7 Best Restaurants in The Turquoise Coast, Turkey

With fine food and excellent service, stylish Seraser aspires to be the best restaurant in all of Turkey, and its inventive international menu certainly lifts it above other options in Antalya. This is considered a special-occasion restaurant, yet it's wonderfully relaxed and a decent value compared to its American counterparts. Part of the Tuvana Hotel, it is set in the leafy courtyard of a historic house, with indoor and outdoor dining areas and live jazz on weekends. The menu tends European, made with quality Turkish ingredients—90% of which are organic. Starters include goat cheese and aubergine soufflé, mussels Provençal, and superb house-made pastas. Grouper and char-grilled steak are popular mains, but do save room for dessert: the Turkish coffee-infused crème brûlée is a showstopper. The wine list is impressive, with more than 300 options, though prices are steep.

One of Antalya's flashiest restaurants serves seafood carpaccio, lobster, duck, chocolate soufflé, and warm chestnut cake, along with a full range of foreign spirits and cigars from a humidor. Its spectacular location halfway up the main road from the old harbor gives it a panoramic view of the old town and the sea. Inside, airy stone arches give it elegant style despite the fact that this was once the port's petroleum depot.  At 11 pm, the dance club alongside swings into action.

Part of the Gunay's Garden villa complex, this tranquil spot in the far corner of Kaya village blends the best of Turkish and European cuisine, using homegrown ingredients as much as possible. There is a good range of largely organic starters; try the mixed meze plate for a taste of everything. Mains include excellent fish, steak, pizzas, and a lovely oven-cooked lamb. As befits the hotel's family-friendly ethos, there's also a kids' menu.

A casually stylish restaurant-bar in the old town area with a contemporary look and food to match, Kalamaki offers a well-prepared and presented menu of fusion and traditional Turkish dishes. Entrees range from sea bass with prawns in cream sauce to hot chili Mexican beef to sweet-and-sour chicken, but the kitchen manages to pull off this large selection with aplomb. Upstairs terrace seating (summer only) has a great view over the harbor, and there’s a lounge on the ground floor where you can stop in for a coffee or cocktail.

A tranquil, stylish break from options in the sometimes tacky hustle and bustle of Fethiye’s bazaar area, Kukina serves up a distinctive (and delicious) international menu of dishes like falafel tacos, fried chicken burgers, and popcorn shrimp. Standbys like burgers and pizza are available, as are plenty of vegetarian options. The greenhouse-like courtyard and cheery, plant-filled interior are both comfortable places to linger over an afternoon coffee or a glass of wine.

If you want to eat in the harbor area, many would say this your best bet. The tables are well spaced, trees offer shade, the service is good, and the food is excellent (if expensive). Fresh seafood is the specialty, including melt-in-your-mouth garlic prawns, but there's something for everyone on the international menu. The view over the western beach is just right at sunset; if there's a chill in spring or autumn, attentive waiters will even bring out blankets. Reservations are highly recommended for dinner, especially in high season.

Almost opposite the Antalya Museum, but hidden a little down the hill towards the sea, this restaurant may well have the best view in town. The menu focuses on meat, pasta, pizza, and burgers, and though the quality can be hit or miss, regulars praise the steak—plus the portions are, well, big. Owned by an Antalyan former basketball player (aka the Big Man), it's a popular place for locals to come for a special meal.