Coffee @ Artemis Restaurant and Wine House, Sirince, Turkey

Few things come to mind when it comes to Turkey. And when it comes to their cuisine, other than kebab, coffee pops up as the second most popular, eventhough it is a drink. And there is no better way than doing it traditionally in a small village tucked in Sirince.

A museum in itself.

Artermis Restaurant is located in the center of this little village and it has an amazing history. Formerly a school, it is now a restaurant with its own winery at the bottom. Now it serves locals and visitors with snacks, various meals and of course the above mentioned coffee at a terrace located outside the school. Feel free to explore the school house. It does feel like a time capsule.

The stage is set. 

After some exploring, its time for coffee. It is TL 10 for a cup, so it is no small change. But you can see the coffee been made before you from start to finish using the old fashioned method of heated sand. No espresso machines here.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. 

Once the bronze pot starts to bubble, your brew is ready. Each patron is given a small cup of the concoction and a piece of Turkish delight aka lokum, as it is called by the locals, to clear off any bitter edge. I got to admit, the cup is really pretty and classy.

A pretty cup.

Taste wise? Its good coffee, but its something that I have tasted before. In fact, a bit too familiar. The coffee has a musky smell and a woody after tone. Very similar to Malaysian kopi-O beans. There is an ash afterburn flavour in the end, which does give it a slight difference. Still good though.

Black gold. 

You need to be wary of the sediment at the bottom, which is the bits of grounded beans. you can leave it aside, or down it ala kopi luwak style. And being Turkey, everything has sugar, so its a bit sweet.

A view worth the trouble in getting to. 

Still, it was an interesting experience seeing it done before you the old fashion way. And being in a town like Sirince, the view does make up for it. It is not easy to come here as you would need to charter a bus. But if you really want to make that effort in doing so, then Artemis is located as follows:


Şirince Mahallesi, Şehit Yüksel Özülkü Caddesi No:7, 35920 Şirince Köyü/Selçuk/Selçuk/İzmir, Turkey