Quick answer
Where to eat in Kaş in 60 words: the harbour and Çukurbağ peninsula are best for seafood meze dinners with sea views, the old town's back lanes hide cheaper meyhanes and meze plates, breakfasts are an event everywhere (try a proper Turkish breakfast spread), and gözleme stands handle the cheap-and-fast lunch slot. Reserve harbour dinner spots by 18:00 in July - August.
Half the joy of Kaş is the eating. Long, lazy meals of fresh seafood and meze, mornings that begin with a feast of a Turkish breakfast, and tiny lokantas tucked down lantern-lit lanes. Here's how to eat well in Kaş — and what not to miss.
Fresh fish & meze by the sea
Kaş does seafood beautifully. Start with a spread of cold and hot meze — stuffed vine leaves, smoky aubergine, octopus, samphire — then share a whole grilled fish of the day. Many tables sit right at the water's edge along the harbour and the Çukurbağ peninsula, so book a sunset slot if you can.
The legendary Turkish breakfast
Don't plan much before a Turkish breakfast — it's an event. Expect a table covered in cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, honey with clotted cream (bal kaymak), jams, eggs, fresh bread and endless tea. It's the perfect, unhurried start before a boat trip or a beach day.
Lunch on the water
Some of the best meals in Kaş aren't on land at all. On our full-day boat trips, a freshly prepared lunch is served on board between swim stops — simple, generous and eaten with your feet up and the turquoise sea all around. It's a highlight in its own right.
Cheap eats and street food
For a quick, cheap and authentic bite, look for gözleme (thin, savoury pancake stuffed with cheese, spinach or potato) cooked on a saç griddle by women in headscarves — usually 90 ‑ 180 TL. Köfte (grilled meatball) sandwiches at small lokantas in town run 200 ‑ 350 TL with salad and ayran. Around Cumhuriyet Square you'll find dürüm (wrap) stalls open late. The morning simit vendor by the harbour is your friend on the way to a boat tour.
Local specialities you should not miss
Ask any captain and you'll hear the same names. Çupra (sea bream) and levrek (sea bass) grilled whole are the classic fish of the day. Karavides (langoustines), if in season, are a treat. On meze tables look for haydari, fava, kısır, semizotu (purslane) and acılı ezme. For a sweet stop, künefe (cheese-filled crispy pastry soaked in syrup) and a small dish of dondurma made with Antep pistachios. Local Kalkan and Demre wines pair well with everything.
Coffee, tea and what to drink in Kaş
Tea (çay) flows constantly — small tulip-shaped glasses, always offered, often free with a meal. Turkish coffee comes thick, strong and unstrained; ask for it sade (no sugar), orta (medium) or şekerli (sweet). Specialty third-wave coffee has reached Kaş too — there are 4-5 good independent roasters along the back streets behind the harbour. For something stronger, raki (anise spirit) with cold water and meze is the proper local pairing. Beer (Efes, Bomonti, Tuborg) is widely available; cocktails are best at rooftop bars.
Booking, opening hours and a tip on tipping
In high season (July - August), reserve dinner at the popular harbour restaurants by 18:00 — by 19:30 they're full. Many places stay open from 09:00 breakfast through to midnight. Kitchens generally close around 23:30; bars run later. Tipping in Türkiye is typically 10 percent at sit-down restaurants, less for casual spots; if a service charge appears on the bill, no need to tip on top.
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