Monday, July 05, 2010

Coffee House Review: Cafe Divan


Located on the corner of 34th and Wisconsin in upper Georgetown, Cafe Divan offers relatively cheap Turkish food, modern decor, and, yes, Turkish coffee. Rated as one of Washingtonian's "Cheap Eats," Divan has a wide array of Turkish and Mediterranean food. Yesterday, I visited with the girlfriend and her family for a leisurely lunch after a wonderful tour of the C&O Canal. The walk from the canal to Cafe Divan is about a mile away from M Street, away from the main drag, allowing one to see other parts of Georgetown. Be warned: it is uphill!

Atmosphere: The restaurant's design is modern with wooden accents culminating in a point reflecting the corner location. The menu was quite extensive, and did not have the typical concessions to American food. Here is the link to their website, which has the menu, history, and photos of the cafe and entrees.

Service: Our waiter was pleasant and informative, and managed the continuous peppering of questions coming from my girlfriend and her family. He described the dishes in question, even providing some cultural background to certain dishes. Our lunch spanned about two hours with some slow service, but from what I believe, much like Europe, Turkish culture prizes long meals for chatting and strengthening relationships. When one comes here, be sure to allow some time.

Food: Quickly, the food tasted wonderfully. One can read the Post's review here for more detail.
Coffee: After we finished our meal, I ordered the Turkish coffee I craved. In fact, I wanted it so much I forgot to take a picture of it until I drank half of it! It was quite strong, as I waved away the suggestion to add sugar to it. There may have been a hint of cardamon, but not nearly as much as Cafe Amity's Turkish coffee. The cup held about 3-4 oz, much better than the espresso-like glass at Amity. Had a dark, full bodied taste, though not as strong as a French roast. Unfortunately, I took one sip too many and received a mouthful of coffee grounds for my greediness. Tsk-Tsk!



Conclusions: While more of a restaurant than a cafe, Cafe Divan's Turkish coffee was quite a treat, and cheaper than Cafe Amity at 2.00 dollars rather than 2.50. Oddly the restaurant, (located in Georgetown!), was cheaper than a more coffee-oriented shop. Despite the walk, I recommend everyone to try it out, and enjoy the cultural experience.

For everyone's enjoyment, here is a picture of the fireworks from Arlington:

2 comments:

  1. Love the photos Jack! Sounds like you had a great lunch - Not sure I can get into the coffee yet :)

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  2. Thank you very much! I pride myself on the wonderful pictures taken with a 5 year old digital camera. One of the first Canon Elfs. If you ever come down to DC, we will have to go to some coffee shops together. I'll make some Turkish coffee as well, ground and all!

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