Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Holiday Reports and Reviews => Topic started by: Layla on September 21, 2008, 09:10:06 PM
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Having just returned from 12 days in Kalkan, I thought I''d share these thoughts. 6 years now into my ''relationship'' with Kalkan and it''s becoming more and more difficult to recall the days when ''value for money'' was one of Kalkan''s selling points. The fall in the pound notwithstanding, we had too many indifferent, high priced meals with occasionally rather sullen service. Coming from the UK where food, service and value for money has come on in leaps and bounds, most post dinner (Kalkan) discussion mourned this passing. Frankly the comparison in quality and price between Kalkan and London (yes, London), will make us think twice about returning again. We were dreading a week in Palma, Majorca earlier this year - the Euro was going crazy, and we completely expected to feel fleeced. Not the case. Well priced and good food and drink, sunny days . . . . . In Kalkan you now pay more than in London for a small glass of medicore white wine. And, £3.00 for toast and honey! I feel ripped off - especailly when the toast tastes of garlic, presumably from the order the night before. Hmmm. Here are my highlights and low lights.
HIgh-lights: Ak Deniz continues to delight. A genuine bargain, nice people, genuinely wanting their customers to enjoy their restaurant. I don''t eat steak - but my partner and others tell me that it''s still the best steak in Kalkan. Go there people - lots of Turkish tourists do! Olive Garden: Very good service, it feels like an occasion and the food is good. The newly opened Vite/Vida(??) Cafe on the Kalamar Road. Doing very good business, great home-cooked chips. Cheap and cheerful and hits the spot. Good luck to them!
Low-lights: What on earth has happened to Carretta Carretta?? It looks shabby and unloved. A previously favourite breakfast spot, we were served a dubious omelette with bread and rancid butter (not a favourite breakfast spot anymore then). Doy Doy - usually a treat - the food was still nice - but very over-priced and the service sullen. It was Omar''s Kitchen that served us the most fantastically over-priced and inedible breakfast (garlic/honey toast) and fresh orange juice with the pith slung in - horrible.
And then there was too much mediocrity. From the huge range of medium/upper priced restaurants - none of them distinguishable from the other. Not very good pizzas, over-priced and over-cooked fish . . . All that choice and actually, in our experience, it was no choice.
Eating in is cheap. Fresh meat, fish, fruit and veg is a treat and a delight. The raw materials are there - what''s going on and who''s picking up the tab here? Are the restauranteurs struggling with rip-off rents or is the tourist just seen as an endless cash cow? On my flight home I sat next to a woman who repeatedly told me that France, Spain and Italy were now cheaper than the Turkish Tourist spots.
Layla x
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I do think high rents are often at the route of the problem, as it isn''t generally the restaurant owners who are driving around in nice cars.
I also agree there are alot of average meals being served.
Just one question....did you tell all the restaurants you named of your complaints and give them a chance to put them right ?
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Hi Layla,
I think this is a post well said. I don''t think kalkan will get away with charging like it does without the quality that is difficult to find for too much longer
your right of course when you say there is much better in London and at a lot lower cost
kalkan has a long way to go to bring it up to the tourist resort it wants to be at these prices. And I think it''s both that they see foreigners as a ''cash cow'', as much as the high rents.
There are some honest to goodness people in kalkan, but they''re in danger of becoming swamped by the ever frequent ''we''ll charge what we can get away with'' brigade, who''s pricing and quality are not always in sinc.
Don''t suppose you used a taxi did you?
K
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Sorry - but I still think that the price you pay in Kalkan - which IS around what we now pay in the UK - STILL gets you FAR SUPERIOR and better quality service than in the UK!
Down our local indian - it will cost us £25 per head for a shared starter main course and no dessert some Tiger beers - I know what meal I would rather be spending my £25 on...!!!
I appreciate costs have gone up - and quality has not necessarily (if not gone down in some places - which is why a forum like this is needed) - but I still think the prices are certainly not MORE than you would pay in London and the quality and food is definitely NOT better in London - IMHO!!!
Cheers!
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Yes I definitely agree with you felicity
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we have the same problem here in fethiye i do not eat out much as my wife is turkish and she does the cooking but when we do, we have a few places we go to. i think one of the problem is consistency where the restaurant has a good chef one year and the owner sees the restaurant is doing well, gets one of the waiters to cook the following year trying to save money possibly because his rent has gone up this is very common
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You may pay those prices in London but would certainly not pay them further north in the UK.
Then of course food prices in Turkey are much less than in the UK -the correct comparison is to between Kalkan prices with prices in other resorts in Turkey
Gary - How do you think they compare with Fethiye for example?
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While eating out in Kalkan isn''t cheap it is cheaper than in the UK for food of comparable quality. some of the meals we ate on holiday for standard of food and and surroundings I would expect to pay at least double in some restaurants I have been to in both london and Kent. Fish and steaks were fantastic
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I am shocked by Felicity''s comments. I can certainly get better and cheaper meals in London with a good bottle of wine and everyone who works there is earning a minimum wages and living in properties that cost on average £150 - £200. HOW ON EARTH can we justify the costs in Kalkan.
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I agree with Felicity, the quality and service is far superior than what you get in this country, I would rather pay more money for nice food and friendly service, for example the Olive Garden, you get treat like royalty there and the food is fantastic, I personally can''t say I have enjoyed a meal in London or anywhere in this country like I have in Kalkan!!
I think you have to go to the right places in Kalkan, if you stick to the smaller more traditional Turkish places then you get better quality food & more value for money, I think the ones on the harbour & the more popular ones are expensive with not such good food.
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On Saturday, I went to a restaurant not far from my home in Wirral and on the menu was fillet steak for £18.95, this included chips but no side orders of vegetables or salad. The restaurant was very mediocre for the prices they were charging and the service wasn''t a patch on most of those in Kalkan.
Although I agree the prices in some of the restaurants in Kalkan are at the high end of the scale, I don''t think that ANY are charging nearly twenty pounds for a steak and there are still plenty of restaurants that serve food at low to middle prices too. :)
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Hi
When it was suggested the Kalkan taxi prices were too high earlier this year, members said they were going to avoid using them.
Can I ask if those members who think the restaurant prices in Kalkan are too high are going to avoid using them?
Em
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Hi Em
I used a taxi only once whilst in Kalkan this year and that was for the whole day to Fethiye for 100 tl which I think is not bad. I did eat in some of the more expensive restaurants but made a point of eating at some of the more reasonable places on the out skirts of the town. As I agree prices are high and the current exchange rate is not helping.
I have been coming to Kalkan now for three years and recommended friends to visit (a family of six) they were so shocked at how expensive it was they are not planning to return!
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Hiya EM1,the difference is,you can decide to use a cheaper eating place,you cant decide to use a cheaper
taxi,if I fancy something a bit more special, maybe a special occassion,I can opt for a more expensive,up market place,the choice is mine,but saying that,on our first two visits we did eat in all the "usual suspects"
and now we tend to eat in the smaller places which seem to be cheaper,but I think that is just because
we have heard about them on EK.
Back on sat will try a few more !
Neil. ;D ;D ;D ;D 8)
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we have been going to Kalkan for over 20 years..yes it''s got expensive ,but we still love it !!we now rent near the village so don''t use taxis and eat in on loveley fresh produce from the market and Bulent the butcher,our bread is fresh everyday and doesn''t cost anywhere near the price of loaf in the UK..we occasionally eat out when we feel like it..but in places we know will give us a good meal for a fair price..if we don''t feel like cooking we have food delivered,this way we can slop about in shorts etc ,we buy wine from the supermarket thus avoiding large mark-ups ..and we go out when the sun''s gone down!! i can pay over the odds for poor quality in almost any town in the UK..equally i can find decent food at decent prices. I do think next year will be a tough one for Kalkan with the way utility prices have risen in the U.K,mortgages are stifling and flight prices are high(not counting the Whos next to go under factor?)
i just hope i will be seeing some of you next year!!
;)
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Is it possible for "those in the know" to say which are the more reasonabley priced restaurants and roughly what prices we can expect? I know it is subjective and depends on what we have but some examples of what you have had would be very helpful and save time when we are there.Thanks. John
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Hi John,
This is just my opinion and a list I left for my sister who was a 1st timer to Kalkan.
Oz Adana – They sell pides, kebabs, wraps and gorgeous home made chips. They also do takeaways and deliveries (pakets). It can be found in the side street next to Tesko.
Ali Baba – This is the first restaurant after Deniz bank on the way into the old town. They do not have a menu, they will take you to the kitchen and show you what is on that day. Really good Turkish food.
The Kebab House – This is the last restaurant on the harbour and services all different types of kebabs. Puffy bread and meze dips are given as a free starter.
Merkez – This is in the centre of the old town and serves pizza, pasta’s, salads and more traditional food. It is fab for people watching.
Mid range (£10-£15 per head all in)
Kaya – This is on the main road into town. Food is very good and the owner Kadir does magic at your table.
Marina – Lovely here for lunch. They have fantastic salads and pastas. On the harbour next to the Pirat hotel.
Belgins Kitchen – In the heart of the old town. They serve traditional Turkish food and you can sit on ottoman cushions or on normal table and chairs.
Oz odak – Above Ali Baba’s. Really good meze and loads of steak and chicken dishes to choose from. Restaurant not particularly fancy but food good and staff try really hard.
Expensive (£15-£25 per head all in)
Aubergine – The menu here is huge, loads of stuff to choose from. Don’t have a starter as the portions are massive. This restaurant is fairly expensive (about £80 - £100) for 4 but well worth it for a special occasion. It’s on the harbour front.
Olive Garden – This is in the old town above Merkez. It has a traditional Turkish menu, with a special meal every day. The serve lovely olive bread and dips to start.
Kosk – In the old town. The menu is quite big and service is very good.
Sofra – Nice roof terrace and a more international menu. Famous for their chocolate cake.
We are in Kalkan for a week from 3rd October so we may see you around ;D
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Indeed Kalkan has become more expensive over time, where hasn''t?
However we spend on average very little more now than we did when we first visited 8 years ago. We just spend differently and have just as good an experience, in fact better.
In the early years we stayed in hotels and accumulated rather large hotel food and drink bills. Now we too self-cater and stay close to town, ensuring no taxi''s needed. We also enjoy local produce for long, late, at-home brunches. An afternoon snack is then all that''s usually required, followed by pre-dinner drinks [duty free spirits or local supermarket-bought beer and wine] on the terrace before venturing out for dinner.
Dinner out has now become more of a value consideration and we enjoy some evenings at more traditional venues that tend to be cheaper and others at the more up-market venues. Our favourtes have changed over the years, yet there are some that always remain constant, high quality, good value places to eat.
We never feel that we skrimp, but are just a little more selective and have certainly found that the freedom that self-catering affords us, and the home-from-home feeling that it brings, suits us best.
Still enjoying Kalkan, just doing things differently to accomodate our budget. ;D
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To also add to Turkeyfans list:-
Iso''s Kitchen - up the road next to the moonlight bar, past the Istanbul Restaurant, in my opinion Iso is the best chef in Kalkan, good value for money, excellent quality food.
Bezigan Kitchen - on the roundabout, run by Adem & his family, the food is Delicious, again excellent value for money, traditional Turkish.
Both these restaurants are small family run places, friendly, nothing fancy, good quality food at good prices.
I wouldn''t recommend any of the "popular" with the English ones as they are not my cup of tea.
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Kevincat, it''s obviously sometime since you ate out in the UK if you think "London" prices are confined to London ???
We eat out in Chester, Merseyside and Manchester and the prices we pay are on a par with what we pay when we eat out in London at similar types of restaurants. I''m afraid the provinces are catching up with the capital on that score :(
I agree with other posters when they say that whilst the quality of the food may be similar, the setting, the service and the overall ambience is far better in Kalkan than in UK so we''re prepared to pay for it. Also, like other posters, we don''t eat out every night and we don''t do the "expensive" places every time we eat out...Aubergine is a treat as it is by far the most expensive meal we have in Kalkan - my BH likes to order the rack of lamb 24hrs in advance there so it pushes our bill up considerably. We find Sofra, Ibo Terrace, Olive Garden and Trio cheaper and the likes of Rendevous, Kaya, Istanbul and Oz Adana cheaper again. The Kebab House on the harbour is fantastic value for money, and Kalkan Fast Food Cafe is a real gem.
When we return to Kalkan next June, we will have our two daughters (age 20 and 16) in tow, so I suspect we will eat less in the top-end range and more in the mid-to cheap establishments - as well as a fair number of bbq''s chez nous. You cut your cloth etc etc... :)..oh and btw, we walk...EVERYWHERE in Kalkan, more money for lovely food and more room in my clothes..Result! :laugh:
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Those people who can eat in London cheaper than Kalkan and giving better value can do this because they know which restaurants offer good value. When we go to London we don''t have the benefit of this knowledge and consequently spend lots on meals that don''t seem worth it.
If you go to Kalkan and know where to eat you can eat well and reasonably, as in London. Personally I wouldn''t swap Kalkan for London, even for a good value meal.
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Agreed Kalkanregular - I have never found where you can eat in London better and more cheaply with a bottle of wine...so I am obviously not in the know...
I still would rather spend my hard earned money on the amazing food AND FANTASTIC quality of service you get in Kalkan - I have found NOWHERE in the UK that can match that...!! :)
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We''ve just returned from a week in Ovacik and 2 weeks in Kalkan. Ovacik and Fethiye were certainly cheaper for food and we have favourite restaurants in both these places. However, Kalkan is cheaper for an equivalent meal in our local town, Yarm, in the north east. In Kalkan we ate at some of the more expensive restaurants, which we enjoyed, but had great value and great food in some of the cheaper ones - the Moonlight Restaurant at the start of the Kalamar Road (not the Moonlight in the town) deserves a mention. There''s a fabulous view from the roof terrace and a set meal is 20 TL for 2 courses. You can also order casseroles the day before, which are very reasonably priced. On our last visit there was a long power cut so a waiter (possibly the owner, not sure) played a Turkish instrument, a clarinet, and sang some relaxing Turkish songs. We couldn''t have asked for more.
We also had fun and good food downstairs in the Oz Adana and had 2 great meals in the Kebab House at the harbour. Also the food is very good and very reasonably priced at the Kelebek Hotel, where we were staying.
We have never come across a sullen waiter in Kalkan - or any other place in Turkey. In fact, we think the service is excellent and the waiters friendly.
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I think that just the fact that people are comparing Kalkan prices with London (one of the richest and most expensive cities in the world) indicates that many holiday makers will find it more than a bit pricey. This is bourne out by the follow up we do to all of our villa guests asking if they enjoyed their holiday, this year even more than last every one has said, yes but restaurants and taxis are too expensive.
As to the quality of the food, over the last few years, we have found more than enough very good restaurants to keep us happy, but we had so many mediocre overpriced meals along the way that we now usally only try a new restaurant if it has been recommended to us (we do the same in the UK).
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Its not just London that Kalkan was compared with - in fact somebody said you can eater cheaper and better in London - well I can''t...!!
Up North has been mentioned and our local Indian down here in the Reading Bracknell area have also been mentioned as on a par with prices in Kalkan and without the fantastic service and food...!!! :)
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Hi Felicity, You being so close to London I''m surprised you haven''t found any good cheap places to eat.
This is fairly simple just
google in:
''Cheap places to eat in London''
and you will see that the list is enormous and varied with choices from all over the world
London has enormous choice
Unfortunately for kalkan, once you''ve extensively trawled the 5 or so cheap places to eat it all gets a bit boring, even most of the more expensive places are mediocre and everywhere has the same limited menu.
next someone will be on here telling me you can get better food in kalkan than Paris or Rome
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YES ME, but not just Kalkan all over Turkey, it is know to be one of the best cuisines in the world and I love it
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Agree with you foreverkalkan, French food is yuk, frogs legs & snails, errrrr!!!!
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As a peasant who can''t afford to eat out i don''t really know much about the restaurant''s but the one thing that seems pricey to me as i look longingly at the menu boards is breakfast, be it Turkish or English the going rate is 8-12 lira not sure what you get but i can guess.
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Kalkan is still cheaper to eat out in than Belfast. Belfast does not have roof terraces under the twinkling stars,the boats bobbing in the harbour in the moonlight or the magical atmosphere. Your on Holiday, In a fabulous place,relax, open another bottle of Angora and enjoy yourselves ;D
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Hit the nail on the head there lilly!
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Thanks to everyone for their recommendations,we will certainly try them,We had looked at hiring an apartment and booking flights and transfer and looking after ourselves but could not do it for what we are paying jewel in the crown.No matter how i tried i could not get the total less than around £1000 for two weeks.With the tour company, staying at a good hotel,the lizo, it is around £300 less. John
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Hello again :) and it was great to see everyone''s views about the price of a meal in Kalkan. To anyone visiting London and wanting to get a good meal at a very decent price - do google ''toptable'' for great ideas and value. You really don''t ever have to have a medicore eating experience in London ever again - trust me those days, with a bit of planning are GONE!
I completely take on board the joy of eating under the stars on a warm summer evening. You totally can''t beat it . . . BUT my point is this . . there are lots of sunny climes out there and in my view, Kalkan is in danger of pricing itself out of the holiday market. Nothwithstanding that you can buy fantastic (and fantastically inexpensive) fresh food in Kalkan and cook it yourself, only serves to emphasise my point which is that the high restaurant prices being commonly charged are not entirely . . erm . . necessary.
I don''t want to see Kalkan''s charm being replaced by cynicism - it not good for anybody, but what I''m afraid that will mean is that the average Kalkan punter needs to be reflecting on their holiday, feeling they got value for money, irrespective of whether they ate in a soup kitchen or paid top dollar. The fact that tangible numbers don''t, speaks, I believe for itself.
The annual 10% hike by restauranteurs + doubtful exchange rates + a serious lack of financial confidence will see Kalkan''s largely UK based going - elsewhere (that is if they go anywhere at all).
Layla x
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Hit the nail on the head there Layla!!
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Layla,
Whilst I agree with some of your points may I add that inflation is running at around the CPI (consumer prices) 10% per annum in Turkey (see http://turkey-news.newslib.com/story/5102-3277941/), the relatively high value of the New Turkish Lira and low ''financial confidence'' in the UK are completely outside the control of Kalkan restaurateurs. They may be charging 10% more than last year because their costs have increased that much with inflation.
I also challenge that general basic foodstuffs are cheap in the local shops, I find then expensive, particularly meat. My weekly food/household goods bill for 2 is approx 200 lira, not exactly cheap when wages are so low (and we don''t live like kings).
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there are two sides to this coin...whilst things are generally more expensive just as they are at home...an element of greed has landed in one or two of kalkans restaurants...the outrageous prices of wine talked about in another thread just an instance...the answer is don''t buy it...whilst i was there in end of june /july a popular restaurant (no i won''t name it ) recieved a large booking for 25 people the following night..they spent time during the day raising the prices on the menus and wine lists..quite a hike i may add!! (i was sat drinking with the mrs) the following day the prices were put back to what they were....not a very good advert for restaurants...we don''t go to this one anymore :(
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Blue Lizard,
You cannot stop there, surely you must name the villains , if only to stop the rumour mill. I have already heard whispers that it was Ali Baba''s on the night that Boris Johnson visited with asorted Earls, Countesses and dowagers in tow.
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Personally i would have doubled the prices and halved the portions for them,
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...and then leave them at the mercy of the "wild dogs" of Kalkan for some after dinner entertainment..?? >:D
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When you say "them", k4e, I''m guessing/hoping that you mean the restaurant owners? Amazed, if the story is true, that this did not appear in whichever of the daily scandalsheets that featured Cameron''s visit earlier in the summer, but perhaps it does not fit their agenda. Remember, Boris is a small fraction Turkish - his great grandfather, I believe, made the mistake of (and paid the price for) pointing out Ataturk''s alleged shortcomings.
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No Eniste, I actually meant Boris and the assorted aristocracy Alantj mentions... ;)
I''ve nothing against titled gentry per se, but I''m originally from Liverpool and scousers don''t think to highly of Boris (I''m more than sure the feeling is mutual...but in playground tradition...he started it and it was without provacation.. :angel:)
So sadly, it could have been an assortment of peasants with Boris and I would still feel the same...the desire to see him chased UP the hills by that nasty dalmation everone keeps referring to is overwhelming >:D
NB I think Simon Heffer actually wrote the damning infamous article in the Spectator but it was the editor''s piece and as he was Editor at the time, he had to take the rap...in true playground tradition he had the opportunity to say" it wasn''t me, it was him".
Way off topic...sorry, but I have no axe to grind with restaurant owners and needed to make that clear :)
BL, you need to name and shame..you sang like a bird when pressed on the airline :laugh: :laugh:
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Please can we make sure we dont drift off topic
Thanks :)
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I think that you have to look at the overall package you get in most of the restaurants. Look at the service quality of food and the total ambiance, fantastic views etc. When I look at that I cant see how people can complain about the price !!!!
I travel the world eating in many varied places and can honestly say that Kalkan is up there with the best of them.
:)
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If you travel Turkey you will find equally good service, great people,fantastic views and equally good, if not better food all at a much CHEAPER price.
I think this is the point. There is no need for restaurateurs to overcharge like they do in Kalkan
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I understand that but where ever you go you can always say there is some where nicer.
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my response about the prices rising was in answer to the reply blaming things on 10% inflation...in my instance what i witnessed was 100% greed...i don''t for the life of me know where talk of gentry ,boris etc came from! the people being charged over the top were a large party of tourists ..nothing more...naming the restaurant would serve no purpose other than cause like and dislike posts,I love Kalkan with a passion ...it''s people are great as are the turkish in general,i can get ripped off anywhere in the world no more so than at home!!but if i see it then i don''t have to like it or indeed put up with it...myself and mrs lizard can find plenty of places with a warm welcome ,good food and good prices...if i get a nice view with my pudding great..if i don''t i will go and find one afterwards!! ;)
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OK I admit it Kalkan''s finest soup kitchen probably wasn''t visited by Boris and asorted, tiara and pearl wearing, aristocratic hangers on, I clearly will have to be more careful to label any toungue in cheek comment with *** :laugh:JOKE :laugh:!!!!
More seriously, I think that where forum members have actually witnessed (rather than just heard about) rip offs they should name the party concerned, just as they would if recommending them for good service.
In all tourist areas there are restaurants and bars who rely on the rapid turnover of customers to get away with poor service and overcharging, forewarning people about these is probably one of the best services a forum such as this can provide to new or occassional visitors to Kalkan.
Regards
Alan
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as i have said "naming the restaurant would serve no purpose other than cause like and dislike posts" doubtless many of the forum members are happy with the service this particular restaurant offers..i would hate to spoil the impressions they may have...i gladly "outed" Thomas Cook because they are big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves!!i can still find brilliant food and good prices...and the fresh fruit and veg off the market is second to none...i have been going to kalkan for 20 odd years and am still of an age where i can possibly fit another 20 in!! ;) which god willing i shall...(note to self pack up fags and booze ::))
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i should also like to point out that i think Bungling Boris would be great in kalkan as he would keep the mosquitos away from everybody else.....if you were a mozzie you just couldn''t resist a little nibble could you? ;D >:D
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I see your reason for your views on Boris, K4E. Many of those of us from London simply remember Red Ken and that makes Boris seem quite positive, certainly in my eyes. Thay said, Pol Pot compares quite well with Ken!
On whether BL should name and shame, I think he should be allowed to maintain a diplomatic silence (or send me a PM).