İn Alanya you will find few sorts of restaurants serving different kind of food at very different prices: ev yemekler restaurants, ocakbaşı and many others. Turkish food is largely the heritage of the kitchen from the Ottoman Empire time, influenced by the Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. İt strongly varies across the country, but it has in common the use of olive oil as the major type of oil, lots of vegetables and herbs.

Homemade food is a must for Turkish people. That’s why you will find in the city many ev yemekleri restaurants (ev yemekleri = homemade food) which serve it.

Mostly you will not get a menu card there but you can take a look directly to the pots on the freezing counter and choose the dishes you want to try. Usually there is a soup, vegetable dish (often beans), meat dish, salad and one or two desserts to choose from. The food in the ev yemekleri restaurants is very good, fresh and healthy even if it is missing sometimes a bit on service or decoration. And of course it is not expensive compared to other types of restaurants – you may eat there basic healty meal already for 10 lira (ca.4 Euro).

İn Alanya you will find many of these restaurants, in the city center as well as in the local districts. İt is worth to remember that these restaurants mostly start serving at early lunch time and close when the daily food load is sold, mostly they do not serve in the evenings (as their function is to feed hungry stomachs and not give opportunity for romantic evenings out J.

Very popular are also ocakbaşı restaurants = true open charcoal grill restaurants.

You will get a menu card (at least in Alanya:) to choose from but also you can take a look on the refrigerated display of raw meat and kebebs and show with a finger the food you want. Then you can observe the cook at the steaming ocak grill preparing the meat and the vegetables (grilled tomatoes, onion and hot pepper) as well as heating the round flat bread called pide. As starters you may order a soup (mostly tomato or lentil) and garlicky cacik as well as ezme – sort of paste to smear on pide bread made of aubergine mashed with olive oil, tomato, herbs and hot pepper. As the main course you will get grilled meat (the best is to order a mix of chicken, lamb cow) or the famous turkish kebeb.

Since it is a meat restaurant and meat is generally expensive in Turkey you have to be prepared that your bill will be minimum around 35 lira (ca. 15 Euro). But eating there is a pleasure well worth it’s money - before going to ocakbaşi make sure to be really hungry, otherwise there is no chance to eat the huge amounts of food being served.

Against what one would expect fish restaurants (=balik restaurants) are quite expensive at the Mediterranean coast, so be prepared for ca. 35 Euro for a dinner there if you order a see fish. As cheaper alternative there is a possibility of ordering farm fish - for example the very popular trout (starting fromca. 4 Euro). Especially that in Alanya there is a very well known river with trout farms and restaurants along it – ask for the Dim Çay alabalık restorants (=trout restaurants).

İn the summer it is a big pleasure to escape from the city and in 15 min. reach the cool river paradise – the restaurants offer tables in the water or small huts on the stilts built above the water where you will find turkish pillows to sit or lie on it and low tables. İn most of them there is possibility to swim in the river, sometimes there are even slides and pools

İn the harbor area and in the city center there are located the upscale restaurants, mostly serving mixed food – you may eat there meat, fish, Turkish and European dishes.

Well known is the Red Tower Restaurant and Bar (Sky Lounge on the fourth level above the city with great panporama) which serves it all as well Italian or sushi and has even it’s own beer brewery. Next to it there are many excellent panoramic restaurants with unforgettable views and food eg. Harbour Restaurant with some tables located romanticly direct at the water (reservation necessary!) İt servs also Sunday buffet breakfast/lunch with Turkish food eg. gözleme (kind of pancakes with cheese and potato filling) and goat cheese with walnuts.

İn Alanya you will also find many international and turkish fast food restaurants - MacDonald's, Burger King, Domino Pizza, Sushico, Pizza Pizza etc.