Where to Drink the Best Turkish Coffee in Gaziantep: Tahmis Kahvesi
If you ask us where to drink the best Turkish coffee in Gaziantep, our answer is Tahmis Kahvesi. Near the Bakฤฑrcฤฑlar รarลฤฑsฤฑ copper bazaar and Elmacฤฑ Pazarฤฑ, this historic coffeehouse has been part of our Antep visits since 2009. We first tried menengic coffee here. On our latest visit, it was the Turkish coffee, the expanding business and a conversation with Selim that gave us fresh reasons to return.
The coffeehouse we remember from 2009
What caught our attention on that first trip was the room itself: the wooden interior, high ceiling, mezzanine and a kuzine, a traditional stove used for heating and cooking. People came in for coffee and stayed to talk. On some of our earlier visits, local folk songs became part of the conversation.
We particularly like the view from the mezzanine. From up there, you can watch the counter, the tables and people arriving below. Gaziantep is a city where one meal can lead straight into another; Tahmis has long been one of our places to sit down and let the conversation catch up.
Why Tahmis is our pick for the best Turkish coffee in Gaziantep
Tahmis makes Turkish coffee under its own name, roasting and grinding coffee as well as serving it. We really enjoy the Turkish coffee here. Having it in a room we have returned to for years makes the stop even more appealing.
The range has grown considerably. Alongside the classic version, Tahmisโs coffee selection includes mastic, cardamom, wild strawberry and orange-chocolate varieties. Dibek, Ottoman-style blends and menengic are also sold as separate products. Looking at the shelves, you get a sense of how far the business has developed.
For a first visit, we would start with classic Turkish coffee. If you enjoy flavored versions, ask which ones are being served that day: the packaged range and the drinks available at the tables may differ. The boxes and packets are also worth a look if you want to take Tahmis coffee home or bring some back as a gift.
Another drink from this visit: cold menengic coffee
Menengic, also spelled menengiรง, is a local drink made from roasted, ground terebinth fruit. It is a different drink from Turkish coffee made with coffee beans. Our first taste of it was here, and we wrote about that earlier visit in our original Tahmis story on Harbiyiyorum (in Turkish).
This time we also ordered cold menengic coffee. It arrived in a tall glass with Tahmisโs snack selection alongside it. The drink in the photograph below is that cold menengic, another way to try a specialty we first encountered at these tables.
More outdoor tables, with baklava next door
Tahmis has expanded since our early visits. It has taken in space across the street, adding more outdoor seating. We still gravitate toward the historic hall and mezzanine, but the outdoor tables give visitors another place to pause when the weather suits.
There is now a Tahmis Baklava next door, so a coffee stop can include dessert too. Hookah service is also available. The Turkish coffee remained our main reason for this visit, while the baklava business was another visible sign of how Tahmis has grown.
Selimโs next chapter: taking Tahmis coffee abroad
We had a good conversation with Selim on this visit. As part of the new generation running Tahmis, he has pushed the business forward: more coffee varieties, thoughtfully designed boxes and packaging, and a clear ambition to reach customers abroad.
That international outlook is reflected in Tahmisโs export operation, which supplies Turkish coffee and traditional drinks from Gaziantep. We appreciate the attention being paid to production and presentation alongside the daily work of running a coffeehouse.
It is encouraging to see a place with this much history develop under a new generation. We can still sit in the room we remember, while the coffee made under the Tahmis name travels much further.
Nearly four centuries of coffeehouse history
Tahmis traces its origins to 1635. Turkeyโs official Culture Portal dates the coffeehouse building to 1638 and explains that Mustafa Aฤa had it built to provide income for the nearby Mevlevi lodge. The name Tahmis refers to a place where coffee was pounded.
The building has also been rebuilt: the same historical record describes major fires between 1901 and 1903, followed by reconstruction. Its appeal lies in the long coffeehouse tradition as much as in the architecture. Sitting here, we think about all the conversations and friendships these tables have held.
Our take
For us, Tahmis is one of Gaziantepโs most rewarding coffee stops: its own coffee, a memorable room and a business that continues to move forward. There is a Turkish saying that a cup of coffee earns forty years of friendship. At Tahmis, with almost four centuries behind it, we are tempted to make that four hundred.
If you are planning a food-focused day in the city, our Dukat Beyran review covers another Gaziantep stop. You can also read the Turkish edition of this Tahmis visit on Harbiyiyorum.
Where is Tahmis Kahvesi in Gaziantep?
The historic coffeehouse is in ลahinbey, around Elmacฤฑ Pazarฤฑ and the copper bazaar. Its address and telephone number are also listed in Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipalityโs venue guide.
Suyabatmaz Mahallesi, Buฤday Pazarฤฑ Sokak No:8/A
ลahinbey, Gaziantep, Turkey
+90 342 232 89 77
Official website โ
Check with Tahmis before visiting for current opening hours and the drinks available that day.
Questions before your coffee stop
Should we order Turkish coffee or menengic?
Choose Turkish coffee for the classic coffee-bean drink that is our main recommendation here. Choose menengic if you want to try the regional terebinth-based specialty. We also had a cold menengic on this visit.
Can we buy Tahmis coffee to take home?
Tahmis sells packaged coffee under its own brand, including classic and flavored Turkish coffees. Ask about the current selection and check the packaging for ingredients before choosing a variety.
Is there indoor and outdoor seating?
Both are available. The historic interior has a mezzanine, and the business has expanded its outdoor seating across the street. Our favorite view is from the mezzanine into the main hall.
More food stops for your trip
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