A whole counter of Turkish cheese at breakfast: Novotel Istanbul Bomonti

Hotel breakfasts don't usually get their own article, but Türkiye plays by different rules. The Turkish word for breakfast, kahvaltı, comes from words meaning "before coffee", and according to Go Türkiye, the country's official tourism site, it is a series of small dishes rather than one plate: cheese, dips, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, bread, honey and jam, with tea topped up throughout.

What our editor wanted you to know about this one is simple. There are many different Turkish cheeses, and the whole counter is yours to eat from as you like.

The photo and video show how that looks. Hard cheeses are sliced and fanned out on bright blue ceramic plates with serving tongs, and soft white cheeses sit in scalloped bowls with spoons. Every dish has its own small card on a wooden block, and the one we can read clearly, for a cream labne, gives the name in Turkish and English. That helps, because you can see what you are eating and go back for the one you liked.

Further along are baskets of olives, including Kalamata, plus colourful spreads topped with things like chickpeas and what looks like pomegranate, then fresh herbs and sliced lemon.

If the names are new to you, Go Türkiye's guide is a handy cheat sheet. Beyaz peynir, the white cheese, is the most common at breakfast. Kaşar is a hard cheese, dil peyniri is mild and spreadable, lor is compared to cottage cheese, and labne is creamy and spreadable. The same guide says a breakfast usually includes two or three cheeses, so a long counter like this gives you a good chance to compare more in one sitting. We can't promise which ones will be out on the day, so let the cards guide you.

For Malaysians used to nasi lemak or roti canai in the morning, this is a very different start to the day: cool, salty, tangy and slow. Take a small piece of each, add bread and olives, and pour yourself a tea. Some guests on booking sites speak warmly of the buffet too.

🍽️ What to order

• A mix of the Turkish cheeses, a little of each
• Labne and the other spreads with bread
• Olives from the baskets, including Kalamata

💡 Good to know

• Travel listings show breakfast as a paid add-on, so check whether your room rate includes it
• Listings also show it ending mid-morning, so don't sleep in
• Do as the locals do: tea with breakfast, coffee afterwards
• If you aren't staying here, ask the hotel first whether outside guests can come for breakfast