Kadıköy and Moda are on Istanbul's Asian side, the part of the city where people live rather than sightsee. I've spent a lot of hours here with a laptop, and these are the coffee shops I'd go to myself. You can work in every one of them, so take notes and get comfortable. This is for digital nomads, for anyone passing through Istanbul, staying for a while or living here.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 30 September 2026. Rate: 1 ₺ ≈ $0.02.
In short
- Best for working: Walter's Coffee Roastery. Wide wooden tables and lots of remote workers.
- Quietest: Unique Coffee. Nearly empty during the day, and the Wi-Fi is never overloaded.
- Early morning and late evening: the Starbucks on Gen. Asım Gündüz (6:30–23:45) and Kronotrop (from 7:00). Most of the others don't open until 9 or 10.
- For a slow breakfast: Brekkie and Morn by Yoğurtçu Park. Better for eating than for working.
- Bonus: Sütlü Sade in Feneryolu, a family-run coffee shop. Closed on Sundays.
For working
Walter's Coffee Roastery
Moda · coffee shop & roastery · 200–400 ₺ (≈$4–8) · daily 10:00–23:00
Google Maps · website · Bademaltı Sk. No:21
In my opinion, the most comfortable coffee shop to work from. The wooden tables are really wide and comfortable, and a lot of remote workers come here. The atmosphere is great and very friendly. The whole place is inspired by Breaking Bad, so fans will love it: you drink out of lab flasks, everything is in yellow, and it feels like a chemistry lab. You have to try their lemon cold brew — it's something else. They roast their own beans too. All in all, a really, really fun place.
Unique Coffee
Kadıköy, Osmanağa · coffee shop · 200–400 ₺ (≈$4–8) · daily 7:30–23:15
Google Maps · Vahapbey Sok. 31/A
I love this spot, where local students like to gather. I love it for the big wooden tables, the Wi-Fi that's never overloaded, and the huge iced Americanos, poured very generously. Big cups, decent taste. Highly recommended for anyone who wants somewhere quieter to work: during the day there's almost nobody here.
Urban Roastery
Moda · coffee shop & roastery · 200–400 ₺ (≈$4–8) · daily 10:00–21:00
Google Maps · Instagram · Şevkibey Sok. No:2/A
A small coffee shop run by a dear friend of mine. I've spent a lot of hours there talking and working. Really good coffee, and you can buy beans from their own roast, so I recommend it. Emre, if you're reading this — hi!
Kronotrop Moda Eatery
Moda · coffee shop · 200–400 ₺ (≈$4–8) · Mon–Fri 7:00–23:30, Sat–Sun 8:00–23:30
Google Maps · website · Moda Cd. No: 127/A
An awesome coffee shop that used to be right by my place. Really friendly staff and a fantastic menu. Make sure you try the filter coffee and the pastries. And their cakes are just unbelievable.
Starbucks on Gen. Asım Gündüz
Kadıköy, Osmanağa · chain coffee shop · 200–400 ₺ (≈$4–8) · daily 6:30–23:45
Google Maps · Gen. Asım Gündüz Cd. No:26
A huge five-storey Starbucks with loads of seats for working, comfy armchairs and great views of the street. If you're a fan of the American chain, it's the perfect place for a coffee and some laptop time. And when it isn't too hot out, there are a couple of secret spots on the terrace you can use as well.
For a slow breakfast
Brekkie Breakfast Club
Moda, by Yoğurtçu Park · breakfast & coffee · 800–1000 ₺ (≈$16–20) · daily 9:00–18:00
Google Maps · Instagram · Yoğurtçu Parkı Cd No:24/1
A brilliant breakfast place with great coffee. Come here for a slow breakfast: get a bowl, the yogurt plate or anything else you fancy. A lovely spot close to the waterfront, and the perfect way to start a day in Moda.
According to Google reviews (4.3 from 4,800+): they greet you with a small cup of filter coffee, the portions are big and the presentation is spectacular. But it's very popular — at weekends you can wait half an hour for a table and as long again for the food. So don't bring a laptop here: it's a breakfast place, and you can work afterwards at one of the coffee shops above.
Nearby: their bakery, Brekkie Croissanterie, a few doors down the same street — don't skip it. Yoğurtçu Parkı Cd No:34 · daily 8:00–19:00 · 200–800 ₺ (≈$4–16) · Google Maps
Morn Kadıköy
Moda, by Yoğurtçu Park · breakfast · 200–1000 ₺ (≈$4–20) · daily 9:00–23:00
Google Maps · Yoğurtçu Parkı Cd 62/A
Another breakfast place by the Moda waterfront. It's not as easy to work from, but I really like it too.
According to Google reviews (4.5 from 1,900+): people praise the fast, very warm service, the big portions and the menemen. The signatures to try are the Morn'ing Chick and the pesto brioche. Reviewers say it's easier to get a table here than at Brekkie next door, and Yoğurtçu Park is right across the street. The downsides: people smoke on the terrace, and the brioche can be a bit dry.
Bonus: if you venture further
Sütlü Sade Kahve Dükkanı
Feneryolu · family coffee shop · up to 200 ₺ (up to ≈$4) · Mon–Fri 8:30–19:30, Sat 10:30–19:30, closed Sunday
Google Maps · Gazi Muhtarpaşa Sok. No:23B
If you make it deeper into Kadıköy, go to Sütlü Sade and say hi to Bertrand and Ayşegül from me. It's a small family coffee shop that has become the heart of the neighbourhood. I love them to bits: they make amazing coffee, and the people who work there are wonderful — kind and open.
One last thing
In general, Moda and the rest of Kadıköy, down to Bağdat Caddesi (Bağdat Avenue), are full of coffee shops. Chains like Caffè Nero and Starbucks never mind you sitting down with a laptop, and the Wi-Fi is decent pretty much everywhere. So whether you're on Moda Street or elsewhere in Kadıköy, you'll find somewhere to sit down and work.
And plan your morning. Most coffee shops here open at 9 or 10, so if you want to start work early, head to Kronotrop, Unique or Starbucks, and save breakfast in Moda for around ten.