Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Restaurants, Bars, Nightlife & Shopping => Topic started by: Ramtastic on May 26, 2007, 07:37:30 PM
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Last time we were in Kalkan we sat outside this bar most evenings, it's great for people watching. I did find the music rather disappointing as they definitely didn't have any Tarkan and didn't appear to have any other Turkish music either. Turkish music is something that we found rather lacking in Kalkan, does anybody know of anywhere that plays Turkish music?
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if you want turkish music with your meal try Belgins kitchen... ;)
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The Atlantis Alternif at the start of the Kalamar Road sometimes have a young man who plays the guitar and sings Turkish songs. They usually put a sign up to let you know when he is playing.
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If you want a relaxing evening with good company and lovely people Utopia is a place to go. If you want Turkish music they will play it, just ask. When we were in Kalkan in March the owner was just putting the finishing touches to his new restaurant on the roof terrace. We tried a couple of his taster dishes one night and have to say they were superb.
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Only thing to say about Utopia!!!
It is the best.....
Regards
EremTours
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So where is it, I know where the moonlght is but would like to give it a miss this time, but would like a nice bar where we could just have a drink after a meal else where. ;)
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Utopia is the one right next to the moonlight bar - it is usually empty (!!) compared to the Moonlight which is heaving..!!! ???
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Oh of course got it now, would love to go there but never felt like sitting on our own always felt sorry for him that his bar was empty whilst the other overflowed and wondered how he made a living. well as therer are a group of us this time we will try it, and I guess if there are a few sat there others will join, I think it is because you feel guilty sitting there when the moonlight man grabs you every time where as they never come out to get you next door but isnt this what we want no hassle to get into bars restraunts, right thats it I will give him a go, hows about the rest of you, poor soul he must need a slice of our income.
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Hi
The Utopia has only been open in the last 5 or 6 years, and the owner Faek is a bit of a blues fan.He has changed the choice of music a little to suit most people. I am sure if you ask him he will put on anything you want, so long as he has got it.
We generally start here have a few drinks, then off for a bite to eat the finish off the evening here.
If there is any info you need to know,ask Faek, if he doesn't know he will know someone who does.
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Hi all you all know me(hope so) I am a taxi driver in Kalkan and Utopia is the only bar I go in Kalkan because they are the best I think you cant believe in this but no bar has the all equipment they have in their bar if you dont believe in this go and see it. But the only problem is I think moonlight bar because they dont invite you to their bars they take you into their bars and I really hate this for example you know there was a match between Milan and Liverpool and there was fool because Faik took his big flat screen outdoor and let all people watch the match easily. He really tries to do his best for his customers but as I said the only problem is moonlight bars and also as oldh said faik can play all kind of music you want. Now his computer has come and he has got really a good archive so go and ask Faik what you want to face in bar I bet he will do the best for you.
Regards
Emre GOKTEPE
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Sorry have to say this again but I've never felt pressurised into sitting at the Moonlight and I've certainly never been grabbed by anyone who works there. We have on several occasions also sat in Utopia and Muhittin and his staff have waved over to us. We did not, or were ever made to feel awkward about this. I'm afraid when I'm on holiday and paying I go were I want to go!
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i'll second that....never been pressured into doing what i don't want to...i go there because i like it and the people that go there as well!! it's surprising how many people you meet!!i do however sit outside utopia with a cold one some afternoons!! ;)
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Three years ago we struck up a friendship with Faik,which led to us being invited for the day on his friends boat.It was a great day & included drinks & food.Neither Faik nor his friend would accept any payment,so now we always have a drink or three in the Utopia.His restaurant was open last year & is excellent but as yet not well known.If you give it a try you won't be disappointed.Faik also had a habit of saying this ones on the house when you had a few.Something like every 4th drink.Hic.My only complaint is that the chairs outside are very uncomfortable.
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Sure Johnjen with enough Efes you'll never notice the chairs! And at least they're not downhill like the ones at the Moonlight, now that can be tricky with a few too many!
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So Johnjen - I didn't know that Utopia guy has a restaurant too - can you give more details and I might just have to try it out...OMG - so many MORE restaurants to try ...how will I EVER get through them!! ::)
I just hope the restaurant is not as dead as the bar is......mind you - as somebody has pointed out - they do seem to get more custom during the day - I must say - I must give them a try - I am a bit fed up of dicing with death as the Moonlight chairs encroach more and more onto the road (albeit closed to traffic in the height of the summer - scooters still whizz around..!!
Serefe!!
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hi felicitiy
the utopia guy's restaurant is not open this year because he couldnt find personnel to work over there
sorry
regards
Emre GOKTEPE
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My son and his family tried out the restaurant when it first opened last year and had a couple of lovely meals there. The man who was running it (I don't think it is Faik) was very helpful and gave them lots of advice on things to do places to go etc. We tried it when we went out in October and had a couple of meals, it was very nice but very quiet and he said they had picked a bad season to start a new restaurant as it was so quiet last year. We are out again next week and will go again.
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We stayed in Kalkan for a week in 2005 and went to Utopia every night, sometimes to watched the football, but usually just to watch the world go by. Didn't go to Moonlight at all, but we did wonder why they were always busy and Utopia wasn't. Utopia (possibly other bars in Kalkan as well) is the only place where we have seen extra large Efes, my husband was most disappointed when he couldn't get extra large Efes in Dalyan. Even more disappointed that our hotel bar only sold Tuborg! Anyway we will definitely be returning to Utopia this September.
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as you go down the main street...down the hill till you come to the steps that lead down to the harbour..top of the steps ..to your left there is a bar there that does a huge beer !!loveley view over the harbour as well!!he had a board outside last year with cheap prices on...can't remember the name....too many huge beers...hic,hic, ;D
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the place you describe, blue lizard, has been demolished and a new restaurant will be opened there any day. it looks quite upmarket so probably no more cheap efes >:(
by the way if you are in kalkan in the next week or so and a cat lover check out the kittens in utopia bar, very sweet but prob deaf already!
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where am i going to go for a humungous beer now???? i will have carry out a survey of bars...heh it's hard work but someones got to do it ::) !! as for moggies...we have just got our cases down and within 5 minutes our little fella has made it his new home!!
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Felicity
The restaurant is on the roof.Great views,excellently furnished & the food was very good.Generally not well known as Faik does not like to harass people.I think he has to change though,too much good competition.
Johnjen
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utopia has a new guy working on the front this year, his name is huseyin and he will make anyone and everyone feel welcome! he worked in moonlight a few years ago but then went in the army, he is back now and is larger than life! he'll soon have customers flooding into utopia!!
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Of the two bars I think Utopia is by far the nicer. But I do think that most people go to Moonlight for two reasons, (1) there is already a crowd there, and (2) Muhittin makes it hard to pass by without stopping. Utopia has improved immensely in the past few years. Faik isn't the best people person as he's a little shy on first meeting but soon warms up. His brother Nihat has grown up so much, his english has improved and he is much better with people.
I spend a lot of time in Utopia every time I go there now, and just wish others would follow suit and not just follow the crowd. When I first started going to Kalkan I used to go to the Moonlight. I always went with a couple of female friends so needless to say we attracted the attention of a lot of the local men. I found that at the Moonlight when the local men sat with you and ordered drinks for themselves, Muhittin would charge us for them. Took us a while to figure this out as we would only pay for our drinks at the end of the night at which point we weren't sure what we'd had to drink anyway! We weren't impressed when we realised this, and had to ask Muhittin not to charge us for any drinks other than our own. We could tell by the look on his face he didn't like this, and we found out why late one night when we were just about the only customers there.
We sat at a table having a drink, sober for a change, and a group of local guys sat at the next table, just waiting to be invited to join us. We had one drink, and we noticed that the guys didn't have a single drink between them. They were just waiting for some susceptible tourists to buy them for them. When we asked around, we were told that Muhittin encouraged the locals to drink there as they'd get their drink bought for them. Hence, they could sit with no drinks waiting for Muhittin to charge their drinks to tourists.
We found the opposite at Utopia, even if locals sat with us, we were never charged for anything other than what we ordered. We also often get drinks "on the house" there, and in all the years I've been going to Kalkan, I've never had a free drink in Moonlight!
So, in my opinion, Utopia is the nicer place to go. Though Muhittin is a lot nicer to look at! ;)
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We first enjoyed a cold beer in Utopia on our first visit in 2005 after 'Orlando' (who worked there at the time) approached us and asked us if he looked like Orlando Bloom!
We were so impressed by his chat and personality we decided to have an afternoon drinkie there...and we still do 3 years later!
The view from Utopia in the day time is lovely and, as its never too busy, we feel really relaxed and chilled.
Orlando has since moved down to the Ozalp restaurant, but he always remembers us from Utopia and has a chat without presurising us to eat at his new place.
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I prefer Utopia to the moonlight. It has a better atmosphere. But hey, live and let live!
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Utopia is a great bar. Faik & Nihat are the nicest guys you could meet. No, they won’t grab you in off the street, so give them a chance, they’d love you to come in and have a chat and drink or two or more!! It takes time to build up clientel. Yes they have Turkish music, (I’ve danced on the Street to it), they will cater for what anyone would like to hear, just ask and if they don’t have it, I’ll guarantee they’ll get it for you next time. Only on my last visit a guy who’d got to know Faik and had bought an apartment, had a problem with his plumbing and Faik, called out a plumber for him, who waited in the Bar until the football match was over and drove this guy up to assess the problem. It’s a great place to watch the comings and goings of people (we call it our TV). Yes, probably more busy in the day but GO ON GIVE IT A TRY at night, so what if you’re first to sit down, someone has to! Can’t wait to get back there in September..
Following on from what ReturnTrip above says about Moonlights and paying for locals drinks. The same happened to a friend and myself our first trip to Kalkan. Couldn't get over the size of our bill at the end of the night but already having had quite a few assumed it was correct. We didn't have enough cash on us so Muhitin physically marched us up the street to the ATM (Charming). In Utopia complete opposite, no problem pay tomorrow.
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:D Utopia is a great bar and has become my favourite drinking spot in Kalkan. Faik and Nihat are really charming and helpful and love to see customers coming in. I was there in June and on my first night out, was given a welcome drink on the house. The music is great and if you dont like what they are playing them ask them to change it - Ahmed is the new DJ and is doing a great job. I had many great nights there in June and hope to be back in September.
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Will definitely be visiting Utopia in September, I'm not mad about sitting in bars, but Utopia is in a great place to just sit and watch the world go by.
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Does anyone know if Utopia has closed ?
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It was open last week :D
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It''s open Fahik was taken ill and had to go into hospital in Antalya all''s well now
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Had heard that Fahik was either closing it or maybe selling up.
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I enjoyed a nice dinner at Utopia roof restaurant last time I was in Kalkan and will be there again in June do you know if the roof top is open this season again?
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Yes there is a new one only just opened-run by a guy named Murat from Izmir
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:DThe restaurant above Utopia is now called Point (though it has changed its name a couple of times since the new guy took over) It is now run by Aydin - who used to be at Ottoman House. The chef there is brilliant and does the most fantastic beef risotto - a bit different from the norm in Kalkan - but maybe that is what is needed now and again. I can highly recommend this dish - along with the Albanian Liver.
You will also often see Karen (Aydin''s partner) there with an Efes. She moved to Kalkan several years ago and always up for a little chat with some English folks. The staff or all really friendly and as others have said will change the music for you if you want a different sound. The view from the top restaurant is fantastic - worth going just for that. If you don''t want to eat you can just sit up and take in the spectacular view with and efes or 6.
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I thought it was called Deja-Vu?
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I was sure I had been there before :laugh: it was. They changed the name and have done a couple of times I think. The latest name is "Point" but Aydin says that is the final name. Whatever the name - the food is worth a try. Afiyet olsen!!
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Is The bar still run by Fahik ? I presume he has nothing to do with roof top what ever the name is!!
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I thinks its being run by Fahik''s brother at the mo cos fahik is in hospital - but I may be wrong. I will let you know if thats true in the next day or so - I fly out tomorrow hee hee !!!8)
You are right Ayhan has no link with Fahik - other than sharing the building.
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I will be there later in June so look forward to an update !! enjoy it.
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Rest assured Fahik is still there at Utopia and was in good spirits the other day when I saw him. The restaurant above Utopia is open and from what I''ve heard is good quality and value. The restaurant is operated independently from Utopia.
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Just back from a very pleasant lunch and early evening at Point. Karen and Aydin have taken over the top terrace space above Utopia - which has always been one of the best panoramas in the village and we think it will be one of the coollest places (in both senses of the word!) over the coming months. They are still getting to terms with their new menu - which is a bit extensive in the Turkish way - but the chef (who''''s from Cappadocia apparently) seems to know his stuff - and we are picky eaters. Great ambiance - very chilled and a great place to people watch if that''''s your thing. Give it a go! P+P (apologies for crossposting!)