A guide to the best restaurants in Side

Patio living at Ocakbasi Restaurant

Ocakbasi and its friendly staff dish up traditional Turkish food at its finest. There’s a beautiful garden patio out front for enjoying your meal on a warm night. You can start with a mezze platter for sharing, decked out with hummus, dips and flatbread, then move onto the meaty mains like lamb and mixed grill platters that are spiced to perfection.

Sea views at Gul Restaurant

Meals at Gul come equipped with sea views peeking out through the trees lining the patio. The mezze starter comes with your meal, so don’t be startled at the approach of freshly-baked flatbread and hummus. For dinner, there’s chicken curries, fillet steak and lamb shank to choose from, decked with fresh veggies sliced up and arranged to look like flowers.

Worldly eats at Conny's Restaurant and Bar

Conny’s is set in what looks like an American, southern-style mansion, four storeys high and decked with white columns. It’s actually a hotel whose restaurant attracts holidaymakers from across Side. The menu here spans traditional Turkish casseroles and Mediterranean-influenced dishes like pasta, as well as moreish desserts.

Swanky waterfront vibes at Karma Restaurant & Sky Lounge

This glitzy restaurant brings a little swank to the seaside. It dishes up all the usual Turkish suspects, along with carbonara and burgers, plus a unique crowd favourite, sushi. Karma has a great selection of seafood dishes as well, from prawn risotto to whole fish you’ll get to select yourself.

Fire shows at Miami Restaurant & Bar

At the Miami Restaurant & Bar, you’ll not only find freshly-cooked eats like fillet steak, cheesy garlic bread and even a full English breakfast, but meals presented with creative flair – the staff here also like to experiment with fire. The cocktails are pretty outlandish too, some topped with whipped cream, crazy straws and whole cucumbers.

Quaint beach treats at Q Beach Restaurant

The Q Beach Restaurant lies just beyond the shore with the sands in sight. You can pitch up to one of the restaurant’s cosy sofas or grab a table along the grassy lawn. The menu covers a wide range of cuisines, with everything from peppercorn steak to lamb chops and garlic prawns.

Alone time at Restaurant & Bar Agora

The Restaurant & Bar Agora features a scenic seaside patio with views of the pirate-like ships gliding through the waves. There’s a kids’ play space complete with tortoises, ensuring little diners stay occupied while bigger ones have a romantic meal during your Turkey holiday.

BBQ nights at Amelda Restaurant

Amelda is a charming Turkish restaurant hidden among a line of trees. The grill is where this menu is at, with steaks and chicken of all flavourings, plus lamb chops and kebabs. Wednesday night is the restaurant’s barbecue night, with a buffet and belly dancers.

Fish specialities at Aphrodite

Aphrodite is tucked just along the harbour where mock pirate ships dock, equipped with a beautiful patio that enjoys a cool sea breeze. It’s best known for its seafood dishes, including swordfish and calamari. Aphrodite also specialises in melt-in-your-mouth steaks, along with cocktails topped with sparklers.

Live music at Surf Café Bar

This restaurant’s star is its outdoor patio, nestled underneath a leafy awning and equipped with shisha pipes. On offer here are Turkish casseroles, steaks and seafood mains, and throughout the week you can catch live music performances, themed parties and karaoke nights.