Two drinks, two separate rituals. You can learn to order both correctly in five minutes.
Turkish coffee is ordered by sugar, not by size. There are four:
- Sade — no sugar
- Az şekerli — half a spoon
- Orta — one spoon, the usual choice
- Şekerli — two spoons
The sugar goes in while it is brewing, not afterwards, which is why you have to say so when you order. Grounds are left in the bottom of the cup — do not drink them; stop at the last mouthful.
The water that comes with it is drunk before the coffee, not after, to clear the palate. If there is a piece of lokum, that is also for before.
Turning the cup over to read the grounds is a real tradition, though these days it is mostly done in fun. You upturn the cup on the saucer, wait for it to cool and read the shapes. If someone offers, let them; nobody is taking your future seriously.
Tea is everywhere and at every hour, served in a small waisted glass. Hold it by the rim, not the body — the glass is thin and the tea is genuinely hot.
You can specify the strength:
- Açık — diluted with water, light
- Demli — strong, the default
- Tavşan kanı — literally "rabbit's blood": strong but clear, the ideal
Do not ask for milk. Tea is not drunk with milk here and there probably is none. Sugar comes as cubes on the side; ask if you want lemon.
Where. For coffee, the roasters of Karaköy and the cafés of Cihangir; for tea, anywhere at all. Tea gardens are the cheapest view in the city: for the price of one glass you can sit looking at the Bosphorus for an hour, and nobody will wait for you to leave. That is the rule, not a courtesy.
Prices. Tea is very cheap, Turkish coffee is cheap, third-wave espresso costs close to European prices. A glass of tea is 15–25 lira depending on where you sit.