Food in Turkey (Alanya/Mahmutlar)

Turkish people know to cook, no doubt about it.


On restaurants:

Even the simplest meatballs are often prepared to perfection. What I like are the starters (bread with delicious sauces).

Most of the main dishes can also be ordered in Western Europe, but in general in Turkey very well prepared and tasty, a positive thing is also the Turkish tea at the end of dinner or lunch.

So compliments all around.


What I miss are dishes in restaurants from my past.

-Chinese

-Indian

-Dutch pancakes

-Dutch snackbars (kroketten, satesauce, bitterballen)

-Indonesian restaurants (but this is stretching)

-Mexican (real Mexican I mean)

-Polish

-Hungarian gulash

-....


Having said that in our neighbourhood they started eg restaurants from Azerbedjan, Afghan, ... (but they fail (no customers I suppose). The one remaining is a Kyrgyz restaurant (excellent mante)


As for markets, or supermarkets, no really hot spices, no sateh sauce, limited choice in old cheese. But this applies also to eg Hungary (where I lived for 7 years)


Having said that lamb is widely available in Turkey (which is excellent), and my wife is happy with all the vegs and fruits

The good is lovely and I enjoy the organic produce including fruits, veggies, eggs and cheese. However, I find that too much oil and sugar are used in every dish. Also going out to eat it's expensive. For my small family, 3 of us, we spend between £50-£80 (GBP) when we go out to eat. The portions are small and we only tend to order a main dish, no starters or desserts.

In London, for the same cost we would have received plenty of food, starters and desserts.


I agree about the supermarkets, the food choices are limited to Turkish cuisine. I am still in search of couscous, filo pastry and good lean beef mince. Even when we buy the beef mince from the butcher, it's greasy. The cost of the meat is expensive too.


I often wonder how the locals manage to eat...

@Fedy23 I think for locals it is not to manage, where I live is definitely cheaper (including starter and tea at the end (then again it is just my wife). For locals it is difficult indeed (impossible).


The below as illustration

https://www.yenialanya.com/haber/198560 … na-3000-tl


For a good (luxury) restaurant in our area I count EUR 50, but below EUR 30 is definitely possible.

In which area do you live, GBP 50 to GBP 80 sounds expensive (especially without starter and desert).


Still overall prices (in EUR) are acceptable. The plus of going to a restaurant is also saving on grocery bills.

We live in Antalya and never eat out where we live, Lara, as it is way too expensive for what they offer.

Few days ago we visited Koniyaalti and ate at the restaurant. Main meal, drinks and one slice of cake for 2 adults and a child was 80 GBP. We did not order starters.

@Fedy23 Really sounds excessive (unless you had a VERY special main dish).

There must be good local restaurants even in Antalya which are reasonably priced. (even in my neighbourhood I know at least 3 which can vbe considerably cheap (below EUR 39 for 2 (including starter and tea), I would say at least 2 which are between EUR 30 and EUR 45. The expensive (around 5) are around EUR 50.


Some I avoid (visiting once can be enough put you off (not per se price, but service for me is also important)

For the restaurants I know, the owners know us as well and they know what we like (mostly tea is complimentary (and so is the bread and additions for the start))