Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee)
Photo: Tema · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Coffee reached Istanbul in 1554 when two Syrian merchants opened the first kahvehane in Tahtakale; the city has poured Turkish coffee continuously since. UNESCO inscribed Turkish coffee culture on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013, citing the preparation method, the social ritual and the cezve as defining elements.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse every bookable food experience

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 5 minTotal 10 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 heaped teaspoons Turkish coffee, ground to a fine powder
  • 2 small cups (around 70ml each) cold water
  • Sugar to taste (sade = none, az sekerli = 1 teaspoon, orta = 2, sekerli = 3)
  • Cold water and lokum, to serve

Method

  1. Measure cold water into the cezve, one cup per drinker. Add the coffee and sugar without stirring.
  2. Place on the lowest possible heat. Wait until the coffee bed darkens and a thick crema begins to form on top, about 3 minutes.
  3. When the foam rises and is about to spill, lift off the heat. Spoon half the foam evenly into the cups.
  4. Return the cezve to the heat for 20 seconds until it rises a second time.
  5. Pour the rest slowly, holding back the grounds so they settle in the cezve. The foam should sit thick on each cup.
  6. Serve immediately with a glass of cold water (a sip first, to clear the palate) and a square of lokum.

Tip from the editors. If the foam never builds, your heat is too high; turn it as low as the burner allows and walk away from the stove.

Where to eat türk kahvesi (turkish coffee)

Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee) in Istanbul

Mandabatmaz ★ 4.6

₺₺ TurkishBeyoğlu

Mandabatmaz in Olivya Geçidi, a one-table Beyoğlu Turkish coffee bar running since 1967, the cup of foam so dense the buffalo doesn't sink. Family-friendly.

Why locals goTucked inside the Olivya Passage off Istiklal, easy to miss for anyone not looking for the unmarked alley.

TipOrder an orta-şekerli (medium-sweet) and stay for two; the kahveci will keep refilling water.

Directions

Kahve Dünyası Nuruosmaniye ★ 3.8

₺ CaféFatihWork-friendlyWifi

Kahve Dünyası beside the Grand Bazaar's Nuruosmaniye gate, the Turkish coffee chain's polished flagship where sand-brewed cups arrive with a square.

DrinkSand-brewed Turkish coffee

Directions

Sade Kahve ★ 4.4

₺₺ ₺500-800BrunchBosphorus terrace serpme kahvaltıSarıyer

Sade Kahve at Rumeli Hisarı, an all-day breakfast house under the fortress walls, the serpme board served on the water-facing terrace until 02:00.

OrderFull kahvaltı board with sucuklu yumurta

Directions

All Istanbul signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want türk kahvesi (turkish coffee) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →