I have a rule when I travel: Always eat where the taxi drivers eat. Today, that rule led me away from the shiny seaside restaurants of Antalya and into a narrow, shaded street just outside the walls of the Old Town (Kaleiçi).
Location: A small tradesmen restaurant (Esnaf Lokantası) near the Old Town
Time: 01:30 PM Temperature: 36°C (97°F)
Mood: Hungry and Confused
I was looking for the city’s most famous dish. No, it’s not a fancy seafood platter. It is meatballs and beans. But there is a twist, and it completely broke my brain.
The Tahini Confusion
I sat down at a metal table covered with a paper cloth. The waiter didn’t hand me a menu. He just looked at me and said, “Köfte Piyaz?” I nodded. “Köfte Piyaz.”
In the rest of Turkey, “Piyaz” is a simple, refreshing salad made of white beans, raw onions, and parsley, dressed with oil and vinegar. It goes perfectly with grilled meats.
But five minutes later, a plate was placed in front of me that looked nothing like a salad. It was a bowl of white beans drowning in a thick, creamy, off-white sauce. I smelled it. It was sesame. They had poured Tahini all over my beans.
Where I come from, tahini belongs in hummus or mixed with molasses for breakfast. Putting it on a bean salad felt like putting peanut butter on a steak.
The Taste Test
I was skeptical. I took a forkful of the beans coated in the thick sesame sauce. I took a bite. And my entire culinary worldview shifted.
The tahini wasn’t just raw sesame paste. It was thinned out with lemon juice, garlic, and vinegar. The earthiness of the sesame was perfectly balanced by the sharp acid of the lemon. The beans were incredibly soft, almost melting into the sauce. On top, there were chopped boiled eggs and fresh parsley.
It wasn’t a side salad. It was a masterpiece. It was rich, creamy, and complex.
The Meatball (Köfte) Companion
Then came the Şiş Köfte. These are not your average round meatballs. They are long, cylindrical, and grilled on skewers over an open charcoal fire. They arrived sizzling hot on a piece of flatbread, with roasted green peppers on the side.
I watched the man at the next table to see how to eat this properly. He took a piece of the grilled meatball, dipped it directly into the thick tahini sauce of the Piyaz, and ate it with a piece of fresh bread.
I copied him. The smoky, charred flavor of the beef combined with the garlic-lemon tahini sauce was an explosion. The acidity cut right through the fat of the meat. I couldn’t stop eating. I wiped the plate completely clean with my bread.
The Verdict
As I paid my bill—which was ridiculously cheap compared to the tourist traps by the harbor—I realized something about Antalya.
This city is hot. The sun beats down on you constantly. You would think people here would eat light, delicate foods. Instead, they invented one of the richest, heaviest, and most flavorful side dishes in the country.
If you come to Antalya, leave the all-inclusive hotel buffet for one afternoon. Walk into the hot streets, find a place with “Piyazcı” in the name, and embrace the tahini.
My “Eat Walk Repeat” Note for Today:
Eat: The holy trinity of Antalya: Şiş Köfte, Tahinli Piyaz, and a cold Ayran (yogurt drink) to wash it down.
Walk: You will need to walk after this heavy meal. Head straight to Karaalioğlu Park to walk off the tahini while looking at the Mediterranean.
Repeat: Don’t be afraid to ask for extra bread. You will need it for the sauce.
Explore More of My Antalya Diaries:
If you enjoyed this diary, check out the rest of my Antalya series to see the Mediterranean through a local lens:
🍽️ Eat & Drink
- Food Diaries: Why I Put Tahini on My Meatballs (Tahinli Piyaz)
- Food Diaries: The Strange Magic of “Burnt” Ice Cream (Yanık Dondurma)
🎟️ Things To Do
- The 7 AM Swim Ritual: Jumping into the Mediterranean at Konyaaltı
- Climbing Termessos: Feeling Like Indiana Jones in the Taurus Mountains
🗺️ Itineraries
- Lost in Kaleiçi: A Full Day Behind the Roman Walls of the Old Town
- The Turquoise Coast: A Day Trip to the Sunken City of Kekova
🚇 Essentials
- The Midday Siesta Diaries: How I Survived the 40°C Mediterranean Heat
- Escaping the Airport Chaos: Riding the Antray Tram to the Sea
🏘️ Neighborhoods
- Kaleiçi Diaries: Roman Harbors and Hidden Courtyard Bars
- The Cliffs of Lara: Chasing Waterfalls and High-End Cafes
🌦️ Seasonal
- Summer Diaries: Midnight Swims and the Wall of Humidity
- Winter Diaries: Snow on the Mountains, Oranges on the Trees
