Where coffee meets the Golden Horn: Step inside Starbucks’ first flagship store in Türkiye
On the shores of the Golden Horn, the light never stands still. It moves across the water, catches the outlines of the city and shifts with Istanbul’s changing rhythm.
Now, that sense of movement has found a new home inside Starbucks Tersane Istanbul Flagship, the first Starbucks flagship store in Türkiye and the third flagship destination worldwide, following Rome and Madrid. Bringing together coffee, art, music, design and gastronomy, the new store invites visitors to experience Istanbul through all the senses.
Step inside, and Istanbul is everywhere. It is in the flow of the space, the artworks inspired by the city’s waterways, the sounds filling the room and the coffee rituals that bring people together.
Welcome to Tersane.
Four elements, one remarkable city
Water, fire, earth and air form the starting point for the store’s design. Together, these four natural elements capture the movement, light and cultural richness of the Golden Horn, creating a space that feels connected to its surroundings.
Spanning 690 square metres, the flagship includes a spacious interior and a garden, with room for many kinds of moments: a quiet coffee break, a conversation between friends, an encounter with art or an evening gathering.
Curated by Bengü Gün, with design details by Aslı Saktanber, the experience is built around a theme both familiar and mysterious: “The Call of the Sirens”. Through that idea, Istanbul’s cultural heritage and the atmosphere of the Golden Horn are reimagined in works by local artists from a variety of disciplines.
The Golden Horn, captured in art
In a city shaped by water, every wave carries a memory.
For “Tidal Memory”, digital artist DECOL draws on year-round data inspired by the waves of the Golden Horn, changing weather conditions and light moving across the water. Displayed on screens around the store, the work transforms the rhythms of the surrounding landscape into digital art.
Elsewhere, marble artist Furkan Depeli offers a new interpretation of the Starbucks Siren. In “Act of Deviation”, a mermaid leaves the water and emerges onto land. Ceramic artist Gökçe İrten, meanwhile, brings together traces of the Bosphorus and marine life in “Poros”, connecting the story of the city with the materials and forms of the artwork.
Each piece offers a different way of looking at Istanbul. Together, they turn the store into a place of discovery, where art is not simply displayed but woven into the experience.
A new rhythm for coffee
Istanbul has its own soundtrack. At Tersane, that soundtrack flows through live piano performances, a carefully curated vinyl selection and a bespoke sound system.
Inspired by the sounds of the Golden Horn and the city’s energy, music becomes part of the coffee experience. At times, it offers visitors a refreshing pause. At others, it creates a setting for people to gather and discover something new together.
It is another expression of the store’s connection to Istanbul: layered, changing and always in motion.
Coffee craftsmanship meets tradition
At the centre of the experience is coffee.
Starbucks Reserve coffees are prepared using a range of brewing methods, giving visitors different ways to explore their character and flavour. The menu includes sand-brewed Turkish Coffee, bringing one of the country’s distinctive coffee rituals into the flagship experience, alongside coffee-based mocktails.
Created exclusively for the store, Tersane Microblend No.21 offers a flavour journey that is available only at this location.
The result is an experience that looks both outward and inward: exploring new expressions of coffee while recognising the rituals that have long made it a source of connection.
From the coffee bar to the open kitchen
Coffee is only part of what is being prepared.
Positioned at the heart of the store, an open kitchen brings food into the centre of the experience. Developed with consultancy from the Culinary Arts Academy, known as MSA, the exclusive menu includes breakfast dishes, pizza by the slice, salads, pasta and baked treats.
As the day changes, so does the invitation. Visitors might arrive for morning coffee and breakfast, pause over lunch or return later to enjoy music, conversation and something freshly prepared from the kitchen.
From the aroma of coffee to the flavours emerging from the open kitchen, there is always another detail to discover.
A piece of Tersane to take with you
The spirit of the flagship continues in a collection created especially for the store.
Visitors can discover tumblers, mugs, an exclusive pin set, a snow globe and a keyring available only at this location. A special Tersane Collection, developed in collaboration with Reflect Studio, also includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, scarves, bags and socks. Selected pieces can be personalised with a name, turning a keepsake into something individual.
Each design offers a lasting connection to the creativity of the space and the city that inspired it.
An invitation from Istanbul
For centuries, the Golden Horn has reflected Istanbul’s many layers: its histories and new beginnings, its everyday rituals and restless creativity.
Starbucks Tersane Istanbul Flagship brings those layers together under one roof. Here, the past meets the present. Art meets everyday life. Coffee is accompanied by music, food and new opportunities for connection.
Set beside the water and moving to the rhythm of the city, it is a gathering place designed to be experienced differently with every visit.
Come for the coffee. Stay for the art, flavours and sounds of Istanbul. And return to discover the story all over again.
