Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drinking & Nightlife
They may live in an officially Muslim country, but there are plenty of
İstanbullus who enjoy nothing more than heading to a
meyhane
(tav-
ern), bar or nightclub for a drink or two. Those who don't drink alco-
hol tend to gravitate to the city's rich array of
çay bahçesis
(tea gar-
dens) and
kahvehanes
(coffee houses).
Popular Drinks
NONALCOHOLIC DRINKS
Drinking
çay
(tea) is the national pastime. Sugar cubes are the only accompaniment and
they're needed to counter the effects of long brewing. No self-respecting Turk would dream
of drinking
elma çay
, the sweet 'apple tea' offered to many tourists.
Surprisingly,
Türk kahve
(Turkish coffee) isn't widely consumed. A thick and powerful
brew, it's drunk in a couple of short sips. If you order a cup, you will be asked how sweet
you like it -
çok şekerli
means 'very sweet',
orta şekerli
'middling',
az şekerli
'slightly
sweet' and
şekersiz
or
sade
'not at all'.
Freshly squeezed
portakal suyu
(orange juice) and
nar suyu
(pomegranate juice) are ex-
tremely popular drinks. In
kebapçıs
(kebap restaurants) patrons often drink
ayran (
a re-
freshing yoghurt drink made by whipping yoghurt with water and salt) or
şalgam suyu
(sour turnip juice).
If you're here during winter, you should try delicious and unusual
sahlep,
a hot drink
made from crushed tapioca-root extract.
NARGILES
While in town, be sure to visit a
çay bahçesi
. These atmosphere-rich venues are frequented by locals
who don't drink alcohol and are often redolent with apple-scented smoke from nargiles (waterpipes),
their substitute indulgence.