16 Nov Instanbul Café & Espresso Bar
I arrived a bit early – as usual – for my 11AM meeting this morning in the Yonge-Eglinton neighbourhood, so I decided to pop in to what is considered by many, Toronto’s best Turkish coffee shop, Istanbul Café & Espresso Bar. Although I have visited this café before, I’ve always had their double espresso and have never tried their Turkish coffee. Curious to see the difference, I decided on conducting a personal taste test.
I watched my barista go through the process of making my Turkish coffee (without sugar), which is a very involved process (check out an instructional video here). After several minutes of watching the creation of my pot of Turkish coffee, my taste test begins. The Istanbul espresso has a nice bitter hit with a bit of a sour tang – a taste I can definitely relate to. Without a doubt, the Turkish coffee definitely has more complexity and depth to it. I really like both, but I can see why coffee lovers that enjoy a bold and more earthy taste would love this brew. It is definitely an experience I would stop in for again.
Not only does Instabul serve up great Turkish coffee and espresso based drinks, they also pour wine, beer and select liquors for the locals in the evening. In addition, several Turkish sweets are offered up including, Turkish Delights, Pistachio and Walnut Baklava and Sari Burma. Other offerings include croissant, muffins and cookies as well as several gluten and vegan friendly treats.
If you are looking for a new spot, Instabul’s eclectic look and feel makes you want to sit back and relax for hours on-end. I get the impression, that is what a lot of locals do, as every time I visit, it’s always very hard to find a seat. Business seems to be flourishing even with all the construction along Eglinton Avenue – great news for Instabul and the residents of Yonge-Eglinton.
Time to head a few doors over for my 11AM meeting. Looks like I’ll be picking up a new listing today 🙂.
-torontoyourway
Instanbul Café & Espresso Bar – 174 Eglinton Avenue East