Ferdi Baba ALACATI

Located on the Alacati Port, Ferdi Baba has a view of water and sail boats; a particularly nautical place. Lots of nice wooden tables outside with some white booths for those who crave a little more comfort. The fish and mezes are behind glass, so as in many Turkish fish restaurants, there is no menu. A waiter accompanies you as you point out your choices.

meze meze meze!

Mina's Verdict

We had lots of mezes to start. The haydari (yogurt, dill, lemon and garlic combo) was really good and went down beautifully with the warm rolls that our waiter brought to the table. The calamari was excellent; the batter light, the calamari cooked just the right amount so as not to give it that chewy-ness. The levrek (seabass) in lime with peppercorns was good, but could have been served a little bit colder (hot fish is good, cold fish is good, but luke warm fish is a little bit wrong).

Sea Bass in lime and peppercorn

The shakshuka (aubergine in tomato and green pepper sauce) didn't have enough aubergine. The tomato was overwhelming (large chunks) and some of the peppers were very spicy, almost as if the chef forgot to do the taste test before cutting them up. We also had cheese borek, which was good but nothing special. What was pretty different was hallumi cheese wrapped in grape leaves and grilled. It was a bit salty, as hallumi cheese invariably is, but the combined flavours of grilled grape leaf and cheese took me back to my great-grandmothers concoctions (she was originally from Crete, and liked to feed me all kinds of food they used to make 'back on the island').

Overall, a good fish restaurant with a lovely view and obviously popular with the locals since it was chalk full even though its off season now in Alacati.

Patrick's Verdict

So, I had no choice in what I ate at Ferdi Baba, which was just as well as I was properly shattered after a day spent in the back of the car!  My delightful mother in law ordered for all of us from a large glass covered counter containing countless fishy delights.  I manned the well-presented table and tried in vain to stop a cat from jumping on Mina's seat.

Warm roll with dill  yogurt, aubergine in tomato and pepper sauce, stuffed pumpkin flowers and the Sea Bass

Our mezze platter was rather tasty.  The dill yoghurt was especially nice and went really well with the fresh crusty bread.  The aubergine in tomato sauce was not as good as other places but the stuffed pumpkin flowers were innovative and interesting!  I liked them a lot!!  The sea bass was a little overpowered by the taste of the lime juice, but the octopus was really very good, one of the best I have had.  Next up came haloumi cheese melted inside grape vine leaves - again interesting but so salty that it took a pint of water to get rid of the saltiness.  The cheese borek was good but nothing special.

Interestingly presented fish stew concoction

The main course however was rather good.  A huge sea bass cooked in tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers and lashings of fresh herbs.  It came in a huge communal pot into which we delved hungrily!  There wasn't much left by the end!  All in all, a pretty mixed bag.  The fish was good and some of the starters a little meh.

 Scores

Mina's Scores
Presentation      3/5
Setting              3/5
Service             3/5
Food                 3/5
Total                12/20

Patrick's Scores
Presentaion       3/5
Setting              3/5
Service             3/5
Food                 3/5
Total                 12/20

We wore: beach wear and tired expressions

We ate: good fish and mediocre accompaniments

Sailors Hotel Restaurant

In the beautiful town of Alacati, walk past dozens of art galleries, stone houses with lila and blue shutters...take in the creative energy, the flowers bursting out of mounted pots, dripping from wooden balconies...walk over the cobble stones and between the boutique stores and you will find the Sailor's Hotel Restaurant.

lovely stone houses of Alacati

We arrived in warm spirits and after a very helpful waitress suggested a particularly cool spot, placed our orders from an extensive Menu. A pretty wooden bowl full of bread, a little plate of pickles and tiny bottles full of olive oil, sour pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar were brought to the table in short order.

cobble stone streets lined with art galleries and boutiques

Mina's Verdict:

I had the 'summer pasta' which was very nice. Pasta with fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, roasted pine nuts and famous Izmir Tulum (cheese). Light, fresh and tasty. The pine nuts gave the whole thing a nutty flavour; unusual, but tasty!

Summer Pasta with fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, roasted pine nuts and Izmir Tulum cheese

Next to the pasta, I also had some bulgur salad. It worked really well with the sour pomegranate juice and olive oil. Finally, the double espresso was just right.

Patrick's Verdict:

This restaurant on Alacati's main street is ver cute. A dozen tables outside and a well-stocked bar inside. We sat outside and had a very tasty lunch after a half days doing not very much! I fancied something simple- kofte and potatoes. It came on a rectangular grey plate - 7 pieces of spiced meatballs and a good portion of thick cut chips with a spicy pepper and a nice little side salad. The kofte was very good - well cooked, not fatty and with a great kick. The chips were perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and fluffy within and the salad was fresh. Thoroughly enjoyable. Cappuccino also tasty - great foam.

kofte and potato wedges

Scores

Mina
Food                3/5
Presentation     3/5
Setting             4/5
Service            3/5
Total score     13/20

Patrick
Food                4/5
Presentation     3/5
Setting             4/5
Service             3/5
Total score      14/20

We ate:        Kofte, Pasta, Salad
We drank:   sparkling water, espresso, capuccino
Price:           about 50TL/18 pounds

Sailors Hotel Restaurant
downtown Alacati (between Izmir and Cesme)
www.sailorsotel.com