Café Emir

Yes. You can get a cup of Turkish coffee in Condesa. For those of you that don’t fare from regions influenced by Ottoman cuisine, Turkish coffee is not a type of coffee, it refers to the method preparation which involves simmering finely ground coffee until it fully blooms, pouring the coffee and allowing the grounds to settle, without straining or filtering the coffee.

As you can see from the photo, quite a bit residue remains at the bottom of the cup of Turkish coffee.

Despite the rather pungent appearance of the coffee it’s actually less bitter than your typically French roast or Italian espresso dark-roast. The method of brewing imparts a somewhat unique and exotic taste.

Coffee connoisseurs will appreciate the opportunity to add a little variety to their coffee-drinking regime.

There’s nothing fancy about this café in terms of décor, but it’s pleasant enough. No table service. You order and pay at the counter, pick up your cup of coffee when it’s finished brewing, and enjoy it out on one of four small tables on the sidewalk.

Café Emir also offers a variety of roasted coffee by the bag. I notice they had a bin with “peaberry” coffee beans, a mutant bean that allegedly roasts more evenly due to its uncharacteristic round shape. And they have “marago” which is mutation of the Arabica Typica bean, typically sourced from, and originally discovered in Brazil.

Café Emir won’t win any awards for ambiance, but it’s got some unique coffee that will be of interest to coffee fanatics. And the prices are a bit more reasonable than those at many of the cafés in the neighborhood.