Eating out in Side

There are many places to eat in and around Side offering a wide range of cuisine. If you enjoy fish, there are several good restaurants close to the harbour offering freshly caught fish.

Side Harbour Restaurants

Side Harbour Restaurants

Be aware that not all restaurants are equal. This is especially true of fish restaurants. There can be a big difference in both quality and price. A good rule of thumb is to eat in the busier restaurants. Expect to pay more in the more fashionable restaurants or those in prime locations.

Charlies restaurant in Side Harbour

Charlies restaurant

Charlies restaurant overlooking the harbour is typical of restaurants in this location and you can expect to pay between 10 and 15% table charge. By law, a price list must be displayed. If you have a limited budget, it is a good idea to check the menu and prices before you sit down. I've seen it happen where a couple with three young children sat down first but quickly left after being shown the menu by the waiter. Although eating out in Turkey is less expensive than in the UK, prices may be higher in Side than in other Turkish resorts.

Side harbour view from Charlies

Harbour view from Charlies

Like other tourist resorts, you will find many restaurants have been influenced by past visitors' tastes. There are many shrewd and successful Turks in the restaurant business and it makes economic sense to cater for those tastes. We do are after all live in a world of supply and demand, As a result, many restaurants in Side now offer both Traditional and International cuisine. That said, let us look at some typical Turkish cuisine.

Kebabs, also known as kebaps, come in a variety of forms and are available in most Side restaurants. Although there are many variations of both ingredients and presentation, here are a few of the more popular.

Abant Kebab - A mix of tender beef and chicken breast with onions, tomatoes, and green peppers served with rice.

Adana Kebab - A hot spicy minced meat pattie, grilled and served with bread and salad.

Antep Kebab - Marinated and spiced ground lamb skewered and grilled, topped with tomatoes and green peppers and served with pita bread.

Bursa Kebab or Iskender - Slices of doner in tomato sauce served on flat bread.

Doner Kebab - Lamb sliced from a roll of lamb on a vertical skewer. It is usually wrapped in pita bread and may be accompanied by salad, rice or chips.

Efes Kebab - A mix of filet mignon and shrimp with onions, tomatoes and green peppers served with rice.

Karides Shish Kebab - Prawns or large shrimps with onion, tomatoes, and green peppers, topped with a light curry sauce and served with rice.

Shish Kebab - Cubes of meat (beef, chicken or lamb) grilled over charcoal on wooden skewers. It is normally accompanied by salad, rice or chips.

Shish Kofte Kebab - Meatballs made from lamb that are spiced and grilled.

Kilic Shish Kebab - Marinated swordfish with onion, tomatoes and green peppers served with rice.

Tas Kebab Beyendi - Chunks of lamb or chicken and pureed eggplant with tomato, onion and spices, served with rice.

Testi Kebab - Small pieces of lamb or chicken cooked in a sauce.

Yogurtlu Kebab - Slices of beef with yogurt and tomato sauce in pita bread.

Of course, Turkish cuisine has much more to offer than the ubiquitous kebab. There is an incredible range of food available that will keep even the most fastidious eater happy.

Pide or Turkish Pizza is available in the majority of eating places. Pide, a staple food for Turks and one of my favourites, is flat bread cooked in an oven and offered with a choice of topping. Some of most common toppings include:

Kasarli - cheese

Kiymali - spiced mince lamb and tomato

Kusbasili - lamb, onions and green peppers

Sucuklu - Spicy Turkish sausage

Yumurtlu - egg with a little cheese

Karasik - a little bit of everything

Some appetizers (mezeler) you can expect to see in some of the Side restaurants include:

Babaganush - Eggplant with crushed sesame seed, spices and olive oil.

Beyaz Peynir - Feta cheese, olives and tomatoes.

Borek - meat and cheese in puff pastry.

Cacik - Yogurt, chopped cucumbers, garlic, dill and mint. Also known as Turkish iced cucumber and yogurt soup.

Fasulye Pilaki - Turkish white beans cooked with garlic, tomato, onion and parsley in olive oil.

Hommus Dip - Pureed chick peas with garlic and lemon juice dip.

Imam Bayildi - Eggplant stuffed with onion, tomato, garlic and parsley.

Kasar Sahanda - Turkish cheese with pita.

Pastirma - Spicy sliced Turkish beef.

Patlican Kizartma - Fried eggplant and green peppers with yogurt sauce.

For the main course you may want to try one of these traditional dishes:

Kuzu Incik - Baked lamb shank Turkish style topped with eggplant, tomato and
green pepper and served with rice.

Manti - Small pasta stuffed with spiced ground beef, served with garlic yogurt sauce and topped with fresh tomato sauce.

Musakka - Original Turkish dish with layers of eggplant, ground sirloin, bechamel sauce, and cheese au gratin. Served with rice.

Tavuk Hunkar Beyendi - Chunks of chicken breast broiled with onion, tomato and spices and served over pureed eggplant with rice.

One point worth mentioning when eating out in Side, is that the meat portion of a meal may be smaller than what you get in the UK. As a general rule, Turks eat more vegetables than we do. If you are a vegetarian, Turkey offers an excellent choice of fresh vegetables and fruit and other meat free meals.

Restaurants in Side and Kümkoy worth a visit

Orfuz - Located in the harbour area of Side, this restaurant offers both Turkish and International cuisine.

Liman Restaurant - With a super view of the harbour in Side, the Liman offers a great selection of fresh fish.

Bill Cosby - A Turkish restaurant in Kümkoy that serves traditional food. It also has a dance floor where you can burn off those extra calories.