Hilmi Restaurant fish market Fethiye

[wickwilly]

This is a restaurant one should avoid at all costs unless one likes being ripped off big time.
Went there tonight as fancied some nice fresh hamsi balik and prawns in garlic and kalamar. Paid 25 Lira for the fish and prawns and 13 for the kalamar. and  it was suggested that this was a good restaurant in which to eat it. Sat down and was immediately given water from sealed bottle and poured into glass without being asked. Was then asked how I wanted the prawns cooked. Explained this. A few mınutes later out came 2 yaprak sarma on a plate and on another plate was 2 lahana sarma . 6 slices of bread were brought to the table and a fresh salad. Asked for a Tuborg and received a 3rd litre bottle. Prawns and hamsi balik arrived at the same time as the kalamar. Food was reasonably well cooked but nothing to write home about. Then came the bill!!! For the 6 slices of bread , 4 sarma, salad, water and one beer. 46 Lira !!!!. Told the waiter I thought he had made a mistake as its only 6 lira per person for salad and bread. He said no, there were three meals and the salad was fresh and was special as it had rocket in it so was twice the price. The 3rd litre of beer was 7 Lira and the 4 sarma were 14 Lira!!. Wasnt even a mouthfull in each one. Water which had been not requested was 3 Lira. Told him that I thought the place was a ripoff and wouldn't be going there again. He couldn't have been less interested.
WW

[Eric]

I think the fish market has run its course and is now nothing other than a place to rip off people whether they are local ex pats or tourists.  We stopped going 3 yrs back because of this.

[Scunner]

I disagree - I think it is a unique and special experience that you simply can't get anywhere outside the market. Fethiye would be a far poorer place without the fish market. I have been going to Receps for years and years and never once had a problem - and I know many who say the same about Receps and about Oztuklu. So maybe it depends where you go.

What I do think is that the days of buying your fish and taking to be cooked should really be over (although I've never turned up with a fish ) - and just have a menu with popular fish and maybe a blackboard for what's good and available today - all clearly priced along with drinks, salad, bread, water prices.

Too much is ambiguous and sadly that can be used to make money on the unsuspecting.

[SuzzPuss]

I'm relieved to read this Scunner.  I've been looking forward to trying the fish market restaurants so this was disappointing.  Receps or Oztuklu it is then.

[Scunner]

I've never been to Oztuklu - only because my Turkish friends introduced me to Receps and we felt no need to try another - but a lot of people who's opinion I value swear by it.

If you do go to Receps, say you were recommended by me or more importantly Calis Beach Forum. I'm not on commission, it's just nice for him to know that we want our members to be looked after   He's one of the characters of Fethiye, we love him.

[SuzzPuss]

Great.  Thanks.   

[tinkerman]

I went to Receps last week and told him Scunner reccomended this place and he grabbed my baliks and threw me out! 

[Scunner]

Lucky you, he normally charges for that.

[Eric]

Will give Receps a go then.

[Scunner]

Let us know how it goes Eric, hopefully you'll enjoy the Fish Market once more   

There's nothing like a basket of bread plonked on your table (without being asked for) appearing on your bill to really irritate and take the gloss off an otherwise great night. Even if it's a quid or less, it isn't the money...

But it's not exclusive to Turkey - Stoop warned us about a similar thing in Portugal - if you don't say you don't want a pre-starter course, often comprising of a totally unappetising plate of dry bread-like things and equally dry and unappetising bits of cheese, then it comes. It has a name which I forget. As I recall, you don't get the option to order them, you have to specifically and clearly say you do not want them. And even then you need to check that it isn't on your bill!