Coffee Company

Coffee Company works out of a hotel lobby in Beyoğlu, on the European side of Istanbul, which sets the terms of the visit: an espresso-based drinks list, a bakery counter, and enough room to sit down with someone for half an hour. It is a coffee bar with cake rather than a restaurant.

Italian coffee drinks and a bakery counter

The coffee is Italian in style, which means espresso and the milk drinks built on it rather than a filter bar. The food beside it is bakery-led, with cakes and pastries through the day, and ice cream and freshly squeezed fruit juices covering the warmer end of the menu.

A lobby room for a pause or a meeting

Being in a lobby makes the cafe useful in a particular way. It suits a short coffee break, a simple meet-up or a quiet hour more than it suits a meal, and the seating is arranged for sitting rather than queueing. Service is casual throughout.

Coffee first, then something sweet

Start with the coffee, since that is what the counter is set up around, and add cake or a pastry if the visit is a pause rather than a grab-and-go. Ice cream is the warm-weather alternative, and a fresh fruit juice is the order when coffee is not what you want.