Best Restaurant in Manavgat: Why Locals Point to Side

Manavgat is the real Türkiye — the market town, the river, the waterfall, the locals' shops. But when it comes to a big dinner out, Manavgat people themselves will tell you: the evening happens down the road in Side.

Why Side is Manavgat's dinner table

Side is where the coast's kitchens compete hardest. The ancient-harbour crowd, the hotel guests from Kumköy to Titreyengöl, and the Manavgat locals celebrating something — they all funnel into the same few streets. Competition this dense forces kitchens to be good; lazy restaurants do not survive 26 seasons here. Hawaii Restaurant has been serving since 2000 — we are one of the survivors, and proud of it.

What justifies the trip

• A real steak section — Fillet Mignon to 450g T-bone, with the French sauce classics.
• Turkish food beyond the tourist trio — 15 dishes including the table-side Testi kebab.
• Everything else a mixed table needs — 15 pizzas, seafood, curries, a Mexican corner, a serious cocktail bar and karaoke energy after dinner.
• A children's menu that ends arguments — see the family guide.

Planning the evening from Manavgat

• Getting here: it is a short ride from Manavgat centre to Side; dolmuş and taxi run constantly in season. Aim to arrive before sunset and walk the ancient harbour first.
• Booking: reserve online or WhatsApp — especially weekends, when Manavgat's own celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries) fill the good tables.
• Make it a full evening: dinner at Hawaii, then the old town by night — the Apollo Temple lit up is the free dessert.

Open daily 10:00–02:00, in the heart of Side — where Manavgat comes to celebrate.

Manavgat note: ask about pickup

The dolmuş-and-taxi advice above stands — but selected hotels also qualify for Hawaii's free round-trip pickup, with an affordable two-way transfer where the free zone ends. Send your hotel name on WhatsApp when booking and the celebration arrives chauffeured.