Eating Out from Sorgun & Titreyengöl: The Forest Side's Guide

East of Side the coast changes character: the strip gives way to pine forest, the air smells of resin, and Titreyengöl — the "shimmering lake" — sits glassy between the trees. Sorgun and Titreyengöl guests chose the quiet side. Wise.

Quiet days, better evenings

The forest side's only shortage is evening variety — a handful of hotel restaurants and the lakeside cafés, lovely but finite. The fix is on the other side of the peninsula: Side centre is minutes away, and unlike the western strip you approach through forest rather than traffic. Locals consider the Sorgun road the pleasant way into town; your taxi driver will agree.

What the forest crowd orders at Hawaii

Sorgun and Titreyengöl draw a slightly different guest — more couples, more repeat visitors, more people who read menus properly. Their pattern at our tables since 2000:

• The considered steak — Tournedos Béarnaise or Fillet Mignon rather than the biggest thing on the board.
• The slow Turkish classics — Ottoman kebab, lamb casserole, and the Testi kebab when the evening deserves ceremony.
• A proper wine — this crowd found our Kavaklıdere list first and keeps it busy.

The Titreyengöl evening template

1. Late-afternoon lake walk — flamingo-spotting is not guaranteed but attempted proudly.
2. Short ride into Side as the light goes gold.
3. Dinner at Hawaii (reserve — the good corner tables go early).
4. Nightcap decision: quiet Turkish coffee, or the karaoke stage. The forest keeps your secret either way.

Through the forest, driven

The pleasant eastern road just improved: selected Sorgun and Titreyengöl hotels now qualify for Hawaii's complimentary round-trip pickup — lake walk, lobby, our table, and home again without a single transport decision. Ask with your reservation.