Turkish Delights Shop

Last-minute lokum tax in ESB’s international terminal

Right in Esenboğa’s International Terminal departures, Turkish Delights Shop targets anyone who skipped Ankara or Istanbul patisseries and now wants baklava or lokum for gifts. It’s airside after passport control, so this is your final shot before non‑Schengen flights. Expect shelves of pre‑packed tins and cardboard boxes rather than scooping by the kilo; reviewers say bulk weighing is rare here compared with city shops.

Pricing is the big hit: multiple Google reviews mention costs running two to three times higher than brands like Koska or Hafiz Mustafa in town. A mixed lokum gift box that might run 150–200 TL in the city can push 400–500 TL here depending on size and packaging. One traveller flatly wrote they “regretted not buying in the city” after checking the sticker. Assume tourist markup and budget accordingly.

Quality isn’t terrible, just not patisserie‑level. Comments describe the sweets as “ok quality,” with some people calling the taste less fresh than at specialist shops downtown. Most of what you see are mixed lokum assortments, pistachio-heavy boxes, and standard nutty baklava, all factory‑sealed. If you care about texture, stick to pistachio and nut mixes and skip anything with cream fillings that suffer from sitting around.

Regular Turkish flyers on Reddit and Ekşi Sözlük openly say they buy in Ankara city center and use airport shops like this only if they forget. Follow their lead: treat Turkish Delights Shop as a backup plan. Tip: if you’re price‑sensitive, check the smallest metal tin, grab one mid‑range box as a safe gift, and stop browsing before you talk yourself into a 1 kg souvenir brick.