CookLife

Top choice in Istanbul


Some of the best coffee on the Golden Horn can be enjoyed at this photogenic place in the thick of Balat's fashionable cafe scene, as can well-executed cafe-style food (smashed avocado, burgers, pastas, acai and matcha bowls). Beans are sourced from third-wave coffee specialists Kimma Coffee Roasters and are used in espresso, Chemex and Aeropress brews.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Istanbul attractions

1. Patriarchal Church of St George

0.07 MILES

Dating from 1836, this church is part of the Greek Patriarchate compound. Inside the church are artefacts including Byzantine mosaics, religious relics…

3. Phanar Greek Orthodox College

0.09 MILES

Rising Hogwarts-like from the urban jumble, this Fener landmark, known locally as kırmızı kale (the red castle) for its castellated red-brick facade,…

4. Church of St Mary of the Mongols

0.1 MILES

Consecrated in the 13th century and saved from conversion into a mosque by the personal decree of Mehmet the Conqueror, this is the only church in…

5. Church of St Stephen of the Bulgars

0.12 MILES

Known as the 'Iron Church', this distinctive Gothic Revival–style building on the Golden Horn has an extremely beautiful interior, with its gilded iron…

6. Fethiye Museum

0.24 MILES

Not long after the Conquest, Mehmet the Conqueror visited this 13th-century church to discuss theological questions with the Patriarch of the Orthodox…

7. Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque

0.24 MILES

The sultan to whom this mosque was dedicated (Süleyman the Magnificent's father, Selim I, known as 'the Grim') is famous for having killed two of his…

8. Gül Mosque

0.39 MILES

This mosque started life as the 11th-century Church of St Theodosia. Legend has it that one day before the Conquest, worshippers filled the church with…