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
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
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.
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.
