If you don’t spend a significant portion of your trip to Istanbul in a coffeehouse, you’re doing it wrong. After all, Turkish coffee is so important that it was officially added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
And although high quality coffee is almost guaranteed, a decent WiFi speed isn’t.
I spent three weeks in Istanbul in May 2022, looking for the best laptop-friendly coffee shops and cafes in the Karaköy/Galata Tower area, and here are my recommendations.
Books & Coffee Karaköy
This coffee shop is well located; it’s near the Karaköy tram and ferry stops and by the foot of the funicular that takes you up to Beyoğlu. It also has plenty of seating, a nice ambience and a broad menu of drinks that includes third wave coffees – and a delicious cold brew.
Of course, the WiFi at Books & Coffee Karaköy is also good enough if you want to bring your laptop, and you’ll find comfy seats if you need to settle-in for a burst of productivity.
I ended up hanging out there for a few hours while I waited to check in to my Airbnb, and the staff were pretty relaxed about me taking up a table for a while.
Click here for the Google Maps link.
Federal Galata
Another of my favourite places to work in Istanbul was Federal Galata. I actually went a few times because the WiFi was fast, the coffee was strong and tasty, and their food menu was decent.
I also like that they have a variety of seating options, so you can mix-up the atmosphere and kick-start your brain by relocating.
If you’re looking for a reliable laptop-friendly cafe, Federal Galata should be your first stop!
Dükkan Galata
I really liked this laptop-friendly cafe near Galata Tower. The staff were really friendly, it had a super cute vibe, and it was a comfy place to work for an hour or two.
Plus, the food at Dükkan Galata is great! I had an omlette, but their menu features other brunch things like homemade granola and avocado toast.
Galata Frida House Cafe
This laptop-friendly cafe in Istanbul was recommended by a friend, so I had to check it out. Its interior is quirky and it gets popular around meal times, but it’s a spacious and relaxed place to kick-back and work for a bit.
I didn’t really enjoy the iced coffee, so I’d recommend choosing a hot drink instead. And if you get hungry, you’ll definitely find something decent to eat here.
See the location on Google Maps.
Places we were recommended that weren’t laptop-friendly
There’s a tonne of content out there about the best coffeehouses in Istanbul for digital nomads or remote workers, but not all the recommendations are reliable.
I checked out a few places that either didn’t seem very laptop-friendly, or I just couldn’t work there. But I still wanted to include them, because they’re totally worth a visit if you want to switch off or take a lunch break away from your screen.
Old Java Coffee Roasters
I work from a macbook, which means that sometimes I struggle to connect to the WiFi. I don’t understand why. I had this problem at Old Java Coffee Roasters near the Galata Tower. The WiFi was fine on my iPhone, but I just could not connect via my laptop.
However, their cold brew was delicious. And there were plenty of other people working away, so it is a laptop-friendly coffeehouse – it just wasn’t friendly to my mac. It’s worth a try, maybe this has been resolved.
Proje Cafe
For some reason, Proje Cafe came up as a laptop-friendly spot in Istanbul – but I didn’t find that to be the case. I couldn’t find a WiFi network when I visited, and instead got a granola bowl (delicious) and an iced black coffee (not so delicious).
It’s worth a visit for the food, but I wouldn’t rely on being able to work there.
Milk Karaköy
Now permanently closed
Milk Karaköy came up a lot when I was researching which cafes I could work from – but I didn’t feel comforable sitting on my laptop. The menu is pretty decent though, so it would be a good spot for a bite to eat.
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