Food · Antalya · Turkey
What to eat in Antalya
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Antalya, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Esginmurat, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Antalya-style piyaz, Şiş köfte and Hibeş. Join locals at a city-centre köfte restaurant for Antalya's signature combination of grilled şiş köfte with tahini piyaz, eaten quickly at lunchtime. Restaurants in Kaleiçi often charge more than equivalent places a few streets outside the walls.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Antalya-style piyaz
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Leaving about 5–10% in restaurants is customary if service is not already included.
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Dish · Vegetarian
1.Antalya-style piyaz (Tahinli piyaz)
Antalya's version of the white-bean salad is dressed with tahini, lemon and vinegar rather than plain olive oil, topped with egg, onion and parsley. It is traditionally eaten with grilled şiş köfte.
Where: Köfte-and-piyaz restaurants around the Kalekapısı and city-centre streets; ask for 'piyaz ve şiş köfte'.
Dish
2.Şiş köfte
Minced lamb or beef meatballs pressed onto skewers and grilled over charcoal, served with bread, grilled peppers and tomatoes. In Antalya they come with tahini piyaz on the side.
Where: Long-running köfte restaurants in the city centre, where locals lunch.
Dish · Vegetarian
3.Hibeş
A sharp, creamy dip of tahini, lemon, garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes, specific to Antalya. It is served as a meze with bread.
Where: Meze restaurants and fish restaurants in Kaleiçi and the city; it is rarely found elsewhere in Turkey.
Street food · Vegetarian
4.Gözleme
Thin hand-rolled dough filled with cheese, spinach, potato or minced meat and cooked on a domed griddle. Women rolling gözleme by hand are a fixture of roadside and village restaurants.
Where: Village restaurants on the roads to Termessos and Kemer, and weekly markets.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
5.Turkish breakfast (Kahvaltı)
A spread of white cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, honey, clotted cream (kaymak), jams and bread, with endless glasses of tea. Weekend breakfasts can last all morning.
Where: Breakfast cafés in Kaleiçi and village restaurants in the mountains above the city.
Dish
6.Pide
Boat-shaped flatbread baked in a wood oven with toppings such as minced meat, cheese, egg or spicy sausage (sucuk). It is a filling, good-value lunch.
Where: Pide salons in the city centre and residential districts, away from the old town.
Dish
7.Meze and grilled fish
Dinner by the sea starts with cold meze — aubergine salads, yoghurt dips, stuffed vine leaves — followed by grilled sea bream, sea bass or calamari, often with rakı.
Where: Fish restaurants around the old harbour and along the Konyaaltı and Lara seafronts.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Candied pumpkin (Kabak tatlısı)
Pumpkin cooked slowly in sugar until glossy and firm, served cold with tahini and crushed walnuts. A classic autumn and winter dessert.
Where: Dessert shops and traditional restaurants, especially from October.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Fresh-squeezed juice
The Antalya plain is a major citrus and pomegranate growing area, and fresh orange and pomegranate juice is pressed to order at stands across the city.
Where: Juice stands in Kaleiçi, around the Clock Tower and at markets; pomegranate season is autumn.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Turkish tea (Çay)
Strong black tea served in small tulip-shaped glasses, with sugar cubes on the side. It is offered in shops, drunk at every meal and sold by the glass in tea gardens.
Where: Tea gardens in Karaalioğlu Park and along the cliffs, where it comes with a sea view.
Food experiences
Piyaz and köfte lunch
Join locals at a city-centre köfte restaurant for Antalya's signature combination of grilled şiş köfte with tahini piyaz, eaten quickly at lunchtime.
Village breakfast in the mountains
On weekends, locals drive up into the hills towards Termessos or Saklıkent for long breakfasts of gözleme, cheeses and honey in garden restaurants.
Harbour fish dinner
Order meze and grilled fish at a restaurant above the old harbour in Kaleiçi, watching the boats and the lights across the bay.
Weekly neighbourhood market
Antalya's weekly street markets, set up on different days in different districts, sell seasonal fruit, cheeses, olives and spices at local prices.
Quick bites and street food
- Gözleme — Village restaurants on the roads to Termessos and Kemer, and weekly markets.
- Turkish breakfast — Breakfast cafés in Kaleiçi and village restaurants in the mountains above the city.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: Antalya-style piyaz, Hibeş, Gözleme, Turkish breakfast, Candied pumpkin, Fresh-squeezed juice and Turkish tea. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Restaurants in Kaleiçi often charge more than equivalent places a few streets outside the walls.
- Fish is usually priced by weight; choose your fish and confirm the price before it is cooked.
- Bread is normally free and refilled; meze plates brought to the table unasked may be charged.
- Alcohol is widely served in Antalya, but some traditional restaurants and köfte houses do not serve it.
- Lunch is typically noon to 2pm and dinner from around 7:30pm, later in summer.
Tipping
Leaving about 5–10% in restaurants is customary if service is not already included. Round up taxi fares, and a small tip for hotel staff and boat crews is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Merhaba | Hello |
| Teşekkür ederim | Thank you |
| Lütfen | Please |
| Hesap, lütfen | The bill, please |
| Ne kadar? | How much? |
| Afiyet olsun | Enjoy your meal |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Antalya famous for?
Antalya-style piyaz, Şiş köfte, Hibeş and Gözleme. Antalya's version of the white-bean salad is dressed with tahini, lemon and vinegar rather than plain olive oil, topped with egg, onion and parsley.
+Is Antalya good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Antalya-style piyaz, Hibeş and Gözleme.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Antalya?
Leaving about 5–10% in restaurants is customary if service is not already included. Round up taxi fares, and a small tip for hotel staff and boat crews is appreciated.