Food is one of the great pleasures of this coast. The cooking is Mediterranean and Aegean in spirit, built on olive oil, vegetables, herbs, seafood and grilled meat, and in Kaş and Kalkan there is a strong tradition of meze, small plates shared before the main course. Both towns have waterfront restaurants with views, back-street lokantas for simple home cooking and a growing number of places that cook with care. Here is how to eat well.
Breakfast
A Turkish breakfast is a spread of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, white cheese, honey, jam, eggs and fresh bread, accompanied by endless glasses of tea. Many hotels serve it on a terrace. If you want something local, look for gozleme, a thin flatbread filled with cheese, spinach or potato and cooked on a griddle, which is sold at village stalls and market cafes.
Meze
Ordering meze is the best way to start a meal. Typical plates include hummus, yoghurt with garlic, stuffed vine leaves, aubergine in several forms, sautéed wild greens, tomato and pepper salads, and fried courgette fritters. In a good restaurant a waiter brings a tray so you can point at what you like. Share a handful of plates and order bread. Add a glass of rakı with water if you want to eat the traditional way, or a local wine.
Fish and seafood
Fish restaurants line the harbour in Kaş and the marina in Kalkan. Sea bass, bream, red mullet and sometimes grilled octopus and calamari are common. Fish is often sold by weight, so ask the price before you order. Fresh fish is best on days when the boats have been out, and quality varies, so choose places that are busy with local diners.
Meat and home cooking
Lokantas serve stews, grilled meats, stuffed vegetables and rice, often displayed in glass counters so you can choose. Lamb dishes, kebabs and meatballs are widely available. Vegetarians can eat well on meze, vegetable stews and soups, and most restaurants can adapt.
Sweets and drinks
Try baklava, milk puddings, semolina sweets and fresh seasonal fruit. Turkish tea is served all day, and Turkish coffee after meals. Fresh juices, particularly pomegranate and orange, are widely sold. Alcohol is widely available in restaurants and bars in both towns, and local wine is increasingly good.
Markets
A weekly market brings producers from the villages to Kaş, selling vegetables, fruit, cheeses, olives, spices and honey. It is a lively place to browse and to buy picnic supplies. Smaller markets and greengrocers operate daily. If you want to learn to cook what you have seen, a meze class with a market visit or a home-hosted class with a sea view are good ways to spend a few hours.
Where to eat
In Kaş, the harbour has views and higher prices, while side streets of the old town offer better value. In Kalkan, terraces tier above the marina, and many are open for sunset, so booking ahead in summer is wise. For a quick meal, look for bakeries, doner stands and lokantas. Dinner starts late by northern standards, often after eight, and people linger.
Practical tips
Ask about prices before ordering fish, check whether service is included, and carry small notes for tips, which are customary at around ten percent where service is not added. Many places close in winter in Kalkan, so check opening days outside the season. If you have allergies, learn the Turkish words for nuts and dairy, or carry a card.
A sample day of eating
Start with a breakfast spread at your hotel, take a picnic of bread, cheese, tomatoes and fruit on a boat day, snack on gozleme at a roadside stall, and finish with a meze dinner overlooking the water. It is a simple pattern, and it never gets old.
Etiquette and extras
Meals are social and unhurried, and the bill is usually brought only when you ask for it. Bread and water may be charged, and a small cover charge is not unusual in tourist areas. Vegetarians and vegans can order a selection of cold meze as a full meal, and sweet-toothed visitors will find ice cream and pastry shops open late on summer evenings.
Drinks to try
Beyond tea and coffee, ayran, a salted yoghurt drink, goes well with grilled meat, and a glass of chilled local white wine suits fish. Craft beer and cocktails have appeared in Kaş bars, and fresh lemonade made from local lemons is a summer favourite. Always ask about the price of imported spirits before ordering.