Breakfast in the Mountains
One thing that we do with EVERY guest that visits us in Antalya is to take them to “breakfast in the mountains,” as our kids affectionately call it. (It’s actually called Muhtarın Yeri click – here for a Google Maps pin). It seems cool enough in writing, but you can’t imagine what this experience is. You take a short drive out of the city into the very base of the mountains (this is a carsick proof trip for those of you who fear mountain drives!). You park on the side of the road, approach a cliff, and suddenly you’re “in” the restaurant. The entire restaurant is indoor/outdoor and is built into the side of a gorge. If you take the stairs to the bottom, you can claim a picnic table in the creek in the summer. In the winter and early spring, the creek is cold and more like a river, and you probably won’t want to be in the water. We always choose the Turkish style tables right at the edge of the water – you’re close to the water and have amazing views.
The first thing you’ll do is order “serpme kahvaltı.” This is the typical Turkish breakfast spread:
bread, jam, honey, sweetened tahini cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, arugula, various cheeses, nuts, and pişi – a Turkish donut. You’ll want to add gözleme, menemen – a scrambled eggy thing, and bazlama (a thick bread often filled with cheese). You can also order tea, and they will bring a little stove and kettle to sit by your table so you can keep refilling. The Turkish way is to put concentrated tea into the bottom of the glass and then to fill it up with hot water. You can also order pomegranate or orange juice – but we prefer it mixed!
Different seasons will offer different features. In the cold winter, you can choose one of the “booths,” which are individual little rooms with stoves in them to keep you warm and look out into the rock face, mountains, and creek.
In the springtime, the creek is a little more calm, and you can step out onto the rocks, and it’s warm enough that getting a little wet is actually pleasant.
During the summer months, wear your bathing suit and water shoes. Parts of the creek are basically a swimming pool, and you can continue down the creek for several hundred meters.
Needless to say, this is truly a breakfast experience, and it’s one that you don’t want to miss if you’re ever fortunate enough to visit Antalya.
