17-03-2025
New Brighton café serves Turkish specialties, stays open late
A new business with international flavor has opened in Brighton.
Café Manzara at 2341 Monroe Ave. serves Turkish coffee and tea, waffles, smoothies, sandwiches, sweets, desserts and more.
The proprietor is Huseyin Sula, 22, of Brighton, and this is his first entrepreneurial venture.
He took the plunge after working at the main post office on Jefferson Road in Henrietta for a couple years and then learning to code, which despite the prevailing wisdom did not result in a job.
His café is a place for people to hang out and socialize, he said, 'especially in the evening and late at night,' as is customary in Turkey, where Sula's parents were born.
'That's the main reason I opened,' he said. 'There's plenty of places for breakfast. They all close at 3. That's what I saw.'
Café Manzara's hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Tables are spaced in a way that allows for private conversation. A wall cubby holds children's games, and there's a large-screen television toward the back.
The establishment serves cappuccino ($4), espresso ($2 and $2.50), lattes ($4), iced coffee ($4 and $5) — basically, 'any kind of coffee you can ask for,' Sula said.
But the Turkish coffee ($5) is front and center. It's a strong brew served in an espresso-size cup, but it's not bitter like espresso, Sula noted. Pro tip: Don't stir it because you'll kick up fine coffee grounds resting on the bottom.
The beverage is presented on a tray with a shot of water to cleanse the palate beforehand and a Turkish sweet skewered with a toothpick.
Tea is the default drink at cafés in Turkey, said Sula (who graduated from Brighton High School in 2020), and it's offered at his business in varying strengths starting at $1.50 a cup.
Both drinks are expertly prepared by Omer Celik, who worked as a barista in Turkey for years before coming here.
Savory food options include Turkish specialty borek ($7): thin, flaky dough filled with leeks or beef and baked until golden brown; a grilled Turkish sausage and cheese sandwich on bread from DiPaolo Bakery ($7 for small/$11 for large); and an egg and cheese sandwich with tomato, turkey, parsley and mayonnaise ($11 and $17).
Desserts are plentiful. There's cheesecake ($10), tres leches cake ($6) and tiramisu ($10), among other options.
Drinks include the usual brands of soda — Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc. — but also Uludag Gazoz, a Turkish soda brand. Yogurt-based beverages also can be found in Café Manzara's case.
And then there's Moda Salgam, a traditional Turkish drink of fermented carrot and turnip juice.
'You're not going to like the first sip,' Sula said with a laugh. 'It's an acquired taste.'
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@ Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Café Manzara is a new restaurant in Brighton NY, serving Turkish treats
