Banana Split in Side: Vanilla and Cacao, Done the Hawaii Way

The Banana Split at Hawaii Restaurant & Bar in Side old town is our pared-back take on the classic ice cream dessert. On the menu it reads simply: vanilla and cacao — two flavours, nothing hiding behind a pile of toppings. We serve it daily from 10:00 to 02:00, and today's price is always on the live menu.

Two flavours, listed plainly: vanilla and cacao

Order a banana split in most places and you get the American parlour version: three scoops — vanilla, chocolate, strawberry — buried under extras. Ours is written differently. On the Hawaii menu, under Ice Cream, the Banana Split commits to exactly two flavours: vanilla and cacao. That pairing is the whole idea. The vanilla is the cold, creamy base note; the cacao brings the darker edge that keeps the dish from tipping into pure sugar. Two flavours also means nothing fights for attention — you taste the ice cream itself, spoon after spoon, rather than a crowd of garnishes.

If you want to know exactly how the plate is dressed on the day you visit, ask the team when you order — the menu entry itself promises vanilla and cacao, and we would rather you hear the rest at the table than read something here that has gone out of date. That restraint fits how the kitchen works generally: Hawaii has been cooking in Side old town since 2000, buying fresh ingredients daily rather than chasing novelty. For the wider picture of cold desserts here, our guide to ice cream in Side covers it.

Who it's for — and when to order it

Children, first and most obviously. A banana split is one of the few desserts a tired child will happily sit still for, and it lands well at the end of a family dinner alongside our kids menu. But it earns its keep with adults too. Side evenings run long — we're open until 02:00 — and there's a particular pleasure in walking the old town after dinner, then coming back for something cold before bed.

It also works as an afternoon order. High summer in Side is seriously hot, and vanilla and cacao ice cream at a table off the street is a legitimate reason to pause between the beach and the old town's ruins. It's a safe call for a mixed table, too: nothing spicy, nothing challenging. If anyone at your table has an allergy question, ask the team when you order — easier and safer than guessing.

What to drink with it

For children, the answer is easy: our alcohol-free kids cocktails were made for exactly this pairing — bright, fruity, nothing to worry about. For adults, dessert doesn't have to mean the evening is over. Our frozen cocktails guide walks through the cold-drink options, our signature cocktails piece explains the Blue Hawaii that shares our name, and if you time your visit right, Happy Hour runs daily from 19:00 to 20:00.

If you'd rather finish quietly, end on a coffee instead — our dessert and coffee guide covers how we like to round off a meal.

Where it sits in a Hawaii meal

Think of the Banana Split as the international ending to a menu that runs wide. It follows a thin-crust 33cm pizza from the wood fire as naturally as it follows a plate from the charcoal grill. Torn between ice cream and something local for dessert? Our Turkish sweets guide covers the baklava-and-künefe side of that question.

Families tend to use it as a finish line: pizza for the table, ice cream to close, then the karaoke stage or the live sport screens depending on who won the argument. There's more on why that formula works in our piece on the best family restaurant in Side.

Prices, tables and getting here

We don't print prices on pages like this because they go stale; the live menu always shows today's numbers, desserts included. You'll find us on 512. Sk. in Side old town, open every day from 10:00 to 02:00 — so a late banana split is never a problem.

Coming in for a full evening? Book a table so it's waiting for you. Staying outside the centre? We run free round-trip hotel pickup from selected hotels and an affordable two-way transfer from farther out; the details are in our hotel pickup guide, or message us on WhatsApp at +90 533 930 12 83 and we'll sort it out.