Grilled Sea Bass in Side: Charcoal-Grilled Levrek at Hawaii Restaurant & Bar

Grilled sea bass at Hawaii Restaurant & Bar in Side old town is a fresh-fish favourite from our Sea Foods menu: sea bass cooked over a real wood fire and charcoal grill, served with fresh vegetables and potato. Simple, light and honest — the way grilled fish should taste on the Turkish coast.

What the grilled sea bass is — and how we serve it

Ask anyone who grew up on the Turkish coast which fish to order and the answer is usually levrek — sea bass. It's the fish locals trust: clean-tasting, delicate, and at its best when the kitchen does as little to it as possible. That's exactly how we treat it. Our grilled sea bass sits in the Sea Foods section of the menu and arrives just as described: grilled, and served with fresh vegetables and potato — the plate kept exactly as simple as the menu says.

What sets it apart at Hawaii is the fire. We've been cooking over a real wood fire and charcoal grill since 2000, and fish rewards live fire like almost nothing else — the heat is fast and direct, and the fish picks up a gentle smokiness you can't fake on a flat-top or in a pan. With the vegetables and potato alongside, it's a plate that feels like the Mediterranean without trying too hard. We work with fresh ingredients every day, so the plate tastes like the day it was made.

Who it's for, and when to order it

Order the sea bass when you want dinner to feel light. After a long day on Side's beaches or wandering the old town ruins, charcoal-grilled fish with vegetables and potato is the meal that doesn't slow you down. It's a natural pick for couples after a quieter, table-for-two kind of evening, for anyone who has had one grilled-meat night too many this holiday, and for guests who simply want to eat well without eating heavily.

We're open every day from 10:00 to 02:00, so it works as an early dinner before an evening stroll through the old town or a late one after. Like a drink before the fish lands? Time your arrival for Happy Hour, every evening from 19:00 to 20:00.

What to drink with it

On the Turkish coast, grilled fish comes with famous company: the local tradition is ice-cold rakı or a crisp white wine beside the plate, and a simple cold beer never lets anyone down either. We're a restaurant and bar, so ask your waiter what's pouring tonight — the live menu shows today's full drinks list. Arrive between 19:00 and 20:00 and you'll catch our daily Happy Hour before dinner, and kids can join the toast too with our alcohol-free kids cocktails, made just for them.

Where it sits on our menu

Sea bass is the quiet star of our fish list, but it has company. Our grilled fish guide walks through everything we cook over the coals, and if you're torn between fish and shellfish, the grilled prawns and shrimp make a strong case for themselves. Can't decide at all? The mixed sea plate for two settles the argument by refusing to choose.

For a wider look at eating fish in town, our guide to the best seafood in Side covers the whole picture — and if you're curious why we're so stubborn about cooking over live fire in the first place, we've written about our wood fire and charcoal grill too.

Practical: prices, booking and getting here

We don't print prices in blog posts, because our prices live in one place: the live menu, which always shows today's numbers. Hawaii Restaurant & Bar is on 512. Sk. in Side old town, open daily 10:00–02:00. Book a table on our reservation page or WhatsApp us on +90 533 930 12 83 — evenings in high season fill up, and a quick message saves the wait.

Staying outside the centre? We offer free round-trip hotel pickup from selected hotels, and an affordable two-way transfer from areas farther out — just ask when you book. We also do takeaway and delivery nearby, though we'll say it plainly: grilled sea bass is at its absolute best minutes off the charcoal, at a table, with something cold beside it.