Vibrant flashes of colour and an injection of life and activity into a usually sleepy pathway along the canal in Fethiye: Welcome to Fethiye Sokak Lezzetleri – Fethiye Street Foods.
This is the canal that flows past the Fethiye Tuesday market and into the sea on the corner of the harbour.
And unless you walked along the pathway on a Tuesday (where you also get the local artisan stalls seen in the photo above) or Friday, when the Friday villager produce market is on, there was never much going on along there.
Practically deserted; give or take a few teenage school kids on their school lunch break.
Welcome To The Fethiye Street Food Vans
In 2024, all that changed when, one day, the local belediye (council) placed a row of cute, brightly coloured retro-style street food vans along the grassy verge.
We were excited to see that we were about to get lots of new food stands – but the usual hot summer weather meant we hadn’t been to explore the area since it opened up.
Anyway, cooler weather means more wandering, more appetite and time to peruse the individual Fethiye street food stands.
A few famous Turkish street food treats are there. And a couple of other options too.
What’s On Offer?
We walked along the canal on market day so there was a lovely buzz about the area.
Köfte & Burgers
We’d spotted the köfte stand on Instagram and identified this one as the place to try first – well, we just love a good quality köfte half bread!
No room at the inn, however, at the time we went.
Tables and chairs of various styles, colours, shapes and sizes line the opposite side of the pathway, along the canal railings,
The köfte stand’s tables were full and the meat was sizzling away on the griddle.
That one can wait for another day…
As well as köfte and burgers, you can also get locally sourced sucuk, homemade turşu (Turkish pickled vegetables) and homemade ayran!
Şiş Dürüm
If you’re fancying a dürüm (wrap), this is the van for you.
The meats are cooked on a şiş (skewer) and you have a choice of Adana şiş, Liver şiş or chicken şiş.
Pilavcı
We’re happy this place is here as the ‘pilavcı’ doesn’t have a huge presence in Fethiye, unlike in some towns and cities.
This guy is serving up dishes like tavuklu nohutlu pilav (rice and chickpeas with chicken) and lovely, lovely kuru fasulye!
Turkish rice and beans go hand in hand.
Although the street food vans are uniform in shape, they’re all different colours and vendors are individualising them with their own branding, seating styles and pretty plant pots around the outside.
Decorative mobiles and lighting are strung, zigzagged above the pathway – and Instagram images show us this creates a lovely evening atmosphere.
Balık Ekmek
You can’t have a row of street food vans and not have a balık ekmek (fish in bread) stand.
In Fethiye, the fish is most often mezgit (whiting) but this stand is offering up üskümrü (mackerel) and sardalya (sardines).
Bao Buns & Noodles
Obviously, not traditionally Turkish but that doesn’t mean bao buns and noodles are not really popular amongst younger Turkish crowds, these days.
We’d never had a bao bun, so we plumped for this stand on the day we were there.
Bao buns with a local twist; you can have a filling of tavuk (chicken), kaburga (the meat from beef ribs) or prawns.
Barry had kaburga and I had prawns which were deep fried in lightly spiced panko breadcrumbs.
Two filled bao buns served with fries – fortunately, we were hungry!
Patso Burger
Got to admit, we had to look this one up! It seems it’s an increasingly popular, late night fast food favourite in Istanbul.
Brits, we’ve been there a long time with this one!
Your patso burger is fries in bread – it’s a chip butty!
We’ve seen some with cheese, too – cheesy chips! The food of our student days. Nostalgia.
Tantuni
We absolutely love tantuni – small cubes of fried meat or chicken, usually served in a wrap but sometimes in bread.
The meat is usually left to rest on the edge of a tantuni pan and then reheated in the ‘gravy’ in the centre before being served with fresh herbs and spices.
So juicy!
For The Sweet Tooth Brigade
Again, not traditional Turkish desserts but, nonetheless, hugely popular sweet treats for many, here.
We’re talking waffles and all that goes along with them – fresh fruits and ice creams and sauces.
Oh, and not forgetting some chocolate fondue.
This stand was looking popular on the day we walked through the area.
For The Thirsty
Each individual van has its own soft drinks on sale.
But if you just want to stop for refreshments, on a hot day or evening, you can get a kar şerbeti (the original Turkish ice slush drink) and there are also specialist coffee stands, too.
Good Luck To All
Each little van is an individual business with its own opening hours.
We love this little colourful area, now, and we really hope it works for all of them.
A great addition to the Fethiye food and drink scene, as far as we’re concerned.
On Tuesday market day, the local Lykia Women’s Association also has artisan stalls at the beginning of the canal path, where you can buy handmade crafts.
A mammoth choice for outdoor shopping and street food, supporting local all in one big area.