Kronotrop

Real hip and cozy spot kinda tucked away. Tight quarters in here. Ordered a cortado– delicious. They have filtered water for you to drink– so I did. I’m not accusing this specific water for giving me excruciating stomach pain, but it is a possibility. I had a talk with the barista about water in Istanbul and how unsafe it is to drink, so he assured me the filtered water was okay to drink.
Anyways, I DO suggest getting some coffee, espresso beverages or even a few desserts here!

Eh maybe I popped in here because I’m slightly homesick and was in need of a hipster sighting but I was less than impressed. Unusual that they wouldn’t give me the wifi code when they are promoting their IG pages and other social media. If you want people to do that you have to give them Internet. Tried a bit of sweets and changed my mind before selection was pulled out of case. The barista sort of ripped my head off and I had to repeatedly assure her that they were the same price and why I thought my indecision wasn’t a big deal. Latte was ok but not particularly remarkable. Way too much foam.
Best reason to come is the ambiance which is really well done and inviting, particularly the exterior.

Great coffee spot! The vibe is very hipster/​artsy, and there is always good music playing. The espresso is the best I’ve ever had (no joke), with very low acidity and vibrant notes of fruit and nuts. They will only make non-​espresso drinks (pour-​overs, Chemex, etc.) from 13:00 to 16:00, which is pretty ridiculous, but that’s just how they are. Staff can be a little snobby too, if not rude. I would say that the coffee is worth it. Buy some beans too – they taste just as good made at home.

It may be a very personal opinion, but I didn’t like Kronotrop that much. I had read fantastic things about it and I was excited when I found out that our apartment was right on the corner so I thought it would be a fantastic spot for an early coffee.
But first of all, as I read in another comment, I felt that service was a bit too cool for school. I wasn’t there for that long, but it wasn’t one of those places where you feel comfortable at. The point of specialty coffee places is not just offering good quality coffee, but also a whole experience, good client service included. At least, a smile!
Second, there was literally nothing to eat with the coffee. I understand that the main product is the coffee, but for a place that opens that early in the morning, at least a piece of cake, a croissant??? Of course, that is the owner’s decision, but I just found it a bit poor. I don’t know if that’s always like this, because when I was there, they had a full tray of bakes that weren’t serving but instead, they took somewhere else. ¿? I didn’t get it.
And third, my flat white was just ok, it had a caramelized flavour that I didn’t like that much, I’ve tried better.
If I am ever back to Istanbul, I don’t think I would go back to Kronotrop again… Although as I said, the reviews that I had read were very positive… maybe my expectations were too high!

The Kronotrop coffee bar and roastery is located just off the Cihangir Maydani (Square) in the district by the same name and just across the street from the Firuz Mosque and small corner park.
While the area has many independent coffee shops, Kronotrop serves a nice authentic cappuccino and offers multiple types of roasted bagged beans for sale. One wall includes bags from roasters of other nations, including my local roaster Ritual of San Francisco, as well as Peets. Missing was a sack from Blue Bottle :(
Service was typical for these types of independent roasters, mostly «I’m too cool, yet I’m the one having to work behind the counter while you’re on holiday, so piss off».
Regardless of the service, I would return.