Dining in and around Holbox Mexico

I wanted to thank Veggo and mediakzar for the helpful info and link. Sounds like Holbox will be just what we need for a few days in July!

ghutcher in Mexico

Dining in and around Holbox Mexico

I would really love some help with any interesting restaurants or bars in and around Holbox, Mexico. I will be staying at Las Nubes de Holbox during the July 4th weekend and would like some guidance on any great/interesting food and drink options nearby. Usually we stay in Tulum but decided to try something different this year.

ghutcher in Mexico

Quick recap of memorable meals in Turkey and Athens

We were in various places in Turkey and Athens over the last two weeks and here is a quick recap of our meals.

Athens: Many restaurants are closed in late-August but made it to Varoulko which had excellent fresh fish and terrific roof top dining with a view of the Acropolis. The service was also great but the food was similar to that served at nice restaurants in New York. The meal was costly but worth it. We really enjoyed Athiri. The restaurant is in a cool neighborhood and only locals were dining there. The open air dining area feels like a tropical setting and the food was varied and pretty good too. We hated (really hated) Mamacas! While the neighborhood is lively, the food was poor and it felt like a tourist trap. I don't know why the New York Times repeatedly recommends it. The food was average to poor, and it was costly.

Istanbul: First of all, thank you Antman for directing us to Ciya Sofrasi and Abracadabra. It was great fun taking the ferry to Kadikoy and walking through the produce market on the way to Ciya. While very casual (a plus for us), the food was very interesting and our waiter took the time to explain each dish in English. It was a real highlight. Abracadabra was fun with terrific modern Turkish food and a great view of the Bosphorus from the balcony on the top floor. The cocktails were good and some of the food combinations were unusual but they worked. This restaurant has kind of a hip feel and is well priced.

Borsa is hard to find but the Central and Eastern Turkish food was excellent. There is almost no view but the interesting and well prepared food makes this restaurant a good choice. We highly recommend Zubeyir if you want a locals only spot. The kofte, salads and grilled meats were excellent, the neighborhood is interesting and it is very inexpensive. Cezayir has a cool outdoor bar and dining area three flights down from street level with a lot of style. The food was kind of a Mediteranian and Asian mix, and it was good -- not great -- but our cocktails were just right. Our last dinner in Istanbul was at Sofyali 9. We really enjoyed the scene and the Turkish food was very good. It is an excellent value, and it is fun watching the crowd and street vendors pass by. We also had two good lunches at Hamdi and Sultanahmet Koftecisi.

Capadocia: We had two really nice dinners -- one in our hotel, the Museum Hotel, and the other at Elai. Both were quite sophisticated with well prepared local ingredients and great atmosphere.

Izmir: We did not have good luck with dinners in Izmir. Our best meal was in our hotel, the Swissotel Grand Efes, the last night. We hated Topcu. While we got several recommendation to go there, we found the food to be cold (when it shouldn't be) or stale, and we got ignored by our waiter as well. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. We also tried Denzi. The location across from the water was nice, and I enjoyed the sea bass cooked in a block of salt. The rest of the meal was not memorable, and it was on the expensive side. We did have two good homestyle lunches. One was near Sardis at Degirmen and the other was between Efesus and Sirence but I can't find the name of it. It was one of the first restaurants on the right on the road to Sirence. We got there late but the owners happily brought all of the food back out of the refrigerator and it was excellent. BTW, the drive to Sirence was beautiful but the village is a total tourist trap.

ghutcher in Europe

Istanbul Culinary Institute

Has anyone been to Enstitu, the restaurant at the Istanbul Culinary Institute? I thought it might be interesting? Is is conveniently located?

ghutcher in Europe

Gigikes & Mermikas in Athens

I read about Gigikes & Mermikas in Athens on Chowhound but cannot seem to locate it. Does anyone have more information about the resaurant? I remember that it sounded very interesting and was set in a market.

Also, i have tried pretty hard to make a reservation at 48 The Restaurant but cannot get through. The internet link does not work either. Does anyone know if the restaurant in still open, as good as all of the old reviews suggest and how to reach the restaurant in Athens?

ghutcher in Europe

Restaurants in Athens, Istanbul and Izmir

Thanks to all who responded to our last post. We have done some further research and are thinking of the following restaurants in Athens, Istanbul and Izmir in August. We think these restaurants should all be open and are in order of our interest. We would appreciate any reactions.

Athens -- August 20 - 22: Gigikas & Mermikas in Plateia Papadia, Varoulko, Ola Ta Kala, Orizontes, Logia tis Ploris and Ta Kioupia. Only three nights, so which three? I think 48 The Restaurant , Alatsi and Kafenio will be closed then. Is Hydra in the Galazia Hytra worth the drive?

Istanbul -- August 23 - 25 and August 31 - September 1: Abracadabra, Borsa (which one Harbiye or Kandili?), Milka, Zubeyir and Otto. While Changa looked interesting, I think it will be closed when we are in Istanbul. Is Aqua in the Four Seasons worth it?

Izmir: August 28 -30: Topcu and Reci. These came from responses on Chowhound. Anyone have any other suggestions or further thoughts on these restaurants?

ghutcher in Europe