I ate at this restaurant twice, and my conclusion is that it's more about the elevated look than…read moreabout high food quality. Both times, I was simply satisfied with my meals, but not WOWed.
I first discovered this restaurant a year ago just while walking by. The menu looked great, and the host was super friendly and welcoming, so I decided to stop for lunch. Visually, I loved everything I saw from the moment I entered - the outdoor yard is beautifully decorated with plants and flowers, making it an absolute pleasure to sit outside and relax. The weather that day was mild, and the restaurant wasn't too busy, so I picked a table outside. There's also a large indoor area that's very nice-looking and impeccably clean. On my second visit the weather in Antalya was extremely hot, so I chose to sit inside. Having experienced both areas, I can say I definitely prefer the outdoor seating - it feels resort-like and gives off a relaxed vibe.
When it comes to service, it was decent but not great. Sitting inside, I got much quicker attention from the waiters whenever I needed something. Sitting outside was a different story - only a couple of waiters were around, and none checked on me even once during my meal. I also remember it took quite a while to get my bill when I sat outside, while inside the process was quick and smooth. Overall, though, the staff had a good attitude and were polite. Their English was decent enough, so communication wasn't a problem.
The restaurant's menu is large, offering a wide variety of mostly traditional Turkish dishes. A big plus is that there's also an English version available.
During my first visit, I ordered Coban Salad (cucumber/tomato/onion salad) and a Chicken Shish Plate (grilled marinated chicken pieces). The food arrived within 20 minutes. The salad looked nice and came in a generous portion, but the taste wasn't great - they went overboard with the vinegar, which overpowered everything else and made the salad too watery. The Chicken Shish was the opposite: the plate presentation looked messy and not very appealing, but the food itself tasted delicious. The chicken was perfectly cooked - tender and flavorful; the Turkish-style bulgur tasted great; and I loved the fresh, slightly crispy lavash bread.
On my second visit, I ordered Domates Salatasi (tomato salad) and Grilled Calamari. Amusingly, the experience was similar to the first time. The tomato salad looked and tasted good overall, but again, they added a bit too much vinegar, which slightly affected the balance. It was also overloaded with large pieces of parsley, which got stuck in my teeth and were unpleasant to swallow. The grilled calamari looked appetizing, smelled great, and tasted good too. However, the outer skin wasn't cleaned properly, and it was extremely chewy, like rubber. Even when I cut the calamari into pieces, the skin stretched like chewing gum, which was quite off-putting.
Overall, none of the four dishes I tried was perfect. Considering the restaurant's upscale image, this was disappointing.
But the one thing I absolutely loved at this place was the Turkish tea! It was delicious and flavorful, and both times I ended up ordering three cups because I just couldn't stop enjoying it!
Another downside of the restaurant is the pricing. It's expensive, and the medium food quality doesn't match the prices. In the end, you're mostly paying for the restaurant's image and branding, not outstanding food. For example, both times I paid around $30 for one salad, one main dish and three teas. I was charged 350 TL for the salads (by the way, slightly smaller portions of Coban Salad are sometimes given as a free side in many other restaurants in Antalya), 800 TL for grilled calamari, and 40 TL per tea (compared to just 20 TL in many other cafes and restaurants around Antalya). These prices would be at least half in many good but less fancy restaurants around the city. A big plus is that this place accepts all major credit cards and Apple Pay, and it also offers fast Wi-Fi for guests.
In conclusion, I believe it's worth visiting this restaurant once, mainly for the experience and its charming atmosphere. Just don't expect the food to blow you away, and keep in mind that your bill will be much higher than average in regular-looking restaurants around Antalya. Personally, I probably wouldn't return here, because the food was slightly disappointing both times, and I feel like I've experienced everything this place has to offer.
