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Mancero Kitchen, Fethiye – Steaks And Flavours Of The Med

As it was birthdays we were out for (and because dad was paying), we decided to give Mancero Kitchen a try for the first time.

When you move to another country, family birthdays and Christmases become events celebrated when you’re together again for that short period of time.

Yeah, you can post Turkish Christmas gifts or order stuff online to be delivered (we do that, too) but it’s still nice to do something altogether, too.

Last week, my dad was over to visit so he decided we all needed to go out ‘for a steak’ for birthdays.

“Where’s good for steak,” asks dad.

Hmmm, the pressure’s always on for questions like this because there’s always the chance you make your suggestion and then you sit down to a scraggy piece of meat.

We’re the ones who are supposed to be all-knowing as far as he’s concerned.

Ask us about budget eating and we can rhyme off any number of places…but out for a more pricey meal; we do that rarely.

Mancero Kitchen, Fethiye
The interior of Mancero Kitchen

The going-out-for-a-steak situation has improved rapidly over the years in Fethiye and, these days, there are a few places where you can enjoy a good hunk of red meat to satisfy your craving.

This is the place that was previously Shaka, along Fethiye harbour, and we’ve been curious for a while.

Lots of our friends went to eat there over the summer while they were on holiday, so it was time to see for ourselves what it’s all about…

Mancero Kitchen (and the seafood restaurant next door) is owned by the Hilmi people; they of Hilmi Restaurant fame in Fethiye fish market.

I asked one of the waiters we know if it was okay to go inside and take some photos.

Mancero Kitchen Meat Counter, Fethiye
The meat and deli counter at Mancero – very tempting

And was greeted with an open kitchen and meat & deli counter. This place is a red-meat-eater’s dream.

All sorts of different cuts on full display. So, if you’re perusing the menu and worried about whether your chosen meat won’t be as you expect, you could always wander inside to have a little peek first.

Anyway, to the food…

Mancero Kitchen also does ‘Mediterranean cuisine’ but we were all here for a steak so we didn’t take too much notice of that part of the menu.

My dad and his friend ordered soup-of-the-day for a starter (me and Barry decided to save ourselves for the meat feast) and then we all ordered our main meal.

What an adventurous bunch we are! Every single one of us plumped for the aged ribeye steak served with roast potatoes.

Ahh, we were right not to opt for a starter. Fresh bread and black olives in olive oil and nar ekşisi (pomegranate molasses).

Yummy, and a bonus that my dad and his friend just don’t do olives. Me and Barry made short work of that while they polished off their decent-sized bowl of mushroom soup.

And one bit we did like was when the waiter came to clear the soup bowls, we were asked if we wanted our meal straight away or did we want to wait a while.

We opted for a few minutes break between courses and then the waiter came back to double check we were ready to eat again before our steaks were cooked.

Mancero Kitchen Steak, Fethiye
No complaints from me

And then our meal arrived. This is my ribeye steak from various angles. No need to photograph anyone else’s seeing as they all looked the same.

It was all very simple. Seared vegetables (courgettes, peppers and mushrooms), the roast potatoes – and then what is easily the biggest, thickest slab of steak we’ve had in Fethiye.

But was it good?

Ribeye is my favourite and this was definitely a quality chunk of meat. Barry ordered medium-rare, I ordered medium and the others went for well done.

I’ve got to say, I’m relatively new to the world of medium steaks (I used to be a ‘very-well-done’ person) and I’m still not great if blood / red juices appear.

Nothing of the sort on this steak. So juicy and very pink in the middle. Was mine heading towards medium rare?

Not sure, but I was enjoying it too much to care.

And yes, I used to be a waitress in my student days and the chef would always shout ‘philistines’ across his kitchen if we placed an order for well done steaks from customers.

Well, each to their own, I say. I’m saying this because my dad’s steak did have a touch of pink in places.

He still loved it (which makes me think he should order medium because he commented on how juicy and tender it was – but he’ll not admit to preferring medium, I suspect).

But, if you fancy going to Mancero and have any sort of aversion to the sight of pinkness in your steak, maybe mention this to the waiter when you order.

Will we eat steak at Mancero again in the future? If we’re in the mood for a simple steak feast, most definitely.

Mancero Kitchen, Fethiye – Useful Info

  • Mancero Kitchen is along the phase 2 section of Fethiye harbour on Cahit Gündüz Caddesi (see map below).
  • They’re open all year and serve a range of dishes as well as various steaks and burgers.
  • They’re also well known for serving up a decent Turkish breakfast.
  • For more Fethiye restaurants, eateries and bars, you can visit our Fethiye Eating & Drinking page for ideas about where to go.

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Tony S

Wednesday 22nd of October 2014

Many many years ago, my girlfriend (now wife) shared a house with three other young women. The lighting in the living room was so bad (shades draped with scarves and so on) that you could barely see what you were eating. One evening, she cooked me a steak. It was absolutely superb, and I told her it was the best I'd ever eaten. She got a torch from the cupboard and shone it on my plate. Medium rare, if that. I haven't eaten well-done since.

Turkey's For Life

Friday 24th of October 2014

Well sometimes it takes these sorts of experiences to get you out of a habit doesn't it. Barry was always trying to convince me not to get well done meat but I've been brought up on everything in the oven for hours on end. ;) I started off with pink roast beef which he had left to go cold for sandwiches the day after. No blood and the juice and flavour was enough to convince me of my previous 'sins.' ;)