A staggering 17 million tourists visited Antalya in 2024. It’s easy to see the appeal. In answer to the perennial question, “Mountains or the beach?” Antalya has both. The snow-capped Taurus Mountains meet the Mediterranean Sea in such a picturesque manner, it feels AI generated.
Most tourists who visit Antalya go straight from the airport to one of the province’s many all-inclusive resorts. These hotels offer private access to pristine beaches, but the coffee is hardly anything to write home about. Coffee lovers adventurous enough to escape from the all-inclusive bubble will find a booming coffee scene, built by a strong community of local roasters and bolstered by the city’s diverse immigrant community.
These are some of the coffee shops leading the way in Turkey’s fifth-largest city.
The Sudd Coffee
Hadrian’s Gate commemorates the Roman emperor’s visit to the city in 130 CE. The impressively maintained monument also marks the entrance to Antalya’s old city, Kaleiçi, literally “Inside the castle.”
Here, among the carpet sellers and souvenir shops, is one of The Sudd Coffee’s three area cafes. The home-grown brand initially worked with different roasters around Turkey, but in 2022 The Sudd purchased a Turkish-made Besca coffee roaster and began roasting its own coffee.
When Sprudge visits the Sudd’s Konyaaltı location, we try a syrupy-sweet shot of the house espresso: a single-origin Ethiopia, Idido.
“Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir were ahead of us, but Antalya is hungry,” says Orhan Tonguç, The Sudd’s director of coffee. The Sudd’s growth has been fueled by the recent acquisition of the company by celebrity chef Mehmet Akdağ, the third-generation chef/owner of the Antalya fine dining institution 7Mehmet.
Akdağ has an eye to grow the brand and a fourth cafe in Antalya’s port district is currently under construction. Naturally, the location will be the first to have a full kitchen.
Homestead Coffee
When American expat and longtime Istanbul resident Kurt Miller learned Antalya’s Incommon Coffee Roasters was up for sale, he made a drastic decision: he purchased the wholesale coffee roaster and moved his family to Antalya. Miller folded Incommon into his preexisting brand Homestead Coffee, which now operates cafes in both Istanbul and Antalya.
“Expanding Homestead to Antalya has allowed us to have a change of pace in life,” he says. “As a city on the Mediterranean, it’s surrounded by the beautiful sea and mountains. Being in a place like this gives us time to focus on the beauty of coffee instead of only the hustle and business.”
Homestead’s coffee can be found in many cafes and restaurants around town, but there’s perhaps no better place to try its light-roasted microlots than its Sarısu roastery and cafe. The neighborhood is located on the western edge of the city and boasts stunning views of the Taurus Mountains.
Surf Coffee
Whether it’s the retro surf magazines, surf rock records on repeat, or actual surfboards that adorn the interior, Surf Coffee perfectly encapsulates Antalya’s breezy beach town vibes. One might be surprised—I certainly was—to learn the brand started in Russia. Antalya’s sizeable Russian expat community lends the Mediterranean outpost a built-in fan base.
“They search for ‘Surf Coffee’ and come straight here,” says Mert Yılmaz, Surf Coffee’s manager.
The brand and clientele might lean Russian, but the coffee and baked goods come from closer to home. Surf Coffee works with Izmir’s Lot Coffee to source their private-label coffee. Our pour-over of Colombia, Martha Arcila was fruity and bright, with notes of dried apricot.
Hayy Coffee
With plentiful soft seating and a spacious garden, Konyaaltı’s Hayy Coffee is bringing cozy back. The neighborhood haunt might be tucked in a quiet backstreet but make no mistake, owner Resul Çevik is serious about coffee, as evidenced by the stack of coffee books that line the counter.
“I’m inspired by Daibo Coffee, a 39-year-old cafe in Tokyo, as well as modern coffee shops,” says Çevik. Over the last five years, Çevik has seen Antalya’s coffee scene grow in breadth and quality.
“Antalya’s coffee community is open to learning and is quickly improving. The expats living in Antalya and all of the tourists play a big role too,” says Çevik. “With Allah’s permission we will continue to learn more with every passing day.”
Hayy Coffee serves coffee from their long-time wholesale provider Homestead Coffee, and frequent guest coffees from various other roasters.
The Dose Coffee
It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic location for a coffee shop than Konyaaltı Street. The palm tree-lined boulevard’s wide sidewalks and scenic views of Antalya Bay make this a prime destination to see and be seen. It’s little wonder the patio seating at The Dose fills up before anyone ventures inside.
But the Dose offers more than pictures of shorelines. The open kitchen design—a rarity in Turkey—allows customers to glimpse the Dose’s pastry chefs hard at work making their destination-worthy desserts. Pro tip: the San Sebastian cheesecake pairs well with a pour-over roasted by Homestead.
Michael Butterworth is a coffee educator and consultant based in Istanbul, Turkey. Read more Michael Butterworth for Sprudge.
