Eating a meal in an'exotic' destination, with cultural and culinary traditions far removed from our own, can only be a satisfying sensory experience, especially if the choice falls on 'tried and tested' dishes typical of the local cuisine. Are you ready to taste the ten most consumed delicacies in the Turkish city of Antalya?
1 - Shish Kebab
Photo by MCB.
If you think that this typical Antalya dish resembles the classic kebabs 'imported' to Italy, you are sadly mistaken. The shish kebab - one of the most popular dishes in the Turkish city - proposes, right from the moment it is prepared, a version of the dish that is 'lighter' and, if you like, even tastier. The meat - strictlylamb - is served in the form of a skewer and accompanied by red onion, paprika and lemon juice: a real delicacy.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: approx. €6.00
Main ingredients: lamb, paprika, lemon juice
2 - Gozleme
Photo by Maderibeyza.
Antalya is a popular destination for street food. In addition to the classic kebab, you can order a gozleme, a kind of savoury pancake grilled and served with a generous filling of spinach, cheese, potatoes or even minced meat, at one of the many kiosks in the area.
Recommended: as a snack, or as a replacement for lunch or dinner to be eaten on the street
Average cost: about €1.20
Main ingredients: flour, water, minced meat, cheese
3 - Typical breakfast
Photo by Tanyel.
In Antalya, the day cannot get started without first eating a hearty breakfast. There is no typical course for the most important meal of the day, because Turkish breakfast - and Antalya's, in particular - is in itself a rather complex affair: a riot of very different textures and flavours. So you can find at your disposal a tray full of jam, yoghurt, cheese, honey, eggs, butter, vegetables and... olives, all accompanied by a tasty tea and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Recommended for: breakfast
Average cost: the price of a breakfast varies between €3.00 and €11.00 depending on the composition of the dish
Main ingredients: eggs, jam, tea, olives, cheese
4 - Baklava
"/>
One of the typical sweets of Antalya is baklava, a dessert made with filo pastry and filled with the typical and delicious oriental ingredients: honey and dried fruit. A true Turkish confectionery must.
Recommended: as a dessert or snack
Average cost: from €17.00
Main ingredients: filo pastry, honey, pistachios, cinnamon, almonds
5 - Paça Soup
Photo by Jwslubbock.
This may arouse some disgust, as atypical ingredients are used to make this soup, to say the least. Paça soup makes use of the most 'absurd' parts of the sheep, such as the head, brain and even the legs, which are cooked in broth. Despite the unappetising premise, locals vouch for the goodness of this hot dish, also used as a hangover cure.
Recommended at: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €2.00
Main ingredients: broth, sheep (head, feet, brains)
6 - Chicken wings
Antalya is famous for its meat dishes, one of which is as simple as it is delicious: a plate of warm, crispy chicken wings, accompanied by all sorts of side dishes and sauces. The secret to the goodness of this dish is the marinade: every self-respecting Turkish restaurateur has his own recipe, a secret weapon to make these little wings palatable to diners.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €3.00 approx.
Main ingredients: chicken wings
7 - Pide
Photo by Negendank.
It is the equivalent of our pizza, although it differs from it in many ways. Turkish pide is one of the most popular dishes in Antalya. It is a portion of flat bread, baked in the oven and topped with everything from vegetables and cheese to a 'stronger' version, in which the pide is 'flooded' with peppers and beef.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner or as a rather substantial snack
Average cost: depending on the filling, a pide can cost between €1.00 and €2.00
Main ingredients: flour, cheese, vegetables, beef
8 - Meze
Photo by Unai Guerra.
We are not talking about an actual dish, but rather an appetiser filled with all kinds of local delicacies. We could also consider the meze as a kind of aperitif, consisting of very spicy sauces (such as acılı ezme), or yoghurt sauces ( haydari) accompanying vegetable rolls or vine leaves stuffed with rice, sultanas, spices(dolma and sarma): once tasted, you can't do without.
Recommended: as an appetiser or aperitif
Average cost: €4.30
Main ingredients: spicy or yoghurt sauce, peppers, aubergines, vine leaves, sultanas
9 - Dondurma
Photo by Alessio Damato.
It is not the usual ice cream. It is thedondurma, a confectionery product made of milk, sugar, mastic and salep (flour obtained from orchids). The texture is elastic and chewy and the ice cream melts much more slowly than the usualice-cream, without affecting the taste and creaminess.
Recommended: as a snack
Average cost: €1.20
Main ingredients: milk, sugar, saltp
10 - Börek
We could call it a savoury dessert. Börek, a handmade brick pastry roll sprinkled with icing sugar on the outside, has a filling inside that is anything but sugary. Cheese and minced meat are hidden inside the thin pastry, creating with the outer sweetness a unique and original mixture of flavours.
Recommended: as a snack
Average cost: €2.90
Main ingredients: brick pastry, minced meat, cheese, icing sugar
Where to eat: best restaurants, typical places and street food
Antalya, a Turkish seaside resort, offers typical Turkish cuisine, but in addition to the classic kebabs and meze (appetisers) on the coast there are specialities based on vegetables and fresh fish. In addition, the offer is varied; one can choose simple places with low prices or sophisticated places.
There are several cafés and restaurants along the harbour, but if you want to spend less, you have to head for the Ataturk Caddesi district.
1 - Ayar Meyhanesi
Description: in the old part of Antalya, this restaurant stands out. It usually has fish hanging outside, serves good food at medium prices and entertains guests with live music.
Speciality: grilled fish
Average price: from 139.00 TRY (about €22.00) per person
Address: Kilincarslan Mahalesi Hesepci Sokak No.59 Kaleici - Get directions
2 - Parlak Restaurant
Description: opposite the jewellery bazaar this open-air restaurant with a large old patio is popular with locals and serves excellent cuisine
Speciality: slow-roasted chicken
Average price: from 40.00 TRY (about €6.30) per person
Address: Elmalı Mahallesi, Zincirli Han İçi, 1. Sk - Get directions / FB Page
3 - Sim Restaurant
Description: In fine weather you eat under the pergola outside between the Byzantine walls, while in winter you sit inside a room with antiques alternating with modern graffiti
Speciality: white bean salad, soups
Average price: from 40.00 TRY (about €6.30) per person
Address: Kaledibi Sokak 7 - Get directions / Fb page
4 - Can Can Pide ve Kebap Salonu
Description: If you are looking for a cheap and cheerful place, this place opposite the Plaza Cinema is for you. Frequented by locals and tourists alike, it has always been a guarantee.
Specialities: corba, pide, and beef kebab in pita
Average price: from 10.00 TRY (about €1.60) per person
Address: H. İşcan Mah Arık Cad Akkaşoğlu Apt 4/A - Get directions
5 - Villa Perla
Description: a small establishment with an adjoining guesthouse, this family-run restaurant has tables under a pergola and serves delicious dishes at modest prices.
Speciality: stewed rabbit, meze
Average price: from 40.00 TRY (approx. €6.30) per person
Address: No.26, 07100 Muratpaşa - Get directions / Fb page
