Recommended Restaurants

[alantj]

Almost 2 weeks after getting home I have managed to get our advice for guests updated. I would welcome any comments about great places we have missed out. I am very conscious of the fact we didn't have enough time to visit many of the recommendations we were given on this forum. All the ones we did try were good, even the probably dodgy one, so thanks to people for posting them.

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Restaurants

Kalkan is renowned for the number and quality of its restaurants; it is thought that there are now over 200 in the town. As a result competition is fierce and the quality goes up each year. We have tried only a fraction of them but here are a few of our favourites.
Cheap and very cheerful – around £5 per head plus drinks

Ali Babas – on the main road into the town centre. Genuine and excellent Turkish food at very low prices.

Extinct – fish restaurant opposite the Seville supermarket, not the prettiest location but fantastic value e.g. excellent Mezes, Salads, perfectly cooked Sea Bass/Bream and grapes, from the vine that forms a canopy over the restaurant, all for less than £5. They do a wonderful fish casserole, but you will need to be very hungry to finish it, also soups and fishcakes are delicious.     

Mid Range real Turkish food - at around £10 per head plus drinks

Maya – small rooftop restaurant on one of the lanes leading to the harbour. Small daily menu of excellent, genuine and freshly cooked Turkish food. As it’s all freshly cooked service can be a bit slow, so don’t go if you are in a rush, but otherwise great. 

Bezirgan’s Kitchen – authentic, rustic Turkish food with plenty of homemade stews, soups and goulash.

Turkuaz - another restaurant serving very good, genuine Turkish food at reasonable prices. The roof terrace has one of the best views over Kalkan bay.

Pushing the boat out - £15 per head plus drinks

Kaya – 0242 844 37 18 – located near to the Kalamar Road roundabout.  Excellent good value organic food (only just over £15 for a 3 course meal), owned by a Magic Circle magician who will entertain children and adults at the end of your meal.

Trio – Harbour side restaurant serving a Turkish/International menu, including very good steaks, which given the quality and location are at very reasonable prices. Has a superb children’s/lunch menu, assuming your children like real food.  Although one tip is to steer clear of cream sauces, as in many Kalkan restaurants they are made with UHT cream and not very nice. 
   
Korsan Fish Terrace – 0242 844 30 76 – a bit of a Kalkan institution quite expensive but very good.

Boat trips (with food)

For large parties hiring a boat for the day is great value. Just go down to the harbour and you will see a number of boats advertising daily rental. For a party of up to 9 you can hire a large boat with crew and a good lunch for around £100 for a full day.

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Of the above I would encourage people to try Extinct and Maya both are run by very nice people, who really care about the quality of their food; but on the evidence we saw are finding it hard to attract custom, probably owing to their less than perfect locations.

Regards

Alan   

 

[Chucky]

We tried Ramis for the first and last time this year. We have tried to avoid walk down this stretch in previous years due to the persistant and not very pleasant man from The Arena However, my husband was tempted by the "Special" on this evening. We went up, and were rather unceremoniously sat at the rear table, giving my husband the view of the blank and yucky brown painted wall (Restaurateurs, a mirror or picture on these is a good idea). Before we could say anything, a waiter shoved the menu's in our hands whilst another poured us unasked for and unwanted glasses of water, and ignored us when we tried to tell him. We ordered 2 G&T's whilst we looked at the menus. They arrived in whiskey tumblers with 2 inch thick glass bottoms, full of ice, a dash of gin and lots of tonic, no slice! When they came for the order my husband ordered the special and I asked if it was possible to have the seafood crepe as a main course with a small side salad? Yes, no problem. What I got was one small crepe with a salad garnish and the largest side salad I have ever seen. The waiters were perfunctory and the atmosphere only lightened when the greeter from downstairs came up and spoke to other diners. In fairness, my husband's lamb was very good and the single crepe I had was also very nice, although I have never received a starter portion when I have asked for it as a main course before. Maybe he did not understand what I wanted. It is not a restaurant we will go to again as we left feeling unimpressed, diddled, and I was still hungry!!

[Alfaman]

Arena definitely has the pushiest outside menu waiters - don't they know we can read and don't they know when to back off and let us study the menu at leisure? ( In 5 visits, we've never eaten at the Arena because of this -we just double back to Zeki's where Metin and Paula wouldn't dream of giving you the hard sell)
PS They don't need to with their sticky toffee pudding, a great change from Baclava!

[Charlie]

Last year the outside waiter of Arena was Can (who now has Al Fresco) - who I feel has never pressurised me into visting the restaurant.  Are we talking about the guy who is there this year?? Goes by the name of Mr Happy!! and who worked last year at Ilban (opposite the post office).  Must confess I walked past him for 3 weeks and just smiled!

[Chucky]

I don't know his name, but on our visits to Kalkan he was the only "greeter" who was pushy and unsmiling. On several occasions, after we had politely declined, he muttered in Turkish under his breath and although we had no way of knowing what he said, his tone and body language led us to believe it was not complimentary!! Last October he was even more pushy, so much so that we avoided that stretch. It was a relief when we discovered he had gone and have now started to try the other restaurants and bars along that street. From the roof tops, we noted that whilst others were fairly busy, the Arena was empty, a pity because it does look like a nice restaurant. 

[Charlie]

We have eaten in Arena several times and have always found it to be grand.  We didn't this year as we wanted to try out some of the new ones.  I always found all the waiters there to be as friendly  as those in other places.  There is one guy Mehmet who is a really lovely person.  I did hear though that this year things have been very quiet for them.  Their chef left with Can to open up Al Fresco.  Reading your post though joanH, you haven't been very successful with that stretch.  Do try Ozalp, Kosk and Lykia which are both down the same street, I don't think you'll be disappointed (not to mention Coast, Ibo, Ivy further on down).

[Chucky]

Yes we did have a meal at the Ozap, we have had a running joke with "Orlando" about going in, basically we rushed passed him to get past the Arena as quickly as possible, which he noticed and joked about with us. This year as we could stroll along we spied him talking to some people and decided to sneak in without him seeing us, and alerting the staff upstairs. We had a pleasant meal there. It was busy and there was no one next door in the Arena.

[marmitegirl]

I'm glad someone else had the same impression of Can at the Arena! We first met him three years ago on our first visit to Kalkan. Each evening he tried very aggressively to get us to go into the restaurant and one evening even chased us along the street! For this very reason we have never been into Arena. A friend of mine went there on her first evening in Kalkan and had such a lovely time that she went several times more and said it was the best restaurant there! We have eaten in Ozalp many times and twice this year from the rooftop we saw that Arena was very busy, we decided that next time we will really have to give it a try!

[Eljhem]

Never had any problems with any of the front of house staff at arena or elsewhere in Kalkan.  All quite happy to chat and take it in good heart if you decide to go elsewhere, often a pleasant chat with us on the way back up,  it can take alonng time to get back to the Lizo some nights.

[Charlie]

Eljhem I agree totally, I have never felt pressurised to go into any restaurant in Kalkan.

[Chucky]

The man at the Arena and one who sometimes tries to get you in the Breeze are they only ones that we have had any problems with. We may even try the Arena next time.

[Ramtastic]

I now know where to put on a sprint when I'm walking through Kalkan, I hate being pressurised because you usually end up going in and finding that you don't actually fancy what's on the menu.  We much prefer to be able to just hover around study the menu and decide if there is something for everyone.

[Blue Lizard]

Joan you are right,breeze man is quite abrupt and pushy,he was the same when he was outside kosk,the smile soon turns to scowls ...my other half won't go anywhere he is working

[Chucky]

I'm glad it is not just us, we walk pass at least twice a day and when they first opened we had a nice chat with one man, then next time it was a different man and he was very insistant, when we walked back later he blocked our path and said it would be his personal challenge to get us in!! (and not in a funny, jokey way). He really irritated my husband, so if he is greeting we either cross the road or nip across the car park. So different from the boys at the Atlantis who just point out their restaurant the first time they see you, and then smile and exchange pleasantries the next time, so much nicer.

[Alfaman]

Don't be intimidated! See if he understands p... off in English! but on another thread, what is it in Turkish?

[Tatilde]

He speaks very good English, but I wouldn't be so rude! We have to go past the Breeze on the way down to the village and don't have any problem. I don't think anyone has mentioned the other Ali Baba, opposite the Breeze. Very friendly, roof terrace, good food and a free ice cream at the end of your meal.

[Cosetta]

Belgin's Kitchen is the only restaurant in Kalkan that our Turkish neighbors will go to when they eat out.  They claim it is the only one with authentic cooking.  This may be a matter of taste but perhaps it is the only one where you can eat çiÄŸ börek and manti (small Turkish ravioli in garlic/yoghurt sauce).

And our favorite again is ZETINLIK = the Olive Garden.  Back with a new menu, delicious.

[DRBD]

We have no problems with the chap outside Breeze - for the one reason we dislike him and his attitude which has been the same where ever he has been.  He knows not to bother us and we will not eat where ever he is.  Also recommend the Ali Baba opposite, its our "little local" has been since it was just a tiny place, family run and very friendly.  Sometimes if busy you have to wait a while. And for us not too far from home.

[Blue Lizard]

i didn't think mice were allowed in restaurants?

[itstime]

Have to say I've eaten in Ramis several times and always found the food to be excellent and the service faultless