17 Best Restaurants in The Turquoise Coast, Turkey

A down-to-earth, traditional Turkish restaurant in often tourist-oriented Kalkan, Ata is (as the name suggests) known for its tender, flavorful kebabs, which come in medium- and large-portion sizes. The menu also includes pide (Turkish flatbread) cooked in a wood oven and the classic array of mezes, salads, and hot starters. The casual seating is on a patio overlooking the main road into town.

A hospitable spot for a quick bite on your way to or from the beach and ruins, this simple, open-air eatery offers a wide range of gözleme, a type of Turkish crepe, including those with less-common fillings like eggplant and cheese or chicken with walnuts, as well as sweet options for dessert. You can also get egg dishes, meatballs, chicken kebabs, and other standard fare.

"Chill" is the perfect word to describe this relaxed spot. Popular with locals, its tables are mostly set out in the prime open area, toward the southern end of the beach. The food ranges from snacks to grilled meat, seafood, and pasta. In the evening, Chill evolves into a bar and the closest thing Adrasan has to a disco.

This is an ideal lunch spot, with a terrace shaded by bougainvillea and grapevines and traditional Turkish meats prepared using a brass-hooded charcoal brazier. The menu is exceptionally vegetarian friendly, with 20 meatless meze (starters), many concocted from local wild herbs. The vibe is tranquil, laid-back, and friendly, with beer and rakı (a Turkish liquor) on the menu, along with homemade lemonade.

Serving up tasty home-cooking in a contemporary setting, this friendly, good-value option near Hadrian's Gate has a small menu focused on meatballs and other grills, traditional Antalya-style bean salad, and meat- or potato-filled mantı (dumplings). Don’t be put off by the entry through a narrow passageway: it opens up into a pleasant café-style dining area that's bright, airy, and filled with plants.

A homey little spot offering home-style fare, this is a good place to have a satisfying and inexpensive meal before or after embarking on excursions from the nearby minibus stop and riverside docks. Choose from a daily selection of meze behind the counter or a heartier traditional dish like panfried meat with peppers and onions. In the evening, there’s more of a mini-meyhane vibe, with beer and rakı available, at its handful of tables, mostly outside.

No trip to Antakya is complete without eating künefe, a rich dessert with thinly soft cheese in between layers of pastry, baked in an oven and topped with sugar syrup. A row of shops selling the local sweet line the road in between the bridge into the old town and the beginning of the Uzun Çarşı. Ferah, in business since 1948, is a deservedly popular favorite.

Little-consumed most other places in Turkey, hummus is a mainstay of the Antakya diet, and the old town is full of tiny, no-frills shops serving up little else, often as a filling breakfast. Jolly İbrahim, a hummus “usta” (master), who learned his trade in Lebanon, makes everything from scratch—even grinding the sesame seeds for his own tahini. Orders come with pillowy bread and an array of spicy peppers and pickles.

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.

In business since 1950, Kervan draws hummus lovers from as far away as Mersin city center to eat its house specialty, served warm with a choice of toppings, including chickpeas and butter, köfte (meatballs), chicken, or cheese–all with spicy peppers and pickles on the side. The only thing on the menu other than hummus at this simple eatery by the çarşı (market) area is the equally delicious fındık lahmacun—miniature flatbreads topped with ground meat cooked in tomatoes and spices.

This homey lokanta is a good-value place to grab a quick bite after visiting the nearby castle. Choose from the daily array of traditional Turkish stewed or sautéed meat and vegetable dishes displayed at the counter, or order a grilled kebab or spit-roasted döner. It’s in the maze of streets below the citadel on the inland side, next to Eski İbrahim Ağa Cami.

An Ölüdeniz institution, this casual restaurant set just back from the seafront at the eastern edge of town serves up hearty fare at reasonable prices. In addition to its crisp, thin-crust pide (flatbread) with a wide variety of toppings—including vegetarian options such as spinach or mushrooms—Kumsal’s large menu encompasses kebabs, pizza, fish, and international dishes. The service is friendly, and there’s an open-air terrace upstairs, away from the heat of the pide oven.

This excellent, straightforward Turkish restaurant is on the western edge of the bazaar and favored by locals for its kebabs, pide (Turkish pizza), and traditional casseroles. It's open all day, morphing from a breakfast joint in the morning to a family restaurant in the afternoon to the perfect place for a late-night snack at 3 am. The same owners also operate the somewhat more upscale Meğri Restaurant in the center of the bazaar.

After paying your respects to St. Nick, retire to this bakery-café, the local branch of a popular Turkish chain, to enjoy arctic air-conditioning and a cold drink or tea accompanied by fresh baklava, the diamond-cut honeyed pastry with nuts. Until early afternoon Nur also serves su böreği, a salty pastry flavored with crumbly cheese.

A homey, peaceful retreat on the southern edge of the old city serves great coffee, fruit smoothies, homemade American cakes, and home-cooked lunches that include both Turkish and Asian dishes. Part of the St. Paul Cultural Center, it's one of the rare inexpensive eateries in central Antalya with distinctive and high-quality food. There's a library of exchange books on-site, as well as a gift shop with some lovely and unusual offerings (notably traditional jewelry from eastern Turkey) and a garden so quiet it's hard to believe you're so close to Kaleiçi's main drag.

Every Turkish village has a fırın: a tasty, unpretentious bakery that churns out a daily bounty of smooth puddings, flaky pastries, fresh bread, and sweets. The amazing thing about this one is that it's survived in the heart of touristy Kaleiçi—and with reasonable prices. Options include spicy spinach börek and incirli cevizli muhallebisi, a milk pudding flavored with local figs and walnuts.

This casual lokanta in the center of town is a reliable place to get satisfying home-cooked food at reasonable prices. Choose from the array of daily dishes—different varieties of meatballs, casseroles, stews, and vegetables cooked in olive oil—under the glassed-in counter at the entrance, and then grab a seat in the simple dining room or at one of the sidewalk tables.