Coffee Department Balat

Coffee Department has been sourcing, roasting and brewing since 2013, and its Balat café sits behind tall dark wood windows on Kürkçü Çeşmesi Sokak in Ayvansaray, on the Golden Horn side of old Balat. Patterned floor tiles, plants and a small pastry case fill a bright, compact room where regulars and visitors share the tables.

The beans are roasted in house on a Probat and offered as a rotating set of single origins, each described on handwritten origin cards at the counter, with filter options alongside espresso pulled on a La Marzocco machine. The baristas are happy to guide newcomers through the choices, and bags of beans, ground coffee and brewing gear are on sale for taking the experience home.