Cafeography
Istanbul · Cihangir & Çukurcuma

Cafés in Cihangir & Çukurcuma

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

Photo: Zeynep, Pexels License

Cihangir is a neighborhood of Beyoğlu between Taksim Square and Kabataş, named after Şehzade Cihangir, a son of Suleiman the Magnificent; in Suleiman's time it was a forested hunting ground.1 Suleiman had Mimar Sinan build a mosque above the Bosphorus to mark Cihangir's death, and the Cihangir Mosque dates from 1559, rebuilt in 1889.1 Çukurcuma, "Friday Valley", lies in a valley south-east of İstiklal, not far from Galatasaray Square.2

By the 1970s artists and intellectuals lived here alongside migrants from Anatolia, and in the early 21st century the area became known for its street cafés, especially around Akarsu Yokuşu, and for street cats that residents feed; the documentary Kedi was largely filmed here.1 In 2012 The Guardian put Cihangir and Çukurcuma among the five best places in the world to live.1

Local tip: Start at Kronotrop on Firuzağa Cami Sokağı, open from 07:00, then walk to Norm Coffee on Güneşli Sokak, opened by Kronotrop’s first and third employees.4

At a glance

91Cafés listed
10With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
03:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Kronotrop Cihangir, from 07:00 (Daily 07:00–23:00).
  • Closes latest: Afil Cihangir, until 03:00 (Mon–Thu 11:00–02:00 · Fri–Sat 11:00–03:00 · Sun 11:00–01:00).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (8%), open late (7%), wi-fi (3%).

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Coffee chains in Cihangir & Çukurcuma

Kronotrop and the first specialty café

Turkey's first specialty coffee shop opened in 2012, when Çağatay Gülabioğlu founded Kronotrop; early customers found its light, fruity coffee sour.3 Its Cihangir café, at 2/B Firuzağa Cami Sokağı, has a long bar running from the door to the back and a terrace on the street, and in 2016 it brewed Turkish coffee from its own blend alongside V60 filters.4

By 2016 the business had grown from a 13 m² café to three cafés and a roastery.4 Kronotrop opens daily 07:00–23:00, the earliest start in Cihangir, and has Wi-Fi. Swedish Coffee Point is on the same street at No. 2/e, from 08:30 daily.

Norm Coffee and Probador Colectiva

Norm Coffee, at 39/A Güneşli Sokak, was opened in May 2015 by Cem Bozkuş and Gizem Yavuz, Kronotrop's first and third employees. In 2016 it brewed coffee from several roasters at once, and its best seat looked out to the Bosphorus.4

Gülabioğlu later left Kronotrop to set up Probador Colectiva at 69 Kadiriler Yokuşu, five minutes from Tophane station: a four-storey building with green coffee stored in the basement, the roastery on the ground floor and a training center above.4 It opens Tuesday to Saturday, 09:30–18:00.

Çukurcuma and the side streets

In 2012 Orhan Pamuk opened a real Museum of Innocence, named after his novel, in a wooden house on one of Çukurcuma's back streets.2 The T1 tram's Fındıklı and Tophane stops serve the shore below the neighborhood.5

Kafika, whose full name translates as "the coffee of films you missed", is on Bolahenk Sokak with outdoor seats. Cafe note and Pas Coffe House are on Boğazkesen Caddesi, Ground Coffee co. is on Defterdar Yokuşu, and Juicery, a vegan juice bar at 7B Sıraselviler Caddesi, keeps shop hours, 09:30–19:00 from Monday to Saturday.

Late Cihangir

Afil Cihangir, on Anahtar Sokağı, is open until 02:00 from Monday to Thursday, 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and 01:00 on Sundays. MUUS Coffee on Oba Sokak serves until 00:00, and 1Kahve on Bakraç Sokak until 22:30.

For daytime food, Janti on Timsah Sokak has outdoor tables and serves brunch, Yiğit Sofram on Yeni Yuva Sokağı does breakfast, and homevibe, a bakery café, is on Şimşirci Sokağı. Butler is on Başkurt Sokak.

Sources

  1. Cihangir, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Çukurcuma, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. A connoisseur’s guide: Istanbul coffee culture and the best cafés, The Guide Istanbul (April 9, 2019, updated April 27, 2020), accessed October 2026
  4. Best Coffee in Istanbul – Part 1, European Coffee Trip (February 21, 2016), accessed October 2026
  5. T1 (Istanbul Tram), Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
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In Cihangir & Çukurcuma, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Open late Breakfast & brunch Bakery cafés

FAQ

Cihangir & Çukurcuma cafés: questions

Where did specialty coffee start in Cihangir, Istanbul?

Kronotrop, founded by Çağatay Gülabioğlu in 2012, is described as Turkey’s first specialty coffee shop. Its Cihangir café at 2/B Firuzağa Cami Sokağı opens daily 07:00–23:00, with a long bar and a street terrace. Norm Coffee on Güneşli Sokak was opened in May 2015 by two of Kronotrop’s first employees.

Why is Cihangir in Istanbul called Cihangir?

The neighborhood is named after Şehzade Cihangir, a son of Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleiman had the architect Mimar Sinan build a mosque overlooking the Bosphorus to mark his son’s death; the Cihangir Mosque dates from 1559 and was rebuilt in 1889. In Suleiman’s time the area was a forested hunting ground.

Which Cihangir cafés in Istanbul stay open latest?

Afil Cihangir on Anahtar Sokağı stays open until 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, 02:00 from Monday to Thursday and 01:00 on Sundays. MUUS Coffee on Oba Sokak serves until midnight, Kronotrop on Firuzağa Cami Sokağı until 23:00 and 1Kahve on Bakraç Sokak until 22:30.

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