Maple Coffee Shop Büyükada Princes Islands Istanbul Cafe Review

While staying in Istanbul, I like to spend some of my weekends on Princes Islands.

This time me & my friend Elif have arrived at Büyükada on the foggy chilly March morning, greeted by the melancholic grey skies and piercing cries of seagulls …..

Elif is living in Üsküdar, and several times in a month, we meet near the Kadıköy pier to take a ferry to Büyükada, where we bike, walk in forest, go to beach in summers, and visit some local shops and cafes. The Princes Islands are cars and motorcycles free, and the air is excellent, making it the perfect place for Istanbullers who prefer the healthy lifestyle.

At first, we purchase some canned salmon for cats in our favorite Buyukada supermarket called Namli, to feed the few cuties, living in the park.

Afterwards we usually take a long promenade up the hill to the old Monastery, to spend time on nature and watch the marvelous views to the island Heybeliada, Marmara Sea and Istanbul.

On our way back to the Büyükada pier and station, before we’re taking a ferry boat to Istanbul, we have a tradition to visit some good cafe or restaurant on the islands. The best food you can find there are famous Istanbul fish sandwiches, grape leaves rolls with rice,  izgara kofte, chicken or lamb kebab, grilled fish, boreks and of course baklava, cheesecakes, puddings and bakery of any kinds.

To get the freshest pastries and cakes you have to visit one of the best local cafes or coffee shops with good reputation and Google or TripAdvisor reviews, as not every place has the genuinely fresh bakery.

This time our pick is the Maple Coffee Shop & Roastery, one of the most popular boutique cafes on Princes Islands, especially because despite its fame, so far we never been there previously.

Actually Elif spent an hour to read all the Google reviews about the Maple Coffee Shop yesterday evening.

Conviniently located just opposite the old carriage square and the new Büyükada bus station, the cafe corner is featuring beautiful antique architecture, high ceilings, pretty mild colors, spacious interior and the little sunny terrace. It’s hard to find more aesthetic and mood uplifting place to have a coffee break on the islands.

When you step into this modern, slightly boho boutique Coffee Shop, you immediately surrounded by the authentic warm atmosphere and cozy feel of the place. The vintage music is really good too, from 70s and 80s, it’s adding the spectacular charm.

Aroma of the roasted gourmet coffee, delicious pastries and chocolates filling the air, soft comfy chairs you can spend hours to work or read in, books and magazines in Turkish or English, and 3 cutest fluffy cats to become friends with.

The cafe is not only animal friendly, it’s also vegan and vegetarian friendly, with many vegan options are available.

It’s suitable for people with lactose intolerance, as there’re lactose free coffee latte and cappuccino available. Actually menu of Maple Coffee Shop has around 20 kinds of coffee varieties, including Matcha Latte, Caramelo Cappuccino and more.

There is wide selection of sandwiches, fried and baked snacks, puddings, breakfast granolas, chocolates, pastries, cakes, baklava, kunefe, and the must try food in Istanbul: the popular turkish cheese cakes, definitely the best ones on the Princes Islands and in Istanbul.

We ordered Sebastian Cheesecake and Blueberry Cheesecake covered in chocolate and kaymak, and they were both delicious!

In winters, autumns and springs Maple Coffee Shop is a warming and serene place, where you can sip delicious coffee and have pleasant moments in quiet peaceful atmosphere.

In summers the cafe usually is a bit more crowded, especially in afternoon and lunch time, because it’s popularity between both tourists and Istanbullers, and reputation for the amazing cappuccino, iced lattes, tiramisu and cheesecakes.

If you are coming to Maple Cafe in lunch or dinner time, there are pizzas, kebabs (rice & chicken kebab is amazing), fried shrimps, octypus rings, burgers, potatoes, salads, kofte and other savory dishes for any taste.

For the dessert, try Firin Sutlac, light and delicious turkish rice pudding made with cream, eggs and cinnamon.

We will definitely visit this cafe many more times in the future, as we really adored the atmosphere, cozy feel, music, food quality, one of the best coffees on the islands, and the fluffy cute cats! The people working in this coffee shop are very friendly too.

Maple Coffee Shop, Büyükada, Princes Islands, Istanbul Turkiye Address:

Nizam, Fenerbahçeli Lefter Sok. No: 30/A, 34970 Adalar/İstanbul, Türkiye