Previously I already declared my relationship status with coffee and mentioned how things were getting even more serious (aka Famous Coffee Cities). Today I’m gonna introduce you to my new favorite café house – Santral Cafe – in the city of İstanbul! Though some part of me wants to keep this place as a secret so it’s all for me, as a blogger I feel the calling to write about it 😀
At first sight, this café gave me vibes of the cute cozy café houses I saw in San Francisco, and that’s probably one of the best things I can say about a coffee shop décor! Luckily coffee taste matched décor so I immediately knew I’ll be a regular here.
For owner Ebru, coffee is a passion, so much that she left her plaza 9to5 job and opened this place. But she didn’t opened here immediately, first she wanted to learn from scratch and she applied to Starbucks. Alas with a CV like hers, people in Starbucks didn’t really think she was serious about working there so they refused her. She didn’t give up and thanks to smooth talking of her friends she got the job. After a while, she left there and started working in a Third Wave coffee house in Nişantaşı neighborhood. And finally she got her own café house.
First thing you will notice when you enter here is the giant wall paint that shows a voltmeter for soft to strong coffee. Obviously with an energizing name like Santral, connection between volts and coffee beans are obvious J. You can select how strong you want your coffee with this image, yet you should really have a look at the menu.
Along with classical choices, Santral café offers Third Wave coffees and house specialties. For instance, one of the most demanded coffee is their house specialty Santral coffee, which is also known as winter coffee since it has honey and cinnamon flavors. Another thing to point out is that they blend their own espresso with 5 different coffee, though they say formula is secret! Also check out how cute some of their cold coffee packaging, it reminded me elixir potion bottles!
You can also find fresh sandwiches and cakes to go with your coffee. But I have to mention their breakfast special, 3 cheese casserole! It is a good alternative, especially for us 9to5 workers to eat something good for weekday breakfast! They put three types of cheese into a pan along with olives, tomatoes and peppers, after 10-15 minutes you are served this beauty in the picture!
Another cozy place indicator, small library is also a tick for Santral coffee and a very important criteria for modern days café houses which is having plugs conveniently all over the place is also a big tick for this place! Also for those who want to sit outside in cold weather there are heaters on the outside.
So, since most of third wave coffee houses in İstanbul are located in European side posh neighborhoods like Karaköy and Nişantaşı, I found this place a good café house in Anatolian side.
In case you are in the area, do drop by…
Address: Atatürk Caddesi 72A , 19 Mayıs Mh (It is located in the very beginning of famous Atatürk Street, Near a bank named Akbank, just across a Starbucks!