What is the etiquette of a meyhane?
Short answer
At a meyhane the table is laid slowly: cold meze first, then hot ones, and the grill last. Meze is shared; nobody guards their own plate. Not hurrying is the custom — a table can last three or four hours.
A meyhane is not a restaurant but a rhythm. The waiter brings the tray of cold meze to the table and you choose by looking; two or three plates are enough, because the table grows in stages. Hot meze is the second round, grilled meat or fish the third.
Sharing is the rule: meze goes to the middle and everyone takes some onto their own small plate. Bread is torn by hand, not cut. Asking for the same meze again when it runs out is perfectly normal.
If there is drink, rakı is taken with water and ice, with a glass of water beside it. For those who do not drink, ayran or şalgam at the same table is natural — nobody expects an explanation.
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Updated: 2026-10-06 · The guide offers technical and cultural information, not health advice.