Merhaba! (Hello!)
Bir Türk kahvesi, lütfen
beer TURK kah-VEH-see, LOOT-fen
One Turkish coffee, please
Sade / az şekerli / orta / çok şekerli
SAH-deh / az sheh-ker-LEE / or-TAH / chok sheh-ker-LEE
No sugar / a little / medium / very sweet
Ne kadar?
neh kah-DAR
How much?
Çok güzel!
chok goo-ZEL
Very beautiful / delicious!
The original — finely ground coffee simmered in a cezve; served in a small cup with grounds settled at the bottom; always specify sweetness
Coffee made from wild pistachios — a traditional Anatolian alternative with no caffeine
Growing in Istanbul's third-wave cafes — light-roast single-origins; world-class in Karaköy
Available everywhere now; specialty bars in Istanbul use excellent equipment
Winter drink — hot milk thickened with orchid-root powder; not coffee but a cafe staple in cold months
Turkish coffee is always served with a glass of water — drink it first to cleanse your palate
After drinking, some turn the cup upside down for fortune-telling from the grounds
Coffee is a symbol of hospitality — refusing a cup is mildly impolite
The first coffeehouse in the world opened in Istanbul in 1554 — you're in its home city
Specialty cafes in Karaköy are modern and English-friendly
Tea (çay) is more common than coffee in most of Turkey outside major cities
10% is appreciated in sit-down cafes. Rounding up at counter service is normal. Specialty bars often have tip jars.
₺80–₺150 for Turkish coffee; ₺100–₺200 for espresso drinks in specialty bars
Did you know? The word 'coffee' comes from the Arabic qahwa, which the Turks adopted as kahve — Istanbul's kahvehaneler (coffeehouses) were the world's first public gathering places for intellectual and political discussion.