Norm Coffee

Norm Coffee opened in May 2015 on Güneşli Sokak in Cihangir, the hillside lane just below Taksim, started by Cem Bozkuş and Gizem Yavuz after the two met working at Kronotrop. The room is a compact white tiled bar with a slatted wooden counter, a chalkboard menu, and a few seats outside, a calm pocket in one of the city's most café dense neighborhoods.

Espresso is pulled on a Slayer machine, and the beans rotate through several of Istanbul's leading specialty roasters rather than a single house roast, so the espresso and filter lists shift with the season. Baked goods sit alongside the coffee, the baristas are known for their warmth, and steady wifi makes it an easy place to settle in with a laptop for an afternoon.