What to eat in Antalya

1.Piyaz, Antalya style

Antalya piyazı

White beans with onion, parsley and tomato — but in Antalya it's dressed with tahini, which makes it rich and nutty and unlike piyaz anywhere else in Türkiye. It's the city's signature dish.

💡 The classic order is şiş köfte (grilled meatball skewers) with a side of piyaz. Antalya has restaurants that serve little else — our favourite is one of the supporter picks on the map.

2.Hibeş

A thick, tangy dip of tahini, lemon, garlic, cumin and chilli flakes — a meze you'll rarely see outside the Antalya region. Spread it on warm bread.

💡 Look for it on the meze tray at fish restaurants and meyhanes (taverns), and order it as a starter to share.

3.Tandır

Lamb or goat slow-cooked for hours in a pit oven until it falls off the bone — a much-loved dish across the Antalya region.

💡 It's usually served with rice or bread and onions — come hungry, portions are generous.

4.Esnaf lokantası home cooking

esnaf lokantası

Tradesmen's restaurants where the day's home-cooked dishes wait in an open counter: stews, stuffed vegetables, rice, beans and the famous red lentil soup, mercimek çorbası.

💡 Just point at what you'd like — no menu needed. Come at lunchtime, when the dishes are freshest and the locals are there.

5.Mantı

Tiny handmade dumplings filled with spiced meat, topped with garlic yoghurt and a drizzle of chilli butter.

💡 At Fatma Sultan Restaurant the mantı is handmade daily — it's the dish we always order there.

6.Simit & çay breakfast

A crisp sesame bread ring (simit) fresh from the oven with a glass of Turkish tea — the way half of Antalya starts the day. Add menemen: eggs scrambled with tomatoes and peppers.

💡 Go early: the best bakeries sell out of the first warm batch fast. Our favourite simit bakeries are among the supporter picks on the map.

7.Gözleme

Thin hand-rolled dough folded around cheese, spinach or potato and cooked on a griddle. Simple, filling and perfect for a quick lunch.

💡 Watch it being rolled — the dough is stretched paper-thin by hand.

8.Fish — fried, grilled or in a sandwich

Antalya is a fishing town at heart. Locals grab fried fish in a sandwich for lunch or sit down to a grilled fish plate with salad.

💡 At Çıtır Balık the fish comes in a light, shattering batter — ask what came in that morning.

9.Pumpkin dessert with tahini

kabak tatlısı

Pumpkin slow-cooked in sugar until glossy, then topped with tahini and crushed walnuts. A very Antalya combination.

💡 Order it after a plate of köfte and piyaz — that's the local way to finish the meal.

10.Burnt ice cream & warm semolina helva

Two sweet local favourites. Burnt ice cream is an Antalya tradition that really does taste burnt — try it at least once. Warm semolina helva with a scoop of ice cream is pure comfort.

💡 Burnt ice cream at Akdeniz Dondurma; semolina helva with ice cream at Milklac, where you can sit down with a tea.