Some new restaurants

[Enişte]

Mrs and I have been to a few new ones for us this season.  Perhaps tempting fate, but I've still never had a bad meal in Kalkan (unless I've cooked it) but here are a few we'd like to mention:
 
Sandal (at the closed end of the harbour) - great venue and service, top quality meze and a fantastic beef dish, Ottoman Yahni, among others, not to mention Dunya Ice Creams next door
 
Pisces - quite newly opened, upstairs next to Doyum on the main strip down into the old town.  Popped in for a snack the other night and had a great time.  Sister restaurant of Mussakka (or perhaps brother restaurant, as they are run by Hüseyin and Mehmet respectively).  Perhaps the best tomatoes I have ever tasted - how do they get all that tasteless water into British tomatoes?
 
Begonvil - in the old town, just up from the Deniz Bank ATM, on the other side of the passageway from Mussakka.  This is a small but delightful restaurant, all at street level.  Good, reasonably priced food and even entertainment, as Ceyhun sets his customers a few brainteasers (even I couldn't fathom some of them, but happily sussed the one involving putting black fingerprints all over my face) and does a trick or two.  Good fun and you might even get your name written in chips, a novel gift for any relatives bored with Turkish Delight.
 
Finally, for now, a bit further uphill to Bodamyatepe in Islamlar.  This is actually a very large venue with a long curving terrace, spacious gardens and that lovely Islamlar constant of the sound of rushing water.  To be fair, we had to judge the place by our own Islamlar standards, so grilled cheese, trout and raki it was, but it was really excellent.
 
How about a few more reviews of some of the new venues or those that don't often get a mention?

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=5624.0

[jobly]

We recently went to Chapter One restaurant which is where the old Daphne's was. What a superb meal, everything served piping hot and on a hot plate too. The standard of food plus service outstanding. One to recommend.
Also Istanbul restaurant now next to Ak Deniz behind the old Veg market. Still the same Vedat serving the best mezes in Kalkan. Be careful not to walk straight by.

[ian]

We went to Istanbul about 10 days ago and sadly we must have got them on an off night - terribly slow service, they forgot that we had ordered starters and brought only our main course, the food was average at best. They were really struggling to cope and quite a few people around us were complaining. Wont be hurrying back.

[fidimax]

Same with Atlantis,the one on kalamar rd,everyone seems to rave about it,good steaks ect,I have been in 3 times,meals where very average,steaks ok ,nothing special,service was good as most places are.
One very good place that doesnt get much of a mention is the Bosphrous,at the Samira hotel in town,I have had one of the best steaks I have ever had in there,great service,and a really nice veiw over the old town,it seems to get passed by because it is connected with the hotel,If you walk past you are missing a treat.
Also try Kosk,very good and a nice setting.
I dont tend to go for the places by the water,to much hassle and always in your face when you walk past,morning,noon and night,High prices,and ok food that you can get in most places in Kalkan,If you want to pay an extra £10 for sitting near the water,great,but I would rather spend the money on the meal itself.

[ian]

   Best value in Kalkan this time has to be Chillies on Kalamar Road (part owned by Dohan from the Doy Doy), meal for 2 - excellent meze (free flat bread, cheese and butter), main courses and 4 beers, for 38 lira. Excellent new resturant that was doing a roaring trade every night...unlike some of the more establsihed, and expensive water front places.

[kalkan4eva]

We had lunch in Lush last week. Really nice position, great staff - we were served by Billy the only Turkish guy with a new York accent

[Mags]

We went to Istanbul about 10 days ago and sadly we must have got them on an off night - terribly slow service, they forgot that we had ordered starters and brought only our main course, the food was average at best. They were really struggling to cope and quite a few people around us were complaining. Wont be hurrying back.

Yes: sadly we had a similar experience early in May. A shame, as Vedat is such a nice man. It's a pity he gave up the premises on the road behind Moonlight Bar: that was a lovely location and things seemed to run much better then (2 - 3 years ago).

[tonyb]

Like the sound of chillies, how far up the kalamar road is it coming from the town end ?

[baklavabuddy]

Not far at all, on right hand side up past Atlantis

BB

[suki]

just back from Kalkan following a break of a year-definitely agree with comments about Chillies which opened while we were there and a welcome addition to Kalamar Rd. Also new is Bread & More-patisserie also on Kalamar Rd just beyond Chillies-fabulous cakes and friendly staff,great location. If you haven't been to Cafe Leon in the old Town -give it a try. It's run by a charming family and serves light authentic homemade Turkish snacks made by mama-Hamide-try her carrot salad and meze-fabulous. Thet also have wonderful home made cakes both Turkish and some British ones-Lemom Drizzle highly recommended and baked by Jane who is married to Levant the owner. Also nice place for a pre dinner/nightcap as they place some great music-aah wish we were back! Maybe soon.  Tried some of the places recommended  Fez was disappointing, Alternatif-great steaks, Oz Adana fab as usual.

[Babs]

keep hearing about Cafe Leon....can someone point me in the right direction please......there seems to be a lot of new...ish restaurants around are they on a map yet?

[Blue Lizard]

Go down hill opposite Moonlight bar (i normally go down hill in there! )..you will see it on the right hand side

[Kalkan regular]

I think it's on your left Mr Lizard, after you have gone down the steep hill directly in front of the Moonlight and gone round the bend by the Alternative. Perhaps Lizards don't always have a good sense of direction!

[Braveheart]

My wife and i tried Chillies, quite a few times actually. It`s about 200 m from town roundabout on the Kalamar road. It`s location wasn`t terrific and doesn`t have an ambiance but i was immediately attracted to £3.50 YTL an Effes sign. The mezzies that were on display looked as good as they tasted and the prices were extremely reasonable. Enthused by the concept` value for money ` we returned later that week and had an evening meal.Again i couldn`t fault traditional cooked Turkish food, without the expense and pretentiousness of the more popular harbour restaurants.
More Bread is a futher 100m up the road and is very modern in it`s display and seating area.Dropped in for breakfast and although we don`t normally eat sweet foods the display of confectionary looked excellent. If you live on the Kalamar road i would consider having your meal at a restaurant and finish the evening with a sweet at More Bread.
Always a fan of Oz adanas we stopped in there for lunch.Food was just as good but like Photos they have bumpted up there prices quite significantly.While in Oz adanas we wondered what had happened to the waiter, a cheecky roundface chap. He rugby tackled me as walked passed his new employment positioned at the next roundabout, overlooking the taxi rank, Tesko`s and a view right into town. Basically pinched everything from Oz adanas but the prices.Good views and wonderful entertainment watching the mayhem with some near death experiences at the roundabout

[Milz]

Regarding Ian's post June 05 and the Istanbul restaurant, I have to say that when we went to Vedat's Istanbul new place we had a fabulous meal!! Sea bass parcel, delicious and before that Vedat's wonderful meze. I know that the new place has only recently opened and maybe Ian hit on a bad night - or even was at the other 'Istanbul' at the Kervan? We went back again another night and again, the food was as good as ever and the apparently new waiter was great!!!!

[ian]

I dont like knocking any business and did try to temper my comments by saying that we could have hit on a particularly bad night, but Mags in a later post also said that they had a similar experience. Our whole evening was poor - slow service, waiting ages for drinks, forgetting our starters, very average main courses. I agree that Vedat seems a nice man and its great to hear that you had a superb meal, I would be reluctant to return as there are so many other places to choose from, but if I keep reading decent reviews I might be tempted to give the place another try.