Calamari Casserole in Side — Hawaii Restaurant & Bar

Calamari casserole at Hawaii Restaurant & Bar in Side old town is calamari cooked with vegetables and garlic, then finished with melted cheese on top. It arrives served with fresh vegetables and potato — a warm, comforting seafood plate rather than crisp fried rings, made from ingredients prepped fresh each day.

What the calamari casserole is at Hawaii

If you know calamari mainly as golden fried rings with a wedge of lemon, this is a different kind of dish — and that's the point. Our calamari casserole is calamari cooked with vegetables and garlic, with cheese melted over the top. It's slow, savoury and satisfying: the calamari softens as it cooks, the garlic runs all the way through, and the cheese pulls into golden strands as it sets. Instead of a starter to nibble, it's a proper hot plate you sit down to.

It lands in the Sea Foods section of our menu, and it's a good example of how we like to cook in Side old town — real ingredients, prepped fresh daily, and dishes that taste of the kitchen rather than the freezer. This is our take on calamari, so come to it expecting comfort and warmth, not a crunchy fry.

How we serve it

The calamari casserole is served with fresh vegetables and potato, so it eats as a complete plate — no need to build a meal around it. You get the calamari, its garlicky vegetable base and the cheese on top, with the vegetables and potato alongside to round everything out. It's the sort of dish that steams gently when it hits the table and fills the space with garlic and warmth.

Everything is cooked to order in our kitchen at 512. Sk., in the heart of Side old town, where we've been feeding guests since 2000. We're a wood-fire and charcoal grill house at heart, but the seafood side of the menu is where dishes like this one live. If you're weighing up your seafood options, our guide to the best seafood in Side and our grilled fish guide lay out the choices.

Who it's for and when to order it

This one is for anyone who wants seafood with a bit of substance — a warming, cheese-topped plate rather than something light and battered. It suits cooler evenings, hungrier appetites, and diners who love garlic. Because it comes complete with fresh vegetables and potato, it also works well when you'd rather not order a stack of sides.

It's a natural choice on a seafood-leaning night out, and it sits happily on a shared table where different people order different things. If you're eating in a group and want to mix and match across the menu, our notes on group dinners and birthdays and the best value for big groups in Side are worth a look. Prefer to see the whole spread of the sea before deciding? Our mixed sea plate for two is another way to go.

What to drink with it

Garlic, cheese and calamari like a clean, crisp drink alongside — a cold beer or a fresh glass of wine both work well and cut nicely through the richness of the melted cheese. If you'd rather make an occasion of it, our signature Blue Hawaii or one of our frozen cocktails keeps the holiday mood going, and there are alcohol-free kids' cocktails so younger guests don't miss out. Time it right and you'll catch our Happy Hour, daily from 19:00 to 20:00. For more pairing ideas, browse our cocktail bar guide.

How it fits the wider menu

The calamari casserole is one door into our Sea Foods section, and there's plenty more to explore. If you love calamari specifically, see the best calamari in Side; for the full picture, our seafood guide and grilled prawns and shrimp round out the choices. Not everyone at the table has to eat fish, of course — we're a genuinely international restaurant in Side, with charcoal-grilled steaks, Turkish kebabs, curries, and thin-crust 33cm Italian-style pizzas all on the same menu. Keeping it Italian? Try our Frutti di Mare pizza for a seafood spin on the classic.

The practical bits

For today's price, check the live menu — it always shows current pricing, so we never quote a figure here. Want a table? Book online in a couple of taps. We're open daily from 10:00 to 02:00, so the calamari casserole is there for a late lunch, an early dinner or a proper late-night meal in Side old town.

Staying nearby? We offer free hotel pickup (round trip) from selected hotels, plus affordable two-way transfer from further out — details in our free pickup guide. Prefer to eat in? We also do takeaway and delivery to nearby hotels. Any questions, message us on WhatsApp at +90 533 930 12 83 and we'll sort you out.