 at a neighborhood café and ₺80–150 at places with a view or in tourist areas. A demlik (teapot) of two to four glasses ran ₺150–300. At the Moda tea garden in Kadıköy a glass cost about ₺20–30 in April 2026.

Which neighborhood of Istanbul has the most cafés?

Fatih & Grand Bazaar and Üsküdar have the most cafés, followed by Kadıköy Çarşı & Bahariye. Fatih’s are mostly small neighborhood cafés and çay evleri (tea houses) in the lanes around the Fatih Mosque. For specialty coffee, Karaköy, Beşiktaş and Moda have the most.

How do you order Turkish coffee in Istanbul?

Say how sweet you want it when you order, because the sugar is cooked with the coffee: sade (plain), az şekerli (a little sugar), orta şekerli (about a teaspoon) or çok şekerli (sweet). It comes unfiltered in a small cup with a glass of water, to drink first, and often a piece of lokum. Leave the grounds at the bottom of the cup.

Do you tip in Istanbul cafés?

Tipping in Istanbul cafés is optional. Leaving the change or around 5% of the bill is a common rule of thumb, and tips are usually given in cash even though card payments are widely accepted. Check the receipt first in case a service charge has already been added.

When did specialty coffee start in Istanbul?

Istanbul’s specialty coffee scene dates from 2012, when Çağatay Gülabioğlu opened Kronotrop, described as Turkey’s first specialty coffee shop. By 2016 small roasters were working in Karaköy, Cihangir and Balat, and many of the new cafés roasted their own beans as well as brewing them.

Where can you drink historic Turkish coffee in Istanbul?

Mandabatmaz has made Turkish coffee in Olivya Geçidi, a passage off İstiklal Caddesi, since 1967. The Tezçakar family’s coffee kiosk in the Grand Bazaar goes back to at least 1909, and Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi has sold roasted, ground coffee on Tahmis Sokak in Eminönü since 1871.

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