Istanbul Petra Cafe introduces the five major cafes in Istanbul

The Ni "anta district" of Istanbul occupies a unique position in the social class of the city. Equivalent to the West Village and the Upper East side, it is home to the elderly, the upper crust, as well as writers, scholars and foreigners. This is a cosmopolitan place, and you may see a soap opera star hiding in a boutique wine store, an area almost like his own village surrounded by the city. With some of the city's best parks, restaurants and schools, Ni "anta cities" l "lar" need not leave their small oasis hidden in the hills between the bustling Taksim and Besiktas. There are cafes like Petre Coffee nearby, and we don't blame them.

In 2014, we listed Petra Coffee as one of the five coffee shops that changed Istanbul's coffee culture. Fast forward to 2017, and they have grown into locations in five cities.

Petra's coffee service is very modern, but their location in the Gehangier Topa "ac" has an old-world elegance that feels from the previous generation. The antique wooden bar-Istanbul's real rare treasure-cast iron tables and marble countertops bring some elegance to this comfortable space. These are the small details of selling it, such as the wooden newspaper folder hanging under the bar.

PetraTopa "ac" filtered coffee is brewed from cups on Aeropress, while espresso is prepared on La Marzocco Strada EP using a Mazzer grinder. Because of the serious jet lag, I'm going to have a drink. I kicked something away with a cup of espresso. Thick and sweet, with a lot of creamy flavor, this is a classic espresso profile with many dark chocolate flavors and acidity. Next, I sipped sweet and balanced El Desvelado filter foam from the Narinho region of Colombia. After learning about my jet lag, the barista took a detoxification shot of me: thick and full-bodied ginger, carrots and juice mixed together.

In many ways, Petra's Topa "ac" cafe points to Istanbul's mature specialty coffee scene. Although most of the specialty coffee shops in Istanbul are concentrated in busy tourist-friendly places, PetraTopa "ac" is a quiet neighborhood store that we like to visit.