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

Finely ground robusta-and-arabica blend simmered three times in a long-handled cezve and poured unfiltered into small cups. Served with a glass of water and a square of lokum.

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.

3 editor picks for Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee) in Istanbul, ranked by editorial score. All Istanbul signature dishes · Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee) across every city.

Mandabatmaz ★ 4.7

₺CaféBeyoğlu

Mandabatmaz in Beyoğlu's Olivya Passage, a 1967 single-room Turkish coffee bar whose foamy cup is the standard against which the rest of Istanbul is measured.

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Sade Kahve ★ 4.5

₺CaféSarıyer

Sade Kahve below the Rumeli Hisarı fortress walls, where Turkish coffee gets brewed slow over hot ash and an all-day kahvaltı spread spills.

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Kahve Dünyası Nuruosmaniye ★ 3.8

₺CaféFatih

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

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