Simit Sarayi

T2 airside carb fix before Turkish Airlines boarding

Simit Sarayi in Terminal T2 sits airside after passport control, right in the Schengen/non-Schengen split used for many Turkish Airlines and SunExpress departures. It’s a grab-and-go bakery/café with simit (sesame bagels), pastries, and basic sandwiches stacked on the counter. Expect typical airport pricing: a plain simit or açma usually lands around €2–3, coffee around €3–4, and simple sandwiches a bit higher.

The menu leans hard on carbs: classic sesame simit, cheese-filled pastries, börek-style items, and pre-made toasties. You’ll also see bottled water, canned soft drinks, and sometimes Ayran in the fridge. It’s all self-service at the counter, with food ready to go in a few minutes, which works if you’re squeezing this in 20–30 minutes before a T2 departure.

Quality is fine for a chain bakery: simit can sit a bit, so ask which tray is freshest if you care, especially during off-peak late-night waves outside the 06:00–22:00 core. Coffee is machine-based, not barista-level, so think functional caffeine hit rather than a slow coffee moment. If you want something more filling, the cheese or sucuk (Turkish sausage) sandwiches usually carry more value than the smaller pastries for roughly the same €4–6 price range.

Seating is limited and blends into the shared gate seating around T2, so plan to carry your tray to the rows of chairs clustered near your actual gate number. Power outlets around T2 are hit-or-miss, so don’t count on charging while you eat. Card payment is standard, and most staff handle basic English, German, and Russian requests without much fuss.

Tip: if your gate in T2 changes last minute, box your simit and drink; walking a full 5–7 minutes between distant T2 gates with a tray is a pain.