I have never seen coffee places emerging so quickly and I was living for 4 years in Brno, the city known for coffee shops! But Ankara has found its passion and it is working on it every day.
Third wave coffee, the movement symbolizing producing high-quality coffee and considering coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, rather than a commodity, has found its way to Ankara. The capital of Turkey is now serving quality and freshly roasted coffee at almost every corner of the city. Everyone wants to possess their own small nicely smelling paradise. And as many people are trying to do so, some streets in the city could even be renamed to “Coffee street”, like Bülten Sokak in a busy neighbourhood of Tunali. Coffee place after coffee place and yet, all of them are full!
Are you in for energetic espresso shot or rather enjoy a cup of afternoon cappuccino while chitchatting with your friends? When the weather is too hot (and here in Ankara it is almost every day in the summer!) feel free to taste the cold brew or ice latte and cool yourself down a bit. Add broad selection of delicious cheesecakes and other sweet pleasures and you have a heaven, right there, in the well thought out designer coffee places. Freelancers or students will enjoy the hipster atmosphere, just asking you to take the mac out of the bag and start working.
Although Turkish coffee is still the most favourite coffee throughout Turkey, the emergence of the modern coffee culture plays a significant role. Third generation coffee shops in Ankara are everything but traditionally Turkish. You will not find Turkish music, decor or anything just slightly similar to the Turkish culture. The only thing in common with traditional Turkish places is that they both do not serve alcohol.
But all of those coffee places have some things in common among themselves. Mostly it is young, friendly staff, just excited about opening their own place and sharing their passion with customers, hoping their place will stick. Secondly it is truly quality coffee and important absence of nescafé (which is being proudly offered at surprisingly many other places in Turkey). Moreover, you will find a book shelf with wide selection of interesting books and local magazines in each of the coffee shops. Majority of them also have some kind of “designer corner”, offering either unique pieces of clothing or for example original postcards of Ankara.
F451 Brew, Sloth Coffee Shop, Crop Coffee Shop, Koala Coffee Shop, Aya Coffee & Roastery, Padam Coffee Shop... Even the names look for the English rather than Turkish alternative. The modern coffee culture in Ankara is on its peak, I even saw another coffee place to be opened soon in our neighbourhood, and Instagram informed me about Federal Coffee Company being opened today. Still, the numerous ambitious coffee houses in Ankara do not threaten the ultimate favourite – Starbucks, as I passed by new branch of the company just yesterday.
As I was visiting at least one new coffee place in few days in the past three weeks, I might have developed a significant coffee obsession. My favourite place, to which I have frequently returned, became Kakule Kahve, stylish, light and cozy place in the city’s centre, Kizilay. The staff there remembered me and it made me feel even more welcome (well, it’s not so hard to remember a foreigner ginger in a non-touristic Ankara). But I enjoyed visiting all of the places that I managed to find and it is always up to each individual to grow fond of some place. And I guarantee you, you would find your own favourite coffee house in Ankara. If not right now, just wait a few days for new one to be opened.
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