Lebon Patisserie & Café
Lebon Patisserie & Café was a historic French-style pastry shop and café on Istanbul’s İstiklal Avenue, associated with the culinary and social life of Beyoğlu from the Ottoman period until its final closure in 2022.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Lebon Patisserie & Café, known in Turkish as Lebon Pastanesi and historically also as Şekerci Lebon or Maison Lebon, was a historic pastry shop and café in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Its identity was rooted in the French culinary influence that shaped Pera, the district now known as Beyoğlu, during the late Ottoman period. The business was associated with French-style pastries, confectionery, café service and an elegant European interior, making it both a commercial establishment and a notable meeting place in Istanbul’s cultural life. The shop’s origins are described through two related foundation traditions. It was long reported as having been established in 1886 by Edouard Lebon, a French chef who had worked in the kitchen of the French Embassy in Constantinople. A later-discovered chocolate box bearing the inscription “Lebon 1810” led to the establishment date being revised to 1810. Charles Bourdon is also identified as the founder in historical accounts, while Edouard Lebon became the figure most closely associated with the shop’s later development and public identity. Because the historical record contains conflicting foundation claims, the precise early chronology remains partly uncertain. Lebon operated on Grand rue de Péra, today’s İstiklal Avenue, near the Passage Oriental. Its clientele reflected the cosmopolitan character of Pera, which was home to Levantine, Greek, Armenian, Jewish and other non-Muslim communities, as well as foreign visitors and affluent residents. The business became known for French dragées, cakes and profiteroles, reportedly prepared using a cake oven imported from Europe. Its reputation for quality and luxury was summarized by the slogan “Chez Lebon, tout est bon,” meaning that everything at Lebon was good. The establishment’s setting was an important part of its appeal. Its interior was associated with the French-Ottoman architect Alexander Vallaury. During the 1920s, Art Nouveau tiled wall panels depicting the four seasons were commissioned from France. Not all of the original decoration survived: the winter panel was destroyed and the summer panel was later removed and replaced with a mirror. The shop also used Limoges porcelain from Haviland, Christofle tableware and Décugis crystal, reinforcing its positioning as an upscale European-style café and patisserie. Lebon attracted wealthy travelers arriving in Istanbul on the Orient Express and prominent literary and cultural figures. Historical accounts associate the venue with poets and writers including Ahmet Haşim, Tevfik Fikret, Abdülhak Hâmid, Yahya Kemal, Namık Kemal, Ziya Pasha, İbrahim Şinasi and Pierre Loti. These associations helped make the business part of the cultural memory of old Pera rather than merely a food-service outlet. After Edouard Lebon’s death in 1937, management passed to his Ottoman Greek chef’s assistant, Kostas Litopoulos. In 1940, the pastry shop moved across the street. Its earlier premises later became associated with Markiz Patisserie, and important Lebon decorative elements remained there. The original business subsequently disappeared from the historical record for extended periods, particularly between the 1950s and 1980s. A revived Lebon was established near the original location by Şakir Ekinci and Abdurrahman Cengiz during the 1980s or 1990s, with accounts differing on the precise reopening date. The revived business preserved the Lebon name and general pastry-shop concept, but its décor and recipes were not identical to those of the original establishment. It continued operating as a patisserie and café in Beyoğlu until rising rent costs created financial pressure. The owners considered closure from 2021, and the revived Lebon finally ceased business at the end of October 2022. No successor operating company, current website or continuing location is identified in the available reference material.
History
Lebon Patisserie & Café was a historic pastry shop and café in Pera, the district now called Beyoğlu in Istanbul. Its history is connected to the French culinary presence in the Ottoman capital and to the cosmopolitan commercial culture of Grand rue de Péra, now İstiklal Avenue. The establishment date is disputed in surviving accounts. It was traditionally described as having been founded in 1886 by Edouard Lebon, a French chef who had worked at the French Embassy in Constantinople. A chocolate box marked “Lebon 1810” was later found by a customer, prompting the earlier date to be adopted in accounts of the business. Charles Bourdon is also named as the founder. The available evidence therefore supports an early nineteenth-century origin while leaving the precise relationship between Bourdon, Edouard Lebon and the two dates unresolved. The shop opened near the Passage Oriental on Grand rue de Péra. It sold French-influenced confectionery and pastries, including dragées, cakes and profiteroles. The business became known for European equipment and service standards, including a cake oven imported from Europe. Its clientele included affluent Istanbul residents, foreign travelers and cultural figures. The shop’s association with Orient Express travelers and well-known poets and writers strengthened its role as a landmark of old Pera. The interior was central to Lebon’s reputation. It was associated with the French-Ottoman architect Alexander Vallaury and included French Art Nouveau tiled panels representing the four seasons. The panels were not fully preserved: the winter panel was destroyed, while the summer panel was eventually removed. Lebon also used luxury tableware and serving objects from Haviland, Christofle and Décugis. The slogan “Chez Lebon, tout est bon” expressed the brand’s premium positioning. After Edouard Lebon died in 1937, his former chef’s assistant Kostas Litopoulos took over management. The pastry shop moved across the street in 1940. The original premises later became linked to Markiz Patisserie, while some of Lebon’s historic decorative features remained in that location. Information about the original business is incomplete for much of the period from the 1950s through the 1980s. A new Lebon was opened near the historic site by Şakir Ekinci and Abdurrahman Cengiz. Reference accounts place this revival in the 1980s or 1990s, with one account specifying 1985. The revived operation used the historic name but did not reproduce the original décor and recipes exactly. It continued serving as a pastry shop and café in Beyoğlu until increasing rent costs undermined its viability. The owners considered closing from 2021, and the second Lebon shut at the end of October 2022. The available material does not identify a continuing successor or an active location.
- 2022
Final closure
[1]The revived Lebon Patisserie & Café closed at the end of October 2022 because of increased rent.
- 2021
Closure considered amid rent pressure
[1]The revived business began facing serious difficulty meeting rent obligations, and closure was considered as occupancy costs increased.
- 1985
Lebon name revived
[1]Şakir Ekinci and Abdurrahman Cengiz opened a new Lebon Patisserie near the historic location. Some accounts place the revival in the 1990s, so the exact reopening year is uncertain.
- 1940
Move to a new location
[1]Lebon Patisserie moved across the street from its earlier premises. The former location later became associated with Markiz Patisserie.
- 1937
Management passes to Kostas Litopoulos
[1]Following Edouard Lebon’s death, management was taken over by Kostas Litopoulos, his Ottoman Greek chef’s assistant.
- 1920
Art Nouveau interior panels commissioned
[1]During the 1920s, French tiled panels depicting the four seasons were installed as part of the shop’s interior decoration.
- 1886
Lebon associated with Edouard Lebon
[1]The business was traditionally reported as having been established in 1886 by Edouard Lebon, a French chef formerly connected with the French Embassy in Constantinople.
- 1810
Earliest claimed founding date
[1]A chocolate box bearing the inscription “Lebon 1810” led later accounts to identify 1810 as the earliest establishment date, although the historical chronology remains disputed.
Products and positioning
Historic, French-influenced and upscale pastry-shop and café brand associated with Istanbul’s cosmopolitan Beyoğlu district, European confectionery traditions and literary-cultural heritage.
Confectionery
French dragées
French-style dragées were among the products associated with Lebon’s historic confectionery identity. They reflected the shop’s European culinary orientation and helped distinguish it from ordinary neighborhood bakeries.
Patisserie
Cakes and pastries
Lebon offered cakes and French-influenced pastries as core products. The shop’s reputation rested on premium preparation, European presentation and its position within Istanbul’s cosmopolitan Pera district.
Patisserie
Profiteroles
Profiteroles were specifically associated with Lebon’s pastry offering. Historical accounts describe them among the products baked using an oven imported from Europe.
Café
Café service
Beyond retail confectionery, Lebon operated as a café and social venue. Its luxury tableware, historic interior and central Beyoğlu location supported a leisurely, European-style café experience.
Brand decisions
2022
Closure following rent increaseOtherBackground
The revived location faced increasing rent costs and was reportedly unable to meet its rental obligations.
Action taken
The owners closed the business at the end of October 2022.
Aftermath
Lebon Patisserie & Café became defunct. No active successor location or operating website is identified in the available reference material.
1985
Revival of the Lebon nameStrategyBackground
After a long period with limited historical documentation, Şakir Ekinci and Abdurrahman Cengiz sought to restore the Lebon name near its historic Beyoğlu setting.
Action taken
The entrepreneurs opened a new pastry shop using the Lebon identity and continued the business as a patisserie and café.
Aftermath
The revived business preserved the name and category but differed from the original in its design and recipes. Accounts variously date the revival to 1985 or the 1990s.
1940
Relocation across İstiklal AvenueStrategyBackground
The historic pastry shop moved from its original premises to a location across the street.
Action taken
Lebon continued operating from the new premises while elements of the former interior remained in the building later associated with Markiz Patisserie.
Aftermath
The move divided the physical legacy of the brand between the operating shop and the preserved decorative features at the former site.
Sources1 sources
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