Chris Bird

As summer approaches what better place to don your shades and order a Turkish kahve than the famous Emek Cafe in Yeniköy. Facing directly onto the Bosphorous this little cafe is a regular haunt of a wide mix of locals, trendies, well known celebrities of stage and screen and even former Turkish prime minister Tansu Çiller who lives nearby.
The menu isn't fancy or expensive, with popular classic Turkish breakfast platters setting you back about 12YTL. The menemen, a kind of surreal Turkish omelette, is a favourite amongst regulars and goes well with a big glass of Turkish tea.
The cafe seats about 40 people outside and maybe 30 inside with young lovers tending to grab the most romantic tables right on the seafront from where they can watch the ferry boats chug past into the sunset. Fish sometimes congregate along the shore here, banking on the goodwill of the customers who usually generously toss bread into the sea for them.
Good Turkish coffee and classic sage tea (ada çayi) are shepherded around by jovial waiters: English isn't spoken but that isn't usually a problem as staff are used to foreign customers and there is an informal, cheerful vibe to the whole place. On Sunday mornings the cafe is jam-packed to the rafters and you might even have to queue to claim a seat.
Snack food such as toasted sandwiches, kebabs and köfte burgers might not be haute cuisine, but at Emek, it's the location that is truly marvellous. Stick to the breakfasts and the coffee and fill yourself up on the superb views of the Bosphorus instead.