We've never been to a bad restaurant in Kalkan. But here are our thoughts from our two-week holiday in August 2011. We've given each restaurants stars for food and for service.
Coast - food *****, service *****. The best restaurants have the organisation and cooking sorted and out of sight, with customers just seeing a relaxed staff and perfect food. Coast, down at the harbour, does just this. From a friendly welcome and the water-spray fans, to the knowledgeable waiters able to say exactly how the spinach was cooked (boiled, then briefly fried in oil with mushrooms and pine nuts), to the varied and innovative menu, and the food beautifully cooked and presented. The lamb walnut kudzu was excellent: full of flavour. The 'paper moon' sea bass, with a citrus and almond flavouring, was delicate and cooked just right. The Cinderella dessert (pumpkin cake, ice cream, etc) was attractively set out on the plate, light and tasty. The house red was very drinkable. Coast has now had various moves and changes of name, but the confirmed excellence of the cooking and service show that those running it know exactly what they are doing. Our return visit confirmed all the above, with a very tender octopus dish worthy of note. www.kalkancoast.com Å(0990) 242 844 1480
Kalamaki - food *****, service *****. This restaurant has been going for a couple of years, but immediately showed it could live up to the standards set by Coast. Again, the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and attentive (but not intrusive), and show a real understanding and love of good cooking. We would particularly recommend from our visit the sea bass in raki. The steak was excellent, as was the pear with ice cream. The food was equally good at our second visit: the seafood casserole was much more flavoursome than we have had elsewhere in Kalkan in previous years. The rice pudding was beautifully presented, with some light cake, ice cream, and a piped Turkish tulip; but, as always here, presentation is an add on, not a substitute for, tasty, extremely well-cooked food. www.kalkankalamaki.com Å(0990) 242 844 1515
Korsan Fish Terrace - food *****, service *****. Don't rely on it being a Kalkan fixture for 40 or so years; go and try it. A family-run restaurant at its best. Friendly and efficient at the same time, it is carefully overseen by the patron/patronne, and produces top-notch cooking, and not just fish. This year we both had the day's special: orfez/orfiz, which was correctly described as similar to monkfish. It was on a bed of potatoes with a peppery tomato mixture, and topped with two large and tasty prawns in their shells. The Korsan FT have a way of assembling their dishes so that the taste of the fish shines through. The apricot sticky toffee pudding was as light as anything. There were a number of competitively priced wines - the choice of wine was generally better in Kalkan this year. 0www.korsankalkan.com Å(0990) 242 844 3076 info@korsankalkan.com
Gourmet - food ****, service *****. New kid on the block this year, with the chef from the Kosk buying out the Ibo and setting out on this own for the first time. The service was excellent, with real commitment to customers and to the food. We both had steak, which was very tender and well-flavoured, although the 'medium' steak was slightly under-cooked. The very berry dessert was beautifully presented and lived up to the presentation with a delicate balance of fruit, cream and meringue. The Patara red was a new wine in Kalkan this year and perfectly drinkable. Overall, a good menu, well-cooked and well-presented. The Gormet has arrived on the scene! www.gourmetterrace.com Å(0990) 242 844 2932
Korsan Meze - food *****, service ****. We knew that this was under the same ownership as the Korsan Fish Terrace, but it also has the same menu; although the small starter 'on the house' was different. Again a lovely meal, although the service was marginally less friendly. The fried squid and giant prawns in a mild curry sauce was as good as anything we had this year in Kalkan. The chicken and prawns in a spicy tomato sauce were good, although not quite in the same league as the squid. Excellent views and plenty of cats to feed with the prawn shells! Å(0990) 242 844 1480
Sofra - food ****, service ****. One of the best 360 degree views in town. No pretensions, just very friendly efficient service, supplemented this year by a lass from the W Yorkshire police service (no arrests made while we were there!). You get excellent Turkish food, cooked well, and presented well. The menu is varied, with a special each evening. The beef fillet and prawn dish was very nicely flavoured and brought to the table in a flamed dish. The trout with almonds was cooked perfectly. The fig dessert was extremely good, although we missed the "composto" dessert on the menu in previous years! Å(0990) 242 844 3307
Olive Garden (Zeytinlik) - food ****, service ****. Forgot to take any notes, but this restaurant is a similar style to the Sofra. Å(0990) 242 844 ????
Aubergine - food ****, service ***. A professional outfit that produces very good food but lacks the cutting edge of Coast or the delicacy of flavours of the Korsan Fish Terrace and Kalamaki. The service was polite and efficient, but didn't have the genuine Turkish welcome which makes it such a pleasure to dine at most other Kalkan restaurants. The stuffed sea bass was very good. The lamb shank melted in the mouth, although the sauce lacked finesse and the potatoes were distinctly ordinary. The tiramisu for dessert was plentiful but nothing special. Very good sized portions. We wonder whether the Aubergine might do better on the cooking front if it had a smaller menu and focused on fewer dishes. www.kalkanaubergine.com Å(0990) 242 844 3332 info@kalkanaubergine.com
Gironda - food ***, service ***. We had an enjoyable meal, but, with the change of ownership this year, the restaurant has lost a lot of its sparkle. We both felt that the cocktails didn't seem to contain a great deal of alcohol, although the inner courtyard bar is very attractive for a pre-meal drink. The sea bass was good and the lamb fillet OK. But we felt this year that there was too much focus on presentation, rather than on the quality of the food. The waiters were trying too hard to please rather than let the food speak for itself, for example intrusively re-lighting our table candle more than a dozen times on a breezy evening. The creme brulee was OK, but a little sloppy. The Majestic red was good value. The guitar and violin duo were very enjoyable. www.gironda.co.uk Å(0990) 242 844 1298 jimmyvolkan@hotmail.com
La Terraza (Zeki) - food ***, service ***. It is a very nice restaurant, with good food and very pleasant, unsophisticated staff. It is a place you can have an enjoyable evening and not be disappointed by the food. But it doesn't rise to the standards of food or service of some of those around it, although we sense it could with a bit more 'get up and go'. The fillet steak was cooked well, as was the salmon en croute. And we had a good creme brulee. Å(0990) 242 844
Salt and Pepper - food ***, service ***. Not quite in the same league as the restaurants reviewed above, but what it does it does well. One of the best nearby views of the harbour from its position one road up from the harbourside road. The service was good. The meatballs and penne were very tasty, as was the goats cheese pizza. www.kalkansaltnpepper.com (0990) 242 844 1445 info@kalkansaltnpepper.com
Mike and Sally
