Fascinating, with a long history and rich cultural appeal, the Turkish city offers a truly unique tasting experience. Coffee in Istanbul represents a true cult, so much so that it was recognized as a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2013. The very name "coffee" comes from the Turkish word Kahve.

Coffee in Istanbul: the Turkish coffee ritual

A magical, unmissable moment to fully breathe in the evocative atmosphere that envelops Istanbul. The break with Turkish coffee represents a real and very precise daily ritual, composed of small gestures of a tradition established over centuries.

Coffee is prepared in a coffee pot called a cezve, the characteristic brass pot. It is served accompanied by a glass of water and some typical treat called lokum.

How to order coffee in Turkish in Istanbul

If you want to order coffee in Turkish, then you need to know these three expressions:

• Sade: without sugar.
• Orta şekerli: medium sweetened.
• Çok şekerli: very sweetened.

Historic coffee shops in Istanbul

The city of Istanbul has a thousand-year history behind it, made up of wars, empires, and people meeting and mixing. And in these encounters, coffee cannot help but play an essential role.

Therefore, a real ritual has been built around its preparation, starting with the roasting of the beans and ending with the preparation we mentioned earlier.

Over the years, this love and deep respect for coffee has led to the establishment of numerous coffee shops, with the purpose of spreading, precisely, the ancient Turkish coffee tradition.

Let us see which ones are the most famous today.

Tarihi Bagdat Kuru Kahvecisi

If it is the history of Turkish coffee that you are looking for, then this is the right place. It is located on Bagdat Street and serves traditional coffee along with the equally typical coffee made with rubber putty.

Turk Kahvesi by Niyazi Bey

The popularity of this coffee shop has led to the street where it is located being called "the street of Turkish coffee." In keeping with tradition, coffee is served here with water and Turkish delight.

Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi

Nestled in the historic part of town, this coffee shop is famous because it brews Turkish coffee with the heat of coal. The place is very quiet and allows for a refreshing break after a long walk.