My spouse and I have had our fair share of yabancī (foreigner) rip-offs since arriving in Istanbul in January. I once paid 16TL for 3 small cups of Turkish black tea, a normal fare would have set a Turk back 6TL, an average of 2 TL per cup. Our most recent rip-off occurred at Beşiktaş Kaymakçī, a whole in wall eatery revered for its kaymak (clotted cream) served with honey and fresh bread. For 2 plates of 50gr kaymak, 2 fried eggs, and 2 small cups of tea, the owner of the joint attempted to charge us 30TL. The math just doesn't add up here. We were disappointed given the pricing and review we had read on Istanbul Eats stating one plate of kaymak even served with hot milk is only 4TL. Even is everything we ordered was 4TL each, our total still wouldn't have exceeded 24TL. We've learned our lesson now the hard way, twice: always see a menu with prices before ordering. No menu? Go somewhere else. It's not worth it.
Our dismay in Beşiktaş Kaymakçi led us to wonder the many side streets near Beşiktaş's main square. We happened upon an adorable and atmospheric cafe called Kirpi Cafe. Kirpi is hedgehog in Turkish and sure enough the cafe's logo displayed just that: an animated red-and-yellow hedgehog.
Kirpi Cafe's breakfast menu is extensive and even includes varying sizes of Turkish kahvaltī (breakfast) depending on your appetite. We ordered one büyük kahvaltī (big breakfast) and one Kirpi kahvaltī. Both breakfasts included tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, two types of Turkish cheeses, kaymak and honey, and fresh herbs. The Kirpi kahvaltī also included an omelette, two additional types of breads, Nutella spread and homemade quince jam. Both came with complimentary tea and our total was 21TL. Now doesn't that sound more like it? Yum. A full Turkish breakfast that was delicious and included attentive service and atmospheric
outdoor seating for a fair price.
If you are looking to visit Beşiktaş' Kirpi Cafe, you can locate it easily on Dursun Bakan Sokak No:23.
Kirpi Cafe's breakfast menu is extensive and even includes varying sizes of Turkish kahvaltī (breakfast) depending on your appetite. We ordered one büyük kahvaltī (big breakfast) and one Kirpi kahvaltī. Both breakfasts included tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, two types of Turkish cheeses, kaymak and honey, and fresh herbs. The Kirpi kahvaltī also included an omelette, two additional types of breads, Nutella spread and homemade quince jam. Both came with complimentary tea and our total was 21TL. Now doesn't that sound more like it? Yum. A full Turkish breakfast that was delicious and included attentive service and atmospheric
outdoor seating for a fair price.
If you are looking to visit Beşiktaş' Kirpi Cafe, you can locate it easily on Dursun Bakan Sokak No:23.