3 posts tagged “café culture istanbul”
Now it’s no secret that I like to lounge about and be a wastrel while sitting at a computer and looking busy. Altı is the kind of place that let’s me do just that, and it kicks the ass of most other cafés in the area in terms of dessert.
Ratings (out of 5):
Food ****
Design ***
Service ***
Price **
Smokiness **
Wireless ****
Overall ***
The first time I came to Altı, wasn’t on the prowl for a place throw away my afternoon reading. But the warm light and good paintings on the walls lured me inside. From that day forward, I realize that this was going to have to become a regular stop on my weekly rounds of places where I can ruminate and recaffinate.
Though I have yet to sample extensively from the menu, after two visits I can whole heartedly recommend their sweets. (Actually, that’s all I have tried. I hope their savory selections are as good as the sweet ones. But what do you want from me? I’m not being paid for this review, and food costs money, people!) The first dessert I had was a mini chocolate souffle, filled with steamy, melted dark chocolate and served with vanilla ice cream and mint. The second was a graham crust cheesecake topped with cooked apple slices, crushed walnuts, and cinnamon. Does it taste just like a New York cheesecake? No. Does it taste wonderful, rich, cheesy, and light? Yes. The only downside to both desserts was the decorative syrup surrounding them on the plate. The first was chocolate, the second strawberry. I’m not a fan of syrups, and would rather have the presentation be simple than have a cheaply sweet taste interfere with quality sugar and honey flavors.
The coffee here isn’t the best. I suggest you for the mint limonade if you don’t mind something cold. The seating is a good use of the space, and the narrow dining room seems larger because of the open design and good use of mirrors. There’s a nice garden in the back for warmer days as well. On the downside, the colors give a little bit of an IKEA-y feeling.
When it packs with people it gets too smoky, but the wireless signal is strong and fast. So, yeah, I’m going back.
PS – Will add some crapy pictures from my phone when I get home.
Ratings (out of 5):
Food ***
Design *****
Service ***
Price ***
Smokiness ***
Wireless ***
Overall ****
The food here is pretty good, but that’s not why I come. I
just had a something that was supposed to be nachos or something similar with
tortilla chips. It was fried pita triangles (still tasty – but not tortilla
chips). The cheese on the pita chips was scant and tasteless. Meh. They also
have an artichoke noodle dish that, while not amazing, had tons of tasty
artichoke hearts. On the upside, it’s reasonably priced and the other customers
it draws are great targets for people watching. A woman in what I can only
describe as "insanity glasses" and a haircut you could expect in the hippest
lesbian circles of Olympia, Washington was excitedly chatting with a friend
when I came in. Oh, I how I wish I had a photo of her!
I have been drawn towards the cafes in Cihangir because – as my friend Aysuda rightly pointed out – many of Istanbul’s cafés are more geared towards socializing than studying and solitary activities. At Susman it’s comfortably normal to spend the afternoon lingering over one’s laptop. This seems to be the home of other intellectual workers (er, wankers) like me who are dependent on the interwebs for their lifeblood.
The waiters always seem slightly annoyed with me (because I’m not part of the crowd yet?), but the food comes quickly and they aren't exactly rude.
Café Susman also makes a decent espresso, which is surprisingly hard to find here, and the music is good. I have realized while writing this that most of my reviews will be pretty favorable for the next couple of weeks because I don’t like to spend time in cafés that are blech. Bear with me. I’m sure I will find plenty to hate on in the following months.
Oh, and these are some sorry pics from my cell phone. Seriously folks – can someone recommend a place to get a cannon camera battery here? One guy told me to wander among sellers of electro-junk in Eminönü. There has to be a better way!
I’m going to be writing small reviews of the hip cafés in Istanbul, since there doesn’t seem to be a good source for this information.
Though I have been getting tea and snacks all over Beyoğlu, so far my favorite cafés are almost exclusively in Cihangir. However, I want to venture out to other parts of the city (especially the Asian side) and try to find the perfect places for whiling away an afternoon with a warm drink and a book.
The criteria I was thinking of using are: food, design, price, smokiness, wireless capability, and overall experience. If you have any further suggestions, I am open to them. I was thinking of rating each category 1 (low) to 5 (high), supplemented by notes.
In lieu of having a real working camera, I am experimenting with using my shitty phone camera until I am able to get out of the picture pickle. So I’ll try to get some images to hurry things along. I already have three places I can to review, but I need to get photos. In the meantime, I’ll keep noshing my way across the city.
