Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Denners on July 18, 2011, 06:37:10 AM
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I keep hearing comments that Kalkan is quieter than last year.
Is this so ?
What do EKers think ?
What are bookings like this year ?
Is there hotel and rental accommodation available at the moment ?
How are the restaurants doing this season so far ?
It would be interesting to hear other people's views and impressions.
With the current exchange rate Kalkan is great value for money !
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We came back from Kalkan last Wednesday and must say we found it very quiet in town, All the restaurants we went to were not full except for The Olive Garden which was full.Most of the waiters were saying how quiet it was this year
The harbour also did no seem that busy either but then most of the restaurants are more expensive normally.
Our hotel was fully booked, better than last year and we fond they had reduced some of the bar prices.
In most restaurants prices seemed similar to last year,
We still had a lovely time as usual,
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My impressions of Kalkan this summer is - April was busier than ususal (extra uk bank hols and later easter),May and June quieter but things seems to be picking up in July.Certainly more people around in the town, in the evenings, over the last week.
There seems to be more of a mix of nationalities and there are a large number of turkish tourists here at the moment.
Shops have seen less trade and restaurants are mixed.Talking to uk tourists, a lot are being more careful with their money this holiday.So less eating out for some, a trend we have seen over recent years.
School hols starting in uk now so the usual increase of families,I am sure.
Some hotels not opening this year but many villa owners reporting steady bookings all season.Other hotels busy.
Kalkan is a wonderful place to holiday and must work hard to promote itself and present itself in the right way.
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Amber said "many villa owners reporting steady bookings all season" and I query that statement.
When I was out in May and June, I spoke to quite a few villa owners of varying size properties and the general concensus was that bookings were seriously down on past years. In fact about a third of them were contemplating selling because of the lack of bookings.
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Seven weeks ago when I was last in Kalkan, I was hearing from villa owners that their bookings were down on last year.
Arriving again this Friday. I will be interesting to see what's going on but of course we are now into the family/school holiday period...so it should be very busy.
And it's lovely and hot !
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I have replied to a similar post previously. As an owner, our bookings are solid from April through to October. A lot of weeks have been booked since last year as have friends of ours with similar standard property in central locations. We have also had a great number of enquiries from people since we were full that we have had to turn away. Be very wary of relying on feedback of individual owners. The reasons for their low occupancy could be multiple, for example they could be vastly overcharging, they could have a property that is very far out, they may not be marketing it correctly - there are a myriad of reasons. Just because you have a villa doesn't mean to say that people flock to it automatically. There are a range of things to get right and each element has to be done properly and this includes the service provided to guests from an initial email, through to the property itself and follow up. In our opinion, on our last visit at the beginning of June, all the restaurants that we visited were full (admittedly most of these were established ones) and we had to book to get tables at Olive Garden, Zula, Kosk and Fish Terrace in particular.
Hope this helps
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Certainly when we were out at the start of june it was quieter..we go at the same time each year and tend to see the same people who do likewise...some were missing!many of the restaurant/bar owners were saying how quiet it was and we didn't book a table once albeit not popular harbour sides although walking past they were half empty....the villa we stayed in had no bookings following ours for a few weeks,and some regulars had not booked this year...we know some who have children who usually go to kalkan who this year are going down the all inclusive route.....
we have booked Kalkan for next year!! ;D
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Mr BL....who have you booked flights with for next year? I was relying on you to announce the release of easyjet flights from Gatwick! :laugh:
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Calm down dear!!!......only the villa has been booked :-*
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Welcome back fella - I thought the loss of Prem status and Big Eck had done for you!
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Hey Mr Lizard welcome back ;D ;D ;D
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Cheers me dears!! ......just took time out......Nick..i was in kalkan when Judas Mc Eck walked...you probably saw me on top of the hill by the flag punching the air cheering.....misty old bean..nice to see you are still around!
back on thread.....as i said we have booked for next year..out of the 5 propertys we asked about availability..only 2 replied..not surprised places aren't getting bookings..this year was the same with 6 enquiries and 2 replies :(
we noticed that previously packed restaurants were half empty and those that didn't previously employ "outside getter inners" had done so this time.....i do hope it picks up but i fear the situation with many "crunch" wise has taken it's toll and indeed some bar owners we spoke to said the same......i seem to speak to a lot of bar owners? ::)
your little lizard buddy!
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We were there the same time as BL and can dfinately agree that the place is much quieter than previous years.. BTW, Welcome back BL. Your loss is Villa's gain, bet you are gutted!!! ;)
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Yes, indeed, welcome back blue lizard. We were getting worried when we hadn't heard from you.
I certainly found it rather quiet in Kalkan in June, but it was lovely and although I worry for the restaurant and bar owners who may not have quite as many customers as some years it was pleasant not to have to panic if we hadn't made a reservation for a meal. There was always a table somewhere and we enjoyed many meals at favourite restaurants and even tried out one or two new ones.
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OOOh BL, just PM'd you as I was starting to think you'd won the lottery and bought a nice little place out there...the lack of BL postings had me organising a search party - to Kalkan, obviously - I'll tell the sheriff there's no need for that posse afterall ;)
Welcome back :)
As we're out in just over a week, I'm selfishly hoping its not as busy as the reports suggested last August was but I do feel for all the bar and restaurant owners who work so hard. My BH will do his best to single-handedly arrest the downturn in bar sales ;D
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I have just had a peek at the KTLN webcams and it must now be about 10.15 Turkish time and Kalkan certainly looks a lot busier than when we were there in June - so good news for the restaurants. However, for Kalkan4ever, may not be quite as busy as it was last August which sounded almost too busy!
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yes welcome back Mr Lizard......I'm calmed by the fact you have just booked a viila and not flights.....especially as we have exactly the same plan.....it seems there are always flights for when you want them. Maybe that's confirmation that things are not so busy? I have sneaky peeks at the webcams too.....no that's a lie.....I stare at them each day while working at home peering out of my soggy window at the wind and rain....roll on October when we get our next fix! :laugh:
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K4E.......I SHOT THE SHERIFF!!!...BUT I DIDN'T SHOOT THE DEPUTY!!sing along if you know the words......
as i left kalkan tearful bar owners were waving at me while dabbing there eyes with tear stained hankies,i can rest assured that i tried my best to uplift the kalkan economy single handedly by supping EFES..over and above the call of duty, sometimes even when i was full :angel: ;)
Babs i will of course heads up you when i find EJ flights are out..anyone feel free to do likewise to yours truly if you find first.....usually novemberish ;)
Tortoise lady..i saw you in June, i did shout at you but by the time you turned around i'd gone
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We have a villa up in Kiziltas, not central, but still are fully booked this year and getting enquiries for next. I've had more hits this July so far than I did all last July. So not all is bad. Maybe it's the crap weather in UK that is leading to more hits.
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Alas for the first time in many years no visit to Kalkan for us this year and probably not next either.Personal economic "crisis" has hit and trying to keep things going at home have to come first.We also have friends who have had to make the same decision not to return this year.I know that six people does not sound a lot but as we always ate out that is around 84 lunches and 84 evening meals plus the drinks where money is not being spent.It only needs this to be multiplied by a few other "six people" to see that it could have a real effect on business` in Kalkan.
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Our villa is also fully booked, yet thereafter I got another 62 enquiries in May, June and up to July 17 and another this morning! My impression is that bookings came later this year and that renters are not going out as much for dinners and lunches. We had renters who stayed home and barbecued 5/7 nights. I have heard from some owners that their bookings are down from last year. Too much supply, not that much demand.
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Me too. I will not have my Kalkan fix this year. Financial constraints etc. prevents my "fix" in the sun. Whilst not a huge spender, I would usually get through £400 for a weeks stay on "extras". Multiply by a few hundred people in the same situation and thereby lies the problem! :( :( :( :(
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johnl and maryjane so sorry to hear about your circumstances :( I hope things improve for you both soon.
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Yes the crunch is certainly cruel......we don't have a lot of luxurys so Kalkan is high on our list of "keepies",we don't have children so are not financially strapped on that front,we both work but as you are aware no job is safe these days,but if you worry about what might happen you wouldn't ever do anything would you....we have cut our cloth however,we used to go two or three times a year,not now,we downsized our rental as we had loads of wasted space..it just means i see more of mrs L >:D ...we eat out less as cossetta has said,when we do we don't frequent the lavish places.....when we see our flight go on sale we buy it straight away...a subject came up before about flight companys use of worms that when you click on if, you log out and click on again the price goes up automatically because it recognises you are interested(deleting cookies sometimes avoids this..though not always)..we use a very good transfer company that is holding the price for us....we don't buy gifts etc....this way we can still go..and still have a better value for our money than in the UK and Sunshine into the bargain!i know we are fortunate and it seems incredible that some moan about kalkan?....i'm missing it already. i know i would be sad if i had to give up my break and i do feel for those who can't go......but chin up! you'll appreciate it more when you can! ;)
i will own up to throwing my toys out of the pram over missing water..but it was short lived and forgotten after i got home........sigh!
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We returned from Kalkan last week and did find it quieter than last year especially the first week. We are friendly with a few of the bar owners who also said that they were finding it more of a struggle as customer numbers had gone down quite a bit so far this year. Called in our old haunts and very often were the only customers, we didn't mind as it gave us time to have a good chinwag with the staff but felt a little sorry for them not getting the customers in. Did also notice that the food had gone up in price both in the restaurants and supermarket. Guess everywhere's feeling the pinch. Nevertheless once again we had a fantastic time, meeting up with all our old friends and making more new. Had some great nights out especially in the Cafe Vita, BBQ night, fab food and great music. Spent some evenings in Bread And More as it was just down the hill from the villa, the live music night was great fun, the staff were hilarious even the chef was joining in. Got everyone up for a bop and the singer was encouraging anyone to join him. Truly a night to remember. Usually go back for a second holiday but not sure this year as Blue Lizard has said you have to cut your cloth accordingly. Also have been looking to downsize our accomodation but at the moment just can't decide what to do. Would love to go back as we are absolutely addicted to the place and it would be great to see our friends again. We live in hope!!
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Dear Kalkan4eva, good post. Do not feel sorry for me, but I run my own business, my staff have been asked to make certain compromises - it would look REALLY good if the boss pushed off to the sun for a while - NOT >:D >:D >:D >:D
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everyone's feeling the pinch...I'm not a fan of the age of austerity :( :(
Stupidly, we agreed to take our three adult offspring this year...in peak weeks...we keep blaming each other over who's bright idea it was :P We normally eat out a lot - in some of the plusher places as well as some of the cheaper places and we like to have a few drinks (of the alcoholic variety) and lets not forget the K4E bag fund. There'll be a lot less eating out in the plush places...if we do it all...the K4E bag fund has been hived into celebrations for our youngest's 18th birthday whilst we're there...but our bar fund's still looking good ;D ;D We have had to seriously re-think our "normal" Kalkan break - 5 adults is a costly do...!
Also, for the first time in living memory, K4E has purchased no holiday clothes this year :o :o
I appreicate this might sound frivilous to those not getting out to Kalkan this year, and I'm truly sorry, but we live for our holidays...and sometimes our football teams :P
We consider ourselves very lucky *touch wood* to be employed in these testing times and who knows when we might get out to Kalkan again?
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Who do you use for transfers BL? We found that our usual company is steadily increasing cost, from Dec to Feb to June!!
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Just got back this evening after 17 days in Kalkan. Was definitely quieter than usual in the first week but has got steadily busier this week. I did notice a lot more Turkish tourists than I've been aware of in previous years. It's great that they also seem to have found the delights of Kalkan :)
As far as restaurants were concerned, no problem getting tables until a few nights ago when it started to get very busy so hopefully business has picked up for them and will continue for the rest of the season.
Did a boat trip yesterday with only 5 people on board which was lovely for us but can't help worrying that the poor owner couldn't have been making much of a profit for their excellent service.
Have to confess I did buy a rather wonderful handbag but didn't bring much more in the way of the usual souveniers. No great problem though as there isn't a room in my house which isn't adorned with Kalkan memoribilia (sp ???)
Had great intentions of being more frugal with eating out but afraid they fell by the wayside and did infact eat out every evening and most lunchtimes too ::)
I'll post on my favourites when I've recovered!!!!!!
Back again in September for 10 days and already looking forward to it.
All in all another wonderful holiday full of all the ingredients which make Kalkan the extra special place that it is :)
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My theory is that this year:
1. money for all Brits is tighter this year and as the spending cuts in the UK start to bite, people are concerned about their jobs;
2. those who can afford the higher priced hotels and larger luxurious rental villas will still be able to afford them;
3. others will trade down to smaller and lower cost rental villas and apartments;
4. the restaurants will suffer most as more people will self cater and eat in more and have BBQs etc
However, Kalkan still offers fantastic accommodation opportunities for all budgets in a really wonderful place !
Also, thankfully the Turkish Lira is moving in a good direction for the benefit of tourists and that the Euro countries are all bu**ered or lurpacked !
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I was made redundant last month (despite the company making record profits and not being affected at all by the recession, they realised they could make even more millions by employing graduates in SE Asia instead of in the UK) and we shouldn't really be having a holiday at all but the thought of losing my holiday as well as my job was too much! We managed to pay off the holiday and save up all our spends in the first half of this year while I was still in my job. It's going to be 2 weeks of totally spoiling ourselves as we're having to keep an eye on everything we spend at home at the moment. I can't wait :D
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Sorry about your job Jenjen. The good news is that you won't find Kalkan any dearer than last year. The prices have gone up but you will be getting at least 10% more lira due to the good currency exchange so it balances out. The thing we found this year is that generally there was less of a gap in price between the places we had considered medium priced and the expensive eating places. The cheaper places were still excellent value.
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Thanks Kalkan Regular :)
Yes, the exchange rate looks great at the moment, I hope it's still as good in September when we're out there.
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Hope you have a wonderful relaxing stress free holiday JenJen, sounds like you really deserve it. Cheers!!
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Ah, thanks Clara. Very excited already, even though it's still 8 weeks away!
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Go and have a fabulous time Jen Jen. I'm just back and out again in September. Earlier this year my job was under real threat. I managed to hold on but some of my colleagues weren't as fortunate. I'm still in an uncertain situation as further cuts are possible but I've decided to carry on as normal and hope to ride out the uncertainty.
Hopefully things will start to look a bit brighter for everyone soon :)
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Mr Blue.......how do you do!. I was also wondering where the hell you had gone. Missed your little quips on my posts....I'm used to some kind of cheeky responce. Your not the only person to go off radar, conspiracy theory and that. Was wondering whether to check under me bed when there in early september to see if there were any pods about. ooooooh! thats not my wife..........bugger caught again! Regards Ray
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Hey fella!!.......i will try not to let you down!!! >:D >:D >:D >:D
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Thanks, itstime :) Hope your job situation works out - a lot of people I know are in a similar position at the moment. I'm still really bitter about my ex-employers for the way they handled our situation but am in the process of setting up my own little business at the moment which is fun so far. It's very hard work though so I'm going to be more than ready for some cocktails and sun in September!
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Quote from yesterdays Metro "Holidaymakers hit by cash woes. Nearly two out of ten holidaymakers plan to spend less on their summer break this year. They hope to save about £326 on the amount they spent last year, the survey suggests. However, about four in ten will pay the same as in 2010, while three out of ten will spend more - blaming the rising cost of living for their outlay, according to the M & S Money poll. Meanwhile, the amount of spending money that Britons take on their two-week summer vacation has slumped in recent years to an average of £451, says a survey by Moneycorp".
Assuming all, or any, of this is correct it is not surprising that Kalkan should have been a bit quieter this year. It is good news that things now seem much busier and with the school holidays beginning we hope restaurants etc will find business much improved.
For those of you considering or already downsizing in the accommodation you are booking have you tried "making an offer" to somewhere you really fancy but is a little larger than you really need, considering your budget? Villa/apartment owners are not likely to accept considerably less well ahead of a date but may negotiate when it is close to departure time. They still have to pay for garden and pool maintenance even if the place is empty, not to mention agents fees etc. Especially likely to consider a lower price if there are only two people - less laundry, electricity for air con and so on. Naturally it is then necessary to look for cheap flights.
What is good news is that new people are discovering the joys of Kalkan, quite a few have posted on this forum after their first visit. We have had people new to Kalkan staying in our villa this year and they have written to say how much they love the place, the food and the people. So although some regulars may not be managing to go every year new enthusiasts are arriving.
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jenjen and itstime, I wish you both well in this terrible climate...and jenjen there's no better place to forget your terrible year than in Kalkan :)
Meant to add in my earlier post that one of the other reasons we can afford to take 5 adults on holiday this year is that BH packed in smoking on our final day in Kalkan last year (early June). We decided to save the money he normally gave to Benson and Hedges (£5 per day) and that's turned into a serious pot of money - you do the maths :o BH seems to think this is the bar fund for three weeks....erm >:D
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Thanks, itstime :) Hope your job situation works out - a lot of people I know are in a similar position at the moment. I'm still really bitter about my ex-employers for the way they handled our situation but am in the process of setting up my own little business at the moment which is fun so far. It's very hard work though so I'm going to be more than ready for some cocktails and sun in September!
Go girl go :)
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Should you change your mind about the bag situation the shop down from ibos down the hill on the right does move on prices...see the young lady if you can..she is more "flexible" than the bloke is...maybe it's because it was quiet?i don't know.....mrs L bought a Mulberry from them good price......i was of course asked which of two bags i liked best like a shot thinking on my feet in a lizardy flash i said "the bigger one looks far more like an original(like i'd know?)and it looks smarter" really i thought my fags and things could go in it and my shorts would hang nicer :angel:
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Should you change your mind about the bag situation the shop down from ibos down the hill on the right does move on prices...see the young lady if you can..she is more "flexible" than the bloke is...maybe it's because it was quiet?i don't know.....mrs L bought a Mulberry from them good price......i was of course asked which of two bags i liked best like a shot thinking on my feet in a lizardy flash i said "the bigger one looks far more like an original(like i'd know?)and it looks smarter" really i though my fags and things could go in it and my shorts would hang nicer :angel:
LOL BL I love your thought process :)
What is it about us ladies, handbags and Kalkan ::) Bought myself a rather lovely Louis Vuitton. Wine in colour and perfect for work as holds a laptop and of course my fags too ;D
Was thinking about K4E's earlier post where her OH gave up the ciggies last year. If I stopped now I'd have enough to buy another bag in September but then realised I brought enough duty free home with me yesterday so won't need to buy any more until September so does that mean I can use the money I would have spent on ciggies and buy another bag :angel:
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Talking of bags, does BSG move on their prices at all and, if so, whats the best discount you can expect? Saw a beauty in there a couple of weeks ago so maybe next visit.
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They will usually give a 10% discount if paying with cash as opposed to a card :)
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...not that I'm an expert or anything on bags::), I'd advocate shopping around for one in Kalkan. Nice lighting and clever VM does not neccessaritly mean you are buying a better class of fake but you will certainly pay more for it. Also if you're looking to negotiate, cash is king. I'm considering lingering outside the bag shops and offering my services as a personal shopper - just so it feels like I'm buying one this year ;D ;D
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I can't see a reference to it on this thread but there is another factor which must make Kalkan seem quieter at times.
There are now quite a lot of restaurants along the Kalamar Road. Not sure how long Cafe Vita has been there but I understand there is now Cafe Aqua close to it. Both sound very popular. Continuing down the Kalamar Road is Bread and More, new last year I think. Then Kaptans - new last year, Chillies - new last year, Mango - new this year.
I have probably missed out other new ones on that stretch before you even get to the roundabout at the top of the villa. All these places seem to get a lot of custom and so many people from Kalamar Bay maybe don't go much further some days. If it is very hot then tempting not to walk too far. Also on first nights if you find somewhere looking good to eat before you have walked far then it can quickly become a favourite place.
Apart from people from Kalamar Bay, Kalamar Road area as these places become popular then word spreads and those from other areas think it worth while exploring that part of Kalkan.
It is great to have more things closer for those at that end of Kalkan and I hope they continue to do well. It must have some effect on the numbers actually going into the main part of the village and down to the harbour.
Anyone on the forum now going less into the main part for meals/drinks with the number of new places open?
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Our villa is just behind the Asfiya Hotel and we often eat out along the Kalamar Road (Bread & More, Chillies, Kaptans, Cafe Vita, etc) as these places are so much closer and more convenient for the nights you don't feel like going far. They offer excellent food at reasonable prices and also have music nights so they probably are taking away a bit of business from restaurants in the village and down by the harbour. Up to last year there was no choice but to go into town for a meal and a bit of atmosphere so it's great to have a few places close by, especially for anyone staying in Kalamar Bay as it must be a bit of trek to the village for them.