Those who are familiar with the town will know there is no shortage of harbourside bars and restaurants in Fethiye where it's possible to while away a few hours watching the world go by. Over the years, we've probably frequented all of them at least once, be they established Fethiye institutions, such as Cafe Geniş, or the brand new places like Shaka Restaurant, further along down the kordon towards Çalış.
But, however long you live somewhere, there's always one of those cafes that gets overlooked; the sort that, each time you walk past it, the 'we-really-must-try-that-place-one-day' thought comes into your head. For a few years now, we've had that thought each time we walk past Deniz Kafe.
The arched entrance to Deniz Kafe
A couple of weeks ago, we decided to walk to Kuleli Koyu with friends and, as we were passing Deniz Kafe, they mentioned they'd recently had a coffee there and it was a lovely place to sit - a perfect cue for us to finally give it a try. We went through the archway and down the steps towards the sea shore.
Jetty seating at Deniz Kafe
True enough - it certainly is a lovely place to sit. We were suddenly hidden from the main road above us and surrounded by foliage and the marinas of Fethiye - and we were the only customers in there at the time. Even better. Deniz Kafe is not decked out with designer, super-stylish furniture - far from it - but that's not the type of place this is. It's homely and secluded. A little secret place by the sea. And you're not going to get the latest fashionable Italian coffee here, either. Like we said, Deniz Kafe is homely. We ordered a coffee, the kettle went on and the owner delivered four mugs of steaming, instant coffee, a tub of Coffeemate and a bowl of sugar cubes.
Looking towards one of Fethiye's marinas from Deniz Kafe
And that was fine by us. They were delivered with a smile, they were much larger than we expected - and that meant we could take our time with them and enjoy our peaceful surroundings. So now, our 'we-really-must-try-that-place-one-day' thoughts are no more and they've morphed into 'we-really-must-go-back-there-one-day' thoughts. No posh coffee, no slap-up meals (there's a small snack menu) and it doesn't matter. Oh, you can get an Efes Pilsen in there, of course. Always a bonus. Maybe we'll drop in next time we walk to Kuleli Koyu or hike to Kayaköy...or maybe we'll just make a special journey to go and sit there and not move for a few hours. It's that sort of place.
Deniz Kafe is on the seashore at the end of 2 Karagözler, across the road from Ata Park Hotel. View it on our map of Fethiye here.
7 comments:
What a gorgeous place to while away a few hours! So peaceful and with stunning views. Sounds as though you'll be back!
what a fabulous find!
gorgeous spot Julia, will remember this:)
@ Jenny: Yes, we'll definitely be back, enjoying the views of Fethiye - and we'll no doubt have a beer instead of a coffee, next time. ;)
@ Jaz: Eventually, yes. :)
@ Ozlem's Turkish Table: Yes, if you ever make it to Fethiye, we'll definitely have to go for a drink there together. :)
This place makes me smile. :-) I LOVE that they served you instant coffee. That's just brilliant. :-) I've never had so much instant coffee in my life as I've been served here in Australia. And just hearing about it makes me feel, well, nostalgic somehow. :-)
@ Rambling Tart: The fashion in Fethiye at the moment is to serve İtalian coffees so it was quite funny that this has passed Deniz Kafe by - and it was like sitting at home. ;)
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