I will keep my review short. This is a very historic and unique place you cannot find anywhere in the world. There are different kinds of boza especially in Eastern Europe market -and I've tried many. I love Vefa the best. You can find Vefa boza in the markets all over Istanbul, but it's very fresh (and nostalgic) to get it from here. This street has ancient specialty stores (soda-sevda gazoscusu, chickpea - tarihi vefa leblebicisi), each of them should be tried in no particular order. I am from Istanbul, I'm ashamed to not visit here very often in the past. Bonus tip #1: Put some chickpeas on your boza. Get some chickpea cookies from the ancient cookie store nextdoor (tarihi vefa leblebicisi), they have very soft texture and go great with boza. Bonus tip #2: Ataturk used to drink his boza here. It is written that he was making time to come and sit here- you can see his seat. Bonus tip #3: Besides boza, they produce their own vinegar. read more

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Very interesting little shop, they sell boza and few other different drinks including lemonade and syrup. They also sell ice cream. $3 lira for one boza. It tastes very different from any other drinks I've ever had. They claim that boza is good for digestion and lactation for women postpartum. It also contains lots of vitamins. If you ever visit Istanbul you must try this place! It's within walking distance from M2 Vezneciler station. They close whenever they are out of boza when we were there on 05/30/15 which was a Saturday, they close at approximately 10:50 pm, 20 mins after we got there. read more

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This is THE boza place in Istanbul. A winter drink that you should try if and when you're here. A short walk from Vezneciler in a very sweet neighborhood (also close to Suleymaniye, a short walk away). I myself don't really like boza, as it always feels weird to me that it's not served hot. For those who are curious, its taste is kind of indescribable but the consistency and texture is similar to applesauce. It's also served with cinnamon and you can pick up chick peas (lebebi) across the street to put inside your drink, they go well together and most Turks don't have boza without the leblebi! aifyet olsun~ read more

This is another lace I'd have reviewed earlier if I knew Yelp had included Turkey. This is a wonderful old place run by the same family since the 1870s and in an original old building wonderfully preserved with old, worn marble threshold, old tile floor, etc. It serves primarily boza, a type of thick fermented bulgur drink, slightly alcoholic (about 1% or so) common in Turkey and other parts of the Balkans. One can get this lightly tangy drink plain or with roasted chickpeas from the leblebici across the street. They also sell vinegar, balsamic vinegar, pomegranate syrup. It seems they read more

Boza. A must-try in Istanbul. When one talks about it, this fermented bulgur wheat drink conjures up images of winter and comfort. Winter can be comforting, yes, especially when one has a glass of boza. This historic place reputedly serves the best boza in town, an Ottoman culinary tradition. We walked in towards the counter and the man behind the counter gestured for us to grab a glass each and to have a seat. People were streaming in, having a glass of boza, and then went on their way. The man behind the counter continuously filled new glasses with boza. The drink is known to have many health benefits and one of them is aiding digestion-- fine by us since our visit to Istanbul had been revolving around eating and eating! The boza was very smooth and creamy, and sprinkled with cinnamon. The taste reminded us a lot like kefir or yoghurt. Here's one thing though: we thought that boza was usually served warm but on the day we went, they were room temperature. Do people not drink it warm all the time? Note: A favorite way among the locals to drink boza is to add some roasted chickpeas on top of the drink and then slurping them up. Across the street from Vefa Bozacisi is a roasted chickpea seller where you can buy some roasted chickpeas before heading into the boza shop. read more

Vefa Bozacısı - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Istanbul, 34

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Boza This very special Turkish beverage, which carries with it a very long history of its own, enjoying its popularity all along the centuries, without ever leaving the front row, owed its fame to the special expertise of the boza makers who have deployed all their means to preserve this tradition, bringing this delicious drink to the doorsteps of the consumers, mostly on cold winter nights, by the wandering street-vendors. Then came the year 1870, when Hadji Sadik Bey, the great, great grandfather of our family, immigrated from Albania to Istanbul, and settled in a very selective district of the city, Vefa, where mostly aristocratic families, and members close to the Sultan's Palace had their private houses and residences. Hadji Sadik Bey, then, closely observed that nearly 200 citizens of Armenian origin were in charge of making and selling boza, which at that period was produced with a sour tart flavour and was rather juicy with light consistency. In this very selective residential district of Istanbul, Vefa, he started to make Vefa Boza of a different flavour and taste, with thick consistency and having a less sour taste, just as it is flavoured and enjoyed today. In September, 1876, he registered the tradition of boza making both as a profession and a trademark with the brand name, the VEFA BOZACISI. Since BOZA is a very special beverage, prepared with ingredients such as millet semolina, water and sugar, and is a fermented drink, the appropriate preservation conditions are very important. Boza contains the vitamins A, vitamin B including Thiamin (B1) and Riboflavin (B2), vitamin C and E. Boza, during fermentation process produces lactic acid. As lactic acid is such a unique nutritive element which helps digestion, boza is also famous for its digestive effect. Boza has also another special particularity, that of having an impact on lactation, during and after pregnancy. It is highly advised for athletes, due to its richness of vitamins. All these data can be found in the scientific medical resources. read more

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Great Boza drink. Very tasty and unique flavor. The place is really fabulous and the people working there seem to be very happy to share with you that glorious drink with a pinch of cinnamon. Also it is very amusing to sit for a while and watch the students from nearby university to merrily come in and out with Boza cups in their hands. read more

I love this place. If you wanna try something different, you should definitely try boza. Boza is a fermented wheat drink. We drink it especially in winters. read more

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One of the oldest restaurants/coffeeshops in Istanbul. Boza is a unique drink, generally for winter time, but now available year round. Must visit, must try! History live! read more

This really is a fabulous little place, a beautiful stop to stop in and have an afternoon rest. Slightly off the beaten path which is great as it allows you to see something other than the hip area of Beyoglu or the touristy area of Sultanahmet. And actually my boyfriend and I both enjoyed the drink so much we ordered a second! Ok- full disclosure my stomach got a little uneasy after drinking the Boza, so maybe drink it more slowly then I did (was hungry so I kinda gulped it down) but it was such a great and unique little spot I'm still giving it 5 stars read more

Vefa is the master of boza. They've been around for generations. Vefa is one of the MUST stops in Istanbul.

very nice place, and boza is very delicious