Meyhane
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A meyhane (or mehana) is a traditional restaurant or bar in Turkey or the Balkans region. It serves alcoholic beverages (wine, raki, vodka, beer) with meze and traditional foods. It is analogous to a Greek ouzeri. "Meyhane" is composed of two Persian words: "mey" (wine) and "hane" (house). "Meyhane" therefore means a kind of place where alcoholic beverages can be drunk.
The word entered the Serbian language and the Bulgarian language as mehana (plural: mehani). In Serbia, the word has today mostly fallen out of use, while in Bulgaria a mehana is a restaurant with traditional food, decoration and music.
A meyhane used to serve mainly wine alongside meze until the late 19th century when raki established itself as the quasi-official national drink of Turkey. Most Turkish meyhane keepers used to be of Greek origin, and they were called barba (uncle in Greek). However, they were eventually replaced by Muslim meyhane keepers. Nearly all of these novices were raised and trained by barbas.
Today in Turkey, a "meyhane" is mostly seen as serving the lower class. Many establishments prefer to present themselves as more upscale and be referred to as içkili lokanta (restaurant serving alcoholic beverages) or, more fashionably, as restoran. The word "meyhane" seems to be preferred for cafés in poorer surroundings, where local men gather and drink.[citation needed] Traditional Turkish and Roma music can often be heard in meyhanes, with the patrons singing along.
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