A Caffeine Lover's Guide to Istanbul's Top 10 Third Wave Coffee Shops

The latest version of coffee, which has become much more than Nescafe and Starbucks: '3rd wave'. So what is this '3rd wave coffee trend'? Instead of starting from 3, let's start from 1 and explain in order. 

The first wave of coffee began in the years following World War I with instant coffee - in other words, the ever-present Nescafé in our homes. After this trend, which was purely commercial, a little more art was introduced into coffee and Starbucks entered our lives as the second wave. With the growing interest in the region of coffee and roasting techniques, the coffees we drink are becoming increasingly high quality.

Although the second wave emphasizes the enjoyment of coffee, some of the characteristics of the first wave are still present here. Of course, the insatiable human being, who always desires better, does not stop, and in the 90s the third wave of 'quality coffee' was signaled. In an article written by barista Trish Skeie in 2002, it is clear that the third wave has definitely arrived. Coffee is now in the lead, and it's not espresso that's at the center of everything, it's the bean.

This wave, which gave its first signals in 2002, arrived in Turkiye only towards the end of 2011. And with its arrival, it spread to the whole of Istanbul. Although we are not going to make a ranking among coffee shops, we think they are the pioneers of the 3rd wave: MOC, Kronotrop, Coffeetopia and Petra Roasting. So which are the best 3rd wave coffee shops in Istanbul?