FAQs

We are always trying to improve our customers experience, the best way to do this is by managing our customers’ expectations, we have some faq’s below that might put a light on what direction we want the Ottoman Coffeehouse to go down.

So what is the Ottoman Coffeehouse and what should you expect from your visit?

It's a place to come and relax while enjoying a coffee or other hot beverage, we also offer a variety of food, the coffee we offer is Specialty grade, the food is made from scratch so its always fresh, the downside to this is that we will run out of many items by the end of the night.

What do you mean ‘specialty grade’?

 Specialty coffee is a term for the highest grade of coffee available, typically relating to the entire supply chain, using single origin or single estate coffee. The term was first used in ‘74 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. 

How is the coffee graded?

 The widely accepted definition of specialty coffee is coffee scoring 80 points or above on the 100-point scale used on the Specialty Coffee Association Cupping form.

 90–100 is graded Outstanding,

85–89.99 is graded Excellent,

80–84.99 is graded Very Good.

Sounds special? 

 Specialty coffee represents the very best of the world's coffee yield or 3% of global production.

Are all the coffees at the Ottoman Coffeehouse specialty?

 We only use coffee scored 84+, from the absolute best roasters across the globe.

Do you guys sell Panini etc?

 Nope, we thought we would offer something a little different, than the usual sandwiches, bagels and soups, Our chefs experimented with many differing types of food and recipes that would be commercially viable for us to provide, and sustain us throughout the year, the food is an accompaniment to the coffee.

 We don't claim to be providing Michelin star food, our offer is less complicated, comfort food, the spices are a combination of South Asian infused spices, with the chefs own touch. We wanted to offer customers visiting the coffeehouse an alternative to the boring bland cold sandwiches.

So your food is not Turkish?

 So let's clear this up, We are called the Ottoman Coffeehouse, we offer authentic Turkish Coffee, we can boldly claim to have the best Turkish coffee that you will ever drink, we use authentic brewing techniques coupled with our expansive knowledge of coffee from both the SCA and Italy, to pull an absolutely fantastic Turkish coffee, however If you are after authentic Turkish food, then we can recommend some amazing Turkish restaurants in and around Glasgow, Our food however is not Turkish, although we have several items that are typically Turkish, when we intially opened back in 2015 we us had a rotating kitchen, Yemeni, Libyan, Kurdish etc, and Turkish, this however was not financially viable as the uptake of the food was not palatable for our customers, who had been fed Indian food since the 70s, we then spent many years perfecting dishes that would sell well to our clientele. We have dishes like Mixed Shawarma with hummus on naan and to Avocado Salmon on a bed of Turkish Salad etc. We have the flexibility to amend and experiment with different dishes, we should always have something to please everyone.

Why are you called the ‘Ottoman Coffeehouse’ when not all your dishes are Turkish?

 ‘Ottoman’ - It’s an interesting question, The 600 year old Ottoman Empire, for most of its existence, predated nationalism. The Ottoman Empire was built by Turkman nomad tribes who came from Turkmenistan due to the conquest of Anatolia by the Seljuks Turkmans, Therefore the Ottomans can be considered Turks, at least in origin, to refer to them as Turkish though, is problematic, as Turkish is not really an ethnic identity. It is a national one, crystallised by Mustafa Kemal in 1924. The Ottoman Empire was a multi-cultural Empire, it combined Turks (Turkmens) Greeks, Armenians, Kurds, Arabs and the Balkan people.

‘Coffeehouse’ - Coffee houses began in the hearth of the Ottoman Empire, providing an alternative gathering place, to socialise and share ideas. The Coffee itself reached Constantinople in the 16th century, The Ottomans developed a new brewing method: roasting the beans over a fire, grinding them and then gently boiling them in water over fire. The Ottomans were instrumental in the spread of coffee.

What should you expect when visiting the Coffeehouse?

 Probably better to describe what not to expect.

 We don't do gimmicks, we offer a variety of different coffees, with various brew methods, our food is served as street food, Don’t expect Michelin star presentation, we don’t have fire crackers and dancers when we serve the food, and if you want salt, just ask we will give you a salt shaker.

 Our coffeehouse isn’t for everyone, it’s a place which is not modern, in the sense of the word, it’s a cozy, laid back and relaxed place for you to enjoy, if that’s your kind of thing.

 Our place is your place, imagine being guests, invited into an eastern living room. We will welcome you and serve you, nothing less. (as long as you leave when we close).

What’s so great about your coffee?

 We don’t say we have the greatest coffee, Our coffee is good like many other coffee shops across the UK, If our customers feel we have the best coffee, we always credit the farmers and roasters who provide the best red berry, all we do is use our knowledge and experience to extract the best flavours from the berry. We also have some of the best equipment to help with providing a fantastic cup.

 We have invested in 4 espresso grinders (Mythos1&2), 2 world class filter grinders (EK43 & PK100 Lab) to provide you with the very best grind. This helps a great deal in extraction of flavours.

Is Manuel Married?

 No, he is not, however I think he is taken.

Would you guys franchise Ottoman?

 No, not everything needs to be franchised.

Are dogs allowed?

 Currently we only allow assistance dogs, as per our landlord policy.

Do you hire out the venue?

 No, we don’t, as we would have to close for us to do so.

Do you guys take bookings?

 No. its walk ins only.

If you have any other questions or any thing that you feel is not correct in the above, please send me a message at admin@ottomancoffeehouse.co.uk.

I think that will be all, until next time. Thanks for reading.