Travel Diary: The Best Places to Eat in Antalya, Turkey (with Jet2Holidays)

Some of you may remember that last year I was lucky enough to go on an incredible press trip with Jet2 Holidays to Antalya, Turkey (Türkiye). We had the most incredible week and it's been amazing to hear that some of you even went on to book the same trip, or made a point to visit some of the spots we got to experience.

Antalya is certainly a popular, up and coming spot for Brits - and just one of the amazing cheap holidays available from Jet2Holidays. That said, that doesn't mean you can't live and dine in luxury on your holiday. And whilst we all look forward to the ease of all inclusive holidays, I always think it's nice to break out at least once and explore the local cuisine. Here are just a few amazing places to eat in Antalya, Turkey (Türkiye). 

NEMO Aquarium and Restaurant, Land of Legends

For seafood lovers visiting Antalya, I strongly recommend a day trip to Land of Legends for some thrill-seeking and retail therapy. Besides the theme park and outlet stores, there's also a selection of excellent dining experiences to be had there, including the NEMO Aquarium Restaurant & Lounge. 

As the name suggests, NEMO's is a high-end seafood restaurant takes you down a floating staircase to the underwater aquarium where you can sample pan-Asian delights as sharks and fish swim around you. The menu merges modern European seafood with strong and rich flavors, suiting all tastes and presented by Chef Anuj Sarkar. 

From beautifully presented cold sushi, to grilled fish and steaks, there is certainly something for everyone. They also offer a great selection of platters and small plates which are perfect for sharing with the table. The food and service were both absolutely fantastic and I loved everything we tried on the menu. 

I can say whole heartedly that this was absolutely the best place we ate all week and I would strongly recommend it to anyone. You can take a closer look at NEMO's via my Reel on Instagram.

Find NEMO Restaurant and Lounge: Kadriye Mahallesi, Atatürk Caddesi No:515/1. The Land of Legends, Belek 07025, Türkiye.

7 Mehmet 

Considered one of the top restaurants in the world, and one of Antalya's "most talked about" is 7 Mehmet. Founded in the 1930's, 7 Mehmet is famed for its unmissable gastronomic attraction for all foodies who looking for traditional Turkish recipes with grilled meat, fish and meze. It's now under management by the third generation family members, and having visited its beautiful location, I can totally see why it's considered so special. The restaurant terrace offers stunning views of the turkish hill tops and the sea whilst you partake in carefully selected locally sourced vegetables, fruits, meats and fish. 

7 Mehmet's menu offers a modern take on classic Mediterranean flavours and turkish stables with seasonal touches. Here, we enjoyed incredible kebabs and skewers and small plates which made for a truly unforgettable lunch. This place is perfect if you want to try lots of little plates for an authentic turkish feast. It's certainly the priciest eatery on this list but it's unsurprising given the quality of service and the outstanding food. And even less surprisingly that it is a popular venue for chic events and weddings.

Visit 7 Mehmet: Antalya Atatürk Kültür Parkı No:204, Antalya Türkiye

Seraser Fine Dining Restaurant

Located in the heart of Antalya Old Town is this elegant 300-year-old mansion with a garden terrace and winner of Trip Advisor’s 2013 Certificate of Excellence. Seraser Fine Dining serves delicious (and strong) cocktails, authentic seafood, mediterranean and turkish dishes, as well as vegetarian friendly, vegan and gluten-free options. It is a idyllic romantic spot to grab a bite to eat after exploring the ancient walls of the Old Town.

Just a few of the highlights of the menu include home-made pastas, fillet steak with gorgonzola sauce, sea bass wrapped in wine leaves and the many tempting desserts. 

Visit Seraser Fine Dining: Tuzcular mah. Karanlik sok. No:18 Kaleici, Antalya 07100 Türkiye

Though not entirely fine dining, but an honourable mention goes out to the turkish breakfast in bed we had the pleasure of trying at our hotel. Without a doubt, it was the most extravagant breakfast I've ever had served to me - and whilst still half asleep. I only hope that if you're ever in Turkey, you get to try something similar to start the day with.

A huge thanks again to Jet2Holidays for a magical week of fine foods and even finer views. If you'd like to learn more about package holidays to Antalya or how you can get some great deals on flights from Manchester, London or East Midlands to Antalya with Jet2, be sure to visit their website for details. You can also check out my itinerary from our week via my must-see guide to Antalya post here.

That's it for another foodie travel guide. Until next time, 

*Disclaimer - this article is in collaboration with Jet2Holidays following a press trip. I was under no obligation to share this post. As always, all opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the brand.