3 stars
Just as every summer Istanbulus migrate South to Alacati, so have the southern specialities started making their way back to the city. One of the most popular of the group is without a doubt sakiz. Many cafes feature something with sakiz, whether it be sakiz frozens, sakiz cheesecake or sakiz Turkish coffe- now we’ve even got an entire café devoted to the unique mastic. The Nisantasi venue is so small, that upon entering, you are sure to think the venue is the entryway while trying to make your way farther back. There are various Turkish coffees to try, and if you desire, you can take some home with you. There are no coffee options other than Turkish coffee, but if you wish there were, just remember how many Starbucks and Caffe Neros dominate nearly every street corner! The décor is quite intense, heavy on Turkish motifs, red rugs and turquoise walls. The capacity of the venue is quite limited; 5-6 can be seated indoors, while 3-4 outdoors. The coffee belongs to Izmir’s ‘Seyit Ali Efendi & Mahdumlari’. In addition to classic and sakiz Turkish coffee, you can choose from chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla and coconut flavours. The coffee is served in a white coffee cup, along with a glass of water and a lokum. You can also purchase a coffee cup set from different regions of Turkey. The café also sells Cesme jams, including sakiz, fig, tomato, bitter orange, pistachio, lemon, bergamot and black mulberry flavours. One coffee is 5 TL; 100 gr packages of normal coffee is 1.50 TL; sakiz coffee 6 TL, all others 5 TL.
Cafe Sakizli
(0212) 343 20 55
Ihlamur yolu prof. Dr. Orhan Ersek Sokak 20/B, Teşvikiye
www.cafesakizli.com
Open everyday except Sunday from 09.00-20.00. Credit cards accepted.