Cafeography
Istanbul · Şişli & Mecidiyeköy

Cafés in Şişli & Mecidiyeköy

Office towers and pastry shops around Büyükdere Caddesi, from the Mecidiyeköy interchange to Abide-i Hürriyet Caddesi.

Photo: Fatih Ekmen, Pexels License

Şişli was open countryside used for hunting and farming until the 1800s.1 After a fire devastated Pera in 1870, Jewish, Greek and Armenian traders settled here, and the new middle-class district was among the first in the city to get tramlines, electricity and natural gas.1 Mecidiyeköy, "Mecid's village", began as a settlement under Sultan Abdülmecid I.2

Mecidiyeköy is now a business and shopping district of tall offices north of the O-1 motorway.1 Pastaneler (pastry shops, singular pastane) make up a larger share of the cafés than anywhere else in Istanbul, several of them open by 07:00, and the busiest streets are Büyükdere Caddesi and Ortaklar Caddesi.

Local tip: Change at Şişli–Mecidiyeköy by the underpass that links the M2, M7 and metrobus; Çaykovski on Büyükdere Caddesi is open from 06:30 for a coffee before a connection.4

At a glance

117Cafés listed
7With opening hours
06:30Earliest opening
01:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Çaykovski, from 06:30 (Daily 06:30–23:30).
  • Closes latest: Balkaya Pastanesi Erol Usta, until 01:00 (Daily 07:00–01:00).
  • Most common features: bakery café (10%), outdoor seating (5%), wi-fi (5%).

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Coffee chains in Şişli & Mecidiyeköy

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Starbucks

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Getting to Mecidiyeköy by metro and metrobus

Three lines meet at Şişli–Mecidiyeköy station: the M2 platform opened on 16 September 2000, the metrobus stop on 8 September 2008 and the M7 on 28 October 2020, all joined by an underpass.4 On the M2 the next stops are Osmanbey and Gayrettepe, and on the M7 Fulya and Çağlayan.4 Driving is a poor plan, since parking is a persistent problem, especially on the narrow side streets.1

From liqueur factory to Cevahir

In 1930 a French architect and French experts set up a liqueur and cognac factory on Büyükdere Caddesi, then the Maslak Road, among vineyards and orchards; its 1931 building by Robert Mallet-Stevens was his only documented work in Turkey.7 A number of rural coffeehouses stood opposite, sage and mint grew on land that later became a football ground, and the factory itself was torn down in 2013.7

The Ali Sami Yen Stadium opened beside it on 20 December 1964 and was demolished in April 2011.6 Cevahir, with six retail floors and 110,000 m² of shops, opened on 15 October 2005 at 22 Büyükdere Caddesi.5 Çaycı has a branch in the mall, and in the Trump Towers, completed in 2012, you'll find Ara Kahve and another Çaycı.1

Abide-i Hürriyet Caddesi and Ortaklar

The Monument of Liberty, built from 1909 to 1911 for the soldiers killed defending the Ottoman Parliament in the 31 March Incident, stands in a park on Hürriyet-i Ebediye Hill, at 130 m the highest point in Şişli.3 The avenue carries the monument's Ottoman name, Abide-i Hürriyet. Gravita Coffee Roasters, a specialty roaster, is at No. 179, and a branch of Çaykovski with Wi-Fi at No. 195/B.

On Ortaklar Caddesi, Almira is at No. 4/4 and Mayk Cafe at No. 10/A, and Match Cafe has Wi-Fi. Mecidiyeköy Yolu Caddesi has Kahve Limani at No. 20 and The Hill Cafe, with Wi-Fi and takeaway, at No. 22. Envai and Alex Coffee sit side by side on Gönenoğlu Sokağı, both smoke-free with step-free access and outdoor seats; Envai keeps 08:30–23:00, and Alex opens at 13:00 from Monday to Saturday.

Pastane hours and Turkish coffee

Çaykovski, at 3 Büyükdere Caddesi, opens daily at 06:30, the earliest start in Şişli, and closes at 23:30. Balkaya Pastanesi Erol Usta on Şehit Er Cihan Namlı Caddesi follows at 07:00 and stays open until 01:00. Gül Pastanesi keeps 07:00–21:00 and serves breakfast.

Melita Pastanesi is at 16/B Cemal Sahir Sokağı, Çevre Pastanesi on Vefa Bey Sokak in Gayrettepe and Nilly's Patisserie on Celal Atik 1. Sokak. Murat Muhallebicisi, a milk-pudding shop, is at 51/A Büyükdere Caddesi.

For coffee first, Kurukahveci Fuat Bey, at 4/A Kervangeçmez Sokağı, sells Turkish coffee in classic, menengiç, Osmanlı and dibek styles, as well as filter coffee and beans.8 It opens from Monday to Saturday, 07:00–00:00, with Wi-Fi and outdoor seats.

Sources

  1. Şişli, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  2. Mecidiyeköy, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  3. Monument of Liberty, Istanbul, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  4. Şişli–Mecidiyeköy (Istanbul Metro), Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  5. Cevahir Mall, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  6. Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  7. Mecidiyeköy Liqueur Factory, A History of Istanbul (Celali Yılmaz), accessed November 2026
  8. Kuru Kahveci Fuat Bey, Kuru Kahveci Fuat Bey, accessed November 2026
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In Şişli & Mecidiyeköy, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Open late Breakfast & brunch Bakery cafés

FAQ

Şişli & Mecidiyeköy cafés: questions

Which metro and metrobus lines stop at Mecidiyeköy in Şişli, Istanbul?

Şişli–Mecidiyeköy station serves the M2 metro, open since 16 September 2000, and the M7, open since 28 October 2020. The metrobus stop dates from 8 September 2008, and an underpass links all three. The next stops are Osmanbey and Gayrettepe on the M2, and Fulya and Çağlayan on the M7.

Which cafés open earliest in Şişli and Mecidiyeköy, Istanbul?

Çaykovski at 3 Büyükdere Caddesi opens daily at 06:30. Balkaya Pastanesi Erol Usta and Gül Pastanesi open at 07:00, and Kurukahveci Fuat Bey on Kervangeçmez Sokağı at 07:00 from Monday to Saturday. Çaykovski closes at 23:30 and Balkaya at 01:00.

What was on Büyükdere Caddesi in Mecidiyeköy, Istanbul, before the office towers?

In 1930 a liqueur and cognac factory was set up there among vineyards and orchards, in a 1931 building by Robert Mallet-Stevens, with rural coffeehouses opposite. The Ali Sami Yen Stadium opened on factory land in 1964. The stadium was demolished in 2011 and the factory in 2013.

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