Nişantaşı residents who’ve adopted unconventional working hours have had the same dream for years: someplace where they can grab their laptops and go to hide out, where they can work as they sip on delicious coffee. Now, Ministry of Coffee Istanbul (aka MOC Istanbul), which recently opened on Şakayık Sokak, serves as a gathering place for those who truly care about the flavor of their coffee.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that MOC Istanbul partner Sam Çeviköz has devoted most of his life to coffee. After starting a successful coffee bean roasting and distribution company in Australia, Çeviköz went on to receive international barista training and serve as a jury member in coffee festivals and contests, effectively becoming an authority on every step of coffee’s journey from bean to cup.
Çeviköz was also a distant observer of Turkey’s growing fascination with (good quality) coffee in recent years until 10 months ago, when he decided to share his passion for coffee with Turkish audiences. As luck would have it, he crossed paths with two other coffee aficionados who became his business partners, and MOC Istanbul was born.
The shop brings green coffee beans from 12 different countries, roasting and blending them to produce coffee so flavorful, it makes you ask yourself what it was you drank before. We especially recommend their cold brew, which is coffee that’s been brewed in ice for 24-28 hours.
In addition to coffee, MOC Istanbul also offers chocolate croissants brought from France, oven-cooked Spanish omelet and toast that combines hellim cheese with Australia’s national condiment Vegemite – which, if you haven’t had it before, you’ll either love or hate.Gökçe Algan