Our main approach in Eatinizmir is to display reviews of best restaurants in Izmir to show you how to satisfy and pamper yourself while dining in Izmir. However, we believe that it is equally important to show you the places that you should definitely avoid. Unfortunately, Punto Restaurant is absolutely one of the places you shouldn’t spend your valuable time in.

Punto Restaurant is a typical Italian-style dining restaurant, which is nowhere near a quality Italian restaurant in terms of food quality, service, and general ambiance. The restaurant is placed in one of the most crowded places of Izmir, Kipa Balcova shopping mall. However, you won’t be able to see to many people dining there even in the peak hours.

The place is absolutely over-priced, like a first-class restaurant in Alsancak just by the sea, and offers some not even mediocre food, which is a disaster. I ordered a hot salad with chicken fillet; what I ended up with is a cold salad with some warmish chicken pieces on top. My friend asked for a mix pizza and got a pizza with 4-5 ingredients, if you can call this a mix!?

Last but not least, once we asked for the bill, they delivered a wrong calculation; after I asked for the correction, they have made a change, and this still didn’t correspond to the correct bill. While I was expecting an apology, they were absolutely careless and replied, “Yeah, that happen sometimes and it is none of our problem.” So beware of Punto Restaurant; even if you visit the place after all that review, do not forget to check your bill twice.

P.S. During soccer games they are broadcasting and if there is a game when you are eating, they charge you 10% extra without asking for your consent or any warning in advance. It actually doesn’t matter whether you watch the game or not!

How NOT to get there:

Punto Restaurant

Rosemary is an interesting place, interesting because of the location. It is located in the Ege Park AVM (Shopping Mall) which also host Best Buy in Balcova – Izmir. Normally the place should have a fantastic view of the Izmir bay unfortunately this view is spoiled by the highway between the shopping mall and the bay. There is a little bit noise following this view. It is also interesting that the place is surrendered by fast-food restaurants like Burger King.

That is may be the most interesting thing about Rosemary, it is a hidden gem in this unexpected place. You will be amazed by the taste and the quality of the food and service. It could be a different night if you are into Bowling because Ege Park is also the only place in this side of Izmir which represent a bowling alley. You can play some rounds of bowling with your friends and then enjoy great food in Rosemary.

There is a huge influence of the Italian cuisine in the restaurant’s menu. Steaks, pizza, pasta, risotto and also brasserie style food served in the restaurant with a high quality service. “A complementary platter arrives after you place an order. This consists of warm bread roll and 3 oil/herb options. The bread rolls will continue to be served as long as you’re eating them” which is great to loose down your hunger while waiting for the main course to come. The kitchen is situated at the end of the room, behind a wall of glass, every action can be seen; it’s fantastic being able to watch real proffessionals at work.

However the place is a bit overpriced regarding the location and this may cause some problems for them in the long run. You can compare the prices to the restaurants in Kordon – Alsancak, which is one of the most lively and crowded places of Izmir.

Eatinizmir recommend you to try Rosemary if you are around the neighborhood and willing to eat good food. We wish Rosemary good luck for the future.

How to get there

Balçova Ege Park

Balçova Izmir

Tel:  0232 3791941

email:  info@rosemarycafe.net

Rosemary Brasserie

Yuzdeyuz offers one of the greatest places in Konak Pier which is a historical building with great features.

I found Yuzdeyuz on their website which seems appealing. I have made a reservation for two without any hesitation. They reserved one of the best tables they have actually nearly half of their tables have the same beautiful view of Izmir and the seaside.

Konak Pier is a unique beauty for İzmir, there is however a parking problem, at least some times it is not easy to find a place to park and there is vale parking which I do not prefer, I don’t like to handout my keys. If you are  also not ok for this take a taxi instead.

There was a lovely atmosphere in the building and also outside the building where we preferred eating at nearly 28 C hot Izmir night. The service started with a complimentary service of water and absolutely delicious olives served with olive oil, thyme and dried tomato. Well baked small breads are also offered in a basket. I have to say it that tiny olives were extremely tasty.

There is a wide selection of food mainly Italian Cuisine but you can also find some Turkish tastes scattered around the menu. The waiters by the way have a lot to learn. They were mainly not so experienced and younger than I expected. Some times this leads to a lack of service quality and you can also feel their anxiety due to lack of experience. Anyhow they manage to fill your stomach!

The food was above average I can easily grade 8 out of 10 without any reservation. I personally tried Sunshine Pizza which is an interesting combination of dried tomato, mozzarella, black olives, turkey bacon, dried onions and a pinch of thyme.  The pizza was thin and well cooked even though there was nothing to complain there was nothing special too.

My company tried grilled meatballs which is a quite big service for such a place however there is also nothing special for it and eatinizmir do not recommend you to try grilled meatballs too. I wasn’t on the mood so I did not try the steaks, they are said to be superior to the other choices. Dry aging process seems to crate perfect meat therefore perfect steaks. Interestingly they offer Steaks with UNLIMITED french fries! which I found appealing

In general the food was quite above average (7-8 out of 10), the service was not so powerful aspect of Yuzdeyuz (6,5 out of 10), the atmosphere and the ambiance however was great (9 out of 10), prices are quite expensive generally speaking 1.5 more than you should pay in Alsancak (6 out of 10)  and finally overall performance of the place has a lot of room for improvement (8 our of 10).

Eat in Izmir, recommend you to visit Yuzdeyuz if you are not expecting first class service but a great view of the city and see and also  marvelous breeze of the Aegean Sea and sunset. You can enjoy your meal or some beer while watching sunset and listening to the voice of the waves.

How to get there:

Yuzdeyuz

Konak Pier AVM

Konak İzmir

Tel: 0232 4415593

e-mail: info@yuzdeyuz.info

When I first visited Asansör in December 2007, it was a half-empty restaurant with a breathtaking view and shockingly average food. For a prime location as this, any gustatory disappointment was unforgivable.

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who thought so. In February 2009, the Izmir Municipality took charge of the historical Elevator, presently turning it into one of the hottest dining places in the city. The new administration also introduced a new chef, Mr. Mehmet Sirkeci, a choice we cannot but commend.

The restaurant opens for dinner at 7:30 p.m., about an hour before the spectacular sunset over the Izmir Bay. It’s a good idea to arrive a little early to savor the view and have a drink or two in the bar. Reservations, generally recommended, are absolutely a must if you’re visiting on Friday night or over the weekend.

Upon my first visit since the restaurant changed hands, the food in Asansör finally matched my expectations. My bonfile with veggies, herbs and mushrooms (Isırgan Otlu Fleto Sarma for 19 TL) was delightful. The T-Bone (25 TL) was slightly overcooked if you like your steak rare, but a bloody steak is so foreign to Turkey that this is hardly a crime. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of the more traditional Turkish kebabs, which, rest assured, are cooked just the way they should be.

Coupled with a nice wine, Asansör cuisine finally offers a treat to your taste. And the restaurant’s unchanging trump card – the excellent view of the Izmir Bay and the city skyline make it worthwhile to celebrate any special occasion in Asansör.

For more background on the historical significance of Asansör or to learn the restaurant’s location and contact info, please revert to our earlier post: Asansor: The Best View of Izmir.

La Cigale, a Hidden Treasure

La Cigale, Entrance

La Cigale is an exceptional place where you should pay a visit when you come to Izmir. Summer or winter, La Cigale is offering some of the best food, atmosphere, ambiance and service in town.

Just located in the city center, namely Alsancak, it is magically providing a hidden garden for it’s visitors. During summer outdoor area, covered with olive and pine trees is a great location to have your breakfast, lunch or dinner. Winter is also great as Izmir never gets too cold you can still enjoy the indoor area which is covered by glasses only.

Eucalyptus trees are providing the same atmosphere inside. La Cigale has a really nice decoration accompanied with a neat service and delicate food. While you enjoy your food you can also listen to the music of their choice which is quite successful.

La Cigale is serving breakfast for a good start to the day. Lunch is the time when businessmen around the restaurant gahter together to hold meeting and to host and feast their customers. You can enjoy a soft Jazz or a chill out music during your lunch.

La Cigale, Inside View

But the real atmosphere hits became alive during the evening. Having a dinner for two is a really romantic choice although you can have larger groups for celebrations or even alone just to enjoy some of the best food in Izmir.

There is two different indoor facilities are available in La Cigale, facing each other with a slight touch of difference in between considering the atmosphere and decoration but the food is the same. One of them is able to host 90 the other one is to serve 110 people at the same time.

But don’t trust the numbers, we strongly recommend you to make reservations in advance. Especially on Fridays and Saturdays if you don’t want to wait in front of the place smelling all the food and the atmosphere.,

You are welcomed with a little appetizer of a small plate which includes creme cheese, paprika sauce and olives all dressed with olive oil and some spicies. You will also served with three different kinds of bread (like German Brötchen).

La Cigale offers two different menus for lunch and dinner. There are nice options of Italian, French and Turkish cuisine. But Eatinizmir recommends Chicken Schnitzel of  the chef. It is really well cooked and the spicies they used in marinating the meat makes it extremely delicious. It is served with apple sliced patatoes and grilled vegetables along with steam cooked brocoli. Schnitzel of La Cigale is by far the best I have ever had in Izmir thus it can seriously compete with the famous Wiener Schnitzel of Einstein Cafe/Wien-Austria.

Schnitzel at La Cigale

There are also other options such as Jokomo (Steak with creamy mushroom sauce) and Relax (400 grams of delicious cutlet) which I can recommend in the category of lamb. The cook is always able to cook exactly as you wished, rare, medium rare and so on…

Each table is equipped with a neat call system which allows you to ring for service or the bill (hesap). The number of your table then appears on a screen so the waiter knows you need him.

Overall Eatinizmir recommends you to pay a visit to La Cigale we strongly believe you won’t be dissappointed. Bon Apetit.

How to Get There:

La Cigale Restaurant

Address: Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No:152 Alsancak Konak / Izmir

Tel : 0232 421 47 80

Fax : 0232 464 79 86

Pizzeria Venedik is a special place to eat in Izmir. It is located in the beginning of famous Gül(Rose) Street and
serving delicious Italian cuisine with a Turkish touch since 1980.
It is one of the best options to eat pizza in Izmir though the pastas they serve also have the same importance and
taste.
Every member of the team of Pizzeria Venedik is working together for at least 10 years and almost become a family.
They show great hospitality and aim the best satisfaction for each client.

Inner look to VenedikThe minute you entered Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik you will see the best possible care from the staff. In a nice and
quite atmosphere you will have to taste the very satisfying Italian food from experienced chefs.
In summer maybe it is not the best option to take considering plenty of places with better outdoor facilities, but
if you are willing to tase a successful Italian dish or especially a pizza then Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik is the
right place for you.
Eat in Izmir, recommend you to try; a pasta dish “Tagliatella Quattro Formaggi”. It is really tasty and even better
than the ones you can find in Italy.
Our second recommendation would be the “Special Pizza” of Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik. Mainly in Turkey, special
pizza means, pizza with the most amount of ingredients in it.  If you don’t like mixed tastes then grap a simpler
pizza and enjoy.

Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik has an extensive delicious menu of traditional Italian pizza, pasta, steaks, chicken,
salads, and desserts.
You may like to try some lighter solutions for your hunger therefore Salad Bar will help you to stay in your form.
Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik provides also Catering Services for every kind of organization or special days.

How to Get There:
Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik
Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik is placed in the very heart of Izmir so it is really easy to reach there by either
walking or by taking a taxi.
We recommend you to check walking routes in Walk Izmir.
Contact Information:
Address: 1382 sk. (Gül sokak) 10/A-B Alsancak,Izmir
Tel: 0090 232 4221826  (Reservation recommend on weekends)

If you are willing to see Izmir especially at night from one of the best views Asansor -Turkish spelling for elevator or lift- is exactly the right place for your desires. Besides all tastes you can enjoy in Asansor, just the view is enough to use this 101 years old elevator.
Asansor is just placed at one end of the street is the Beth Israel Synagogue, the largest in İzmir. The synagogue is the most venerable historical witness in this area, which was the hub of İzmir’s – now diminished – Jewish community. In the middle ages Jews who migrated to Anatolia from Spain swelled the existing community of Byzantine Jews.

Standing in front of the entance you will see Dario Moreno Street and smell beautiful jasmines and magnolias along with the pleasant view of old Izmir houses lined in the street.The street named after the 1960′s famaous singer Dario Moreno. You can also find his house – now a museum – on the left side of the street. In the wall of his house you can see his last wish and the poem he wrote…

İzmir, my sweet and beloved city
If one day I should die far from you
Let them bring me here
But when carrying me to my grave
Let them not say HE DIED,
but that he SLEEPS in your embrace
My sweet

Then you will see the beautiful Asansor which was built in order to rescue people from climbing 50 meters of 155 stairs. The pair of lifts are contained in a tower-like building 51 metres in height constructed in 1907. The bricks for the tower were shipped from Marseilles.To the left is the building which formerly housed the machine room, but will shortly open as a café and cultural centre. Above the entrance at the base of the tower is a marble plaque bearing the name of the builder Nissim Levy and the construction date.

After a short journey with today rebuild modern lift you will reach the restaurant, cafe and bar facilities where you can relax and enjoy the view.At the top a broad bridge leads into the part of the tower which now houses a restaurant, where in summer it is possible to eat out on the two linked terraces. The restaurant includes a small mezzanine for VIP guests. A spiral staircase leads down to a bar on the lower floor, where original Genoese suits of armour brought from Italy are on display.

Then you have the options as indoor or outdoor restaurant, cafe and a Genoese Bar. We highly recommend the restaurant outdoor in summer.  You can enjoy some of the best wines from the area and try Turkish, Italian or French cuisine of your taste. They are all promising star flavours for your satisfaction.

Eatinizmir recommend you to try the speciality of Asansor, called “Asansor Kebap”. A traditional Turkish Kebap with crispy hay thick fried patatos, sliced beef and meat balls served with yogurth and a special tomato sauce.

While enjoying your dinner and wine – or a drink of your choice – don’t forget to dream with the spectacular view of Izmir from your table. You can see half of the Izmir without any difficulty from that point. Even the ferryboats arriving at Konak Quay can be seen in the distance, and the winding shores of Alsancak, Karşıyaka and Konak spread out below you like the hair of a beautiful mermaid blowing in the soft breeze.

How to get there:

To find the place could be a little tricky for a first timer. So you can take a taxi to the restaurant it is not far away from Konak or Alsancak.

Asansor Restaurant

Contact Information:

Address: Dario Moreno Sk. Karatash IZMIR

Telephone:0090 232 2612662 – Reservation is recommended, especially for weekends.

Best regards,

EatinIZMIR.com