Rip off restaurants

[Marguerite&Jim]

Is it allowed to name and shame restaurants on the Forum that overcharge and rip us, non-Turkish residents and tourists off?

 

[SuperBogs]

Is it allowed to name and shame restaurants on the Forum that overcharge and rip us, non-Turkish residents and tourists off?

It's even encouraged

Biker Bob

 

[Marguerite&Jim]

Hi SB, I have to go out just now but I'll be back on later with full details. I hate being ripped off, it's now twice in 4 months with one complaint being taken to Datca's mayor. As I say, I'll be on later with details. Thanks

 

[Uzumlu Old Boy]

You may not realise it but by law every Turkish restaurant has to have a price list displayed either on the wall or a menu on the table. So there is no reason to get 'ripped off'. You may get a poor meal for your money, but name one country where that would not happen. If you are in extreme difficulties with the restaurant tell them you are going to 'phone 156 (Jandarma) to complain. If you are in the right they will climb down!!

 

[SuperBogs]

You may not realise it but by law every Turkish restaurant has to have a price list displayed either on the wall or a menu on the table. So there is no reason to get 'ripped off'. You may get a poor meal for your money, but name one country where that would not happen. If you are in extreme difficulties with the restaurant tell them you are going to 'phone 156 (Jandarma) to complain. If you are in the right they will climb down!!

Not a newbee to Turkey and I have to say that there are plenty of restaurants that don't follow the law regarding prices being published. Most people including myself didn't know there was even such a law, so there is still plently of reasons for people to get ripped off.

Biker Bob

 

[hijo]

..i very seldom have seen a price list anywere in turkey in 23 years ,uzluma old boy ..unless your stuck in the same place all the time ..(they might have one especially for you ,i don,t know) but every time i go to a restaurant or bar ..i make sure and ask first.what the prices are(nekadar)..and if i think it is too expensive ..i say cok para ( too expensive) and walk away 9 times out of 10 they will call you back.. if i just go for a beer ..i have never paid more than 3.50 for a large efes..soft drinks in turkey are one big rip off..

 

[kaplumba]

Please let us all know M&J. I have had one or two incidents but on the whole I find most of the restaurants OK. What we are noticing this year is that it has become more expensive than eating out in UK. From what I have heard the rents are shooting up. The result is that we eat at home more often and really enjoy it. My terrace overlooks the sea and it seems silly not to eat there. Other holiday home owners are saying the same including my Turkish neighbours, they think Datca has become far too expensive.

 

[SonnyJim]

Most, (if not all), of the restaurants around Datca harbour now have menus. Having spent some 20 years in Turkey, if in doubt always ask!!! The main problem now is the cost of wine, if you are offered one that is NOT on the list, do not assume the price.

We haven't had any problems with the restaurants here, if we have thought the bill a bit high we will either query it there and then (which does tend to spoil an otherwise pleasant evening!), or we blame ourselves for not checking it at the beginning of the evening.

Of course, like many others, now the prices are so high we eat at home more often - good food, plenty of wine, fantastic views - no complaints!!!!!!

 

[immac]

I was taken for a meal by Turkish friends. When the waiter realised that I was the only foreigner he asked my hosts which (language) menu he should give me. Naively they said I should get the English one - obviously designed for tourists - why not?

When we compared menus the English language version was around 20% more expensive.

Ian

 

[hijo]

..absolutley right immac..over the years i have found this in many restaurants ..now i only use the ones i have checked prices ,and owners ,winter and summer ,some of them try and bump the prices up in the tourist season..for instance my local ,does a efes draught 50cc for 2.50 and a vodka burn for 7 lira ..it is advertised on a board on the beach..but when the safari trips come ..they take the board away..and they have to pay up to 8 lira for a beer..not to mention soft drinks..

 

[Janeavsallar]

What do you all call expensive to eat out we have just come back (Alanya area) and actually thought is was cheaper this year, we ate out at least 10 nights out of 14 and the most expensive meal we had was 97 lira this was for four people, the usual bread and dips and a plate of tomato salad, four main courses, two of which was steak, a mixed grill and a kebab all with rice, chips and salad, a large plate of fruit, turkish coffee and 4 large effes and 4 ice teas.

We ate out in different restaurants and paid on average about £10 a head for a three course meal with drinks, we would struggle to get a takeaway at home for that.

That is in a small seaside town with lots of all inclusive hotels if that is a factor I'm not sure (I did see another thread on that but I think that was saying how expensive the bars and restaurants are because of this).

Jane
Jane

 

[PASH]

Prices vary very much as they do in the UK, alot of it depends on the running costs of certain establishments. I know in Yalikavak for instance, the rents charged to restauranteurs vary from the reasonable to the extortionate! Landlords have become very greedy and obviously, in some cases, this means the costs of food and drink have to be increased accordingly. I know if i go to a long established Turkish restauarant the prices will be cheaper than if i go to a seafront reataurant!

 

[kaplumba]

Where we live in Uk there are so many offers in very nice pubs. We recently took some vouchers into our local and got 2 meals for 6 pounds. There are plenty of others doing 2 for 10 pounds and others a pint and main course for 6 pounds. The quality of the food was comparable to anything I have had in Turkey. In Datca most of the main courses in restaurants with a bit of a view are around 20 lira unless you go for something like kofte which is around 10 lira. In some restaurants that 20 lira does not include rice/veg etc so your main course can mount up to at least 25 lira or more. Mezes are around 5 lira a portion or a mixed plate for 12.
Then many places are charging 5 lira for efes although last night we noticed a couple of places just away from the main strip advertising it for 3 lira so perhaps now the end of the season is near they are coming down a bit. Soft drinks are astronomical and I paid 4 lira for a soda last night.
Now I know we can plod off round the back streets and get something for less but I would rather sit on my terrace overlooking the sea than sit near the road in a back street.

 

[Peregrine]

Mrs P refuses to cook when we are in Turkey because eating out is so reasonable

Best price was £20 (equivalent) for four of us and most was £70

I only ever get ripped off once - I dont go back to give them a second chance.

In my experience most restaurants have prices displayed, even if only in the menu. Did get a liite caught out by one place giving us a menu with prices in Euros (so we thought it was dead cheap until Mrs P spotted it)

And as for expensive meals. you only need to talk to friends who went to the eurozone - wow, what a difference. They were paying 1.5 to 2 times the amount

 

[immac]

It is surely irrelevant what the costs are elsewhere in the world. We live here, we know the prices here and we know that we are routinely overcharged against other customers.

I have been to other places around the world, and in UK, where you are in a tourist hot-spot and everybody pays more - Disney in USA comes to mind. But here, we are singled out for higher prices because we are foreigners - guests in their country, and I have never seen that anywhere else in my travels to the extent it is done here.

Ian

 

[bobthenob]

Acts of discrimination should not be allowed to flourish.One price for foreigners and another price for non foreign.
lt is so odvious discrimination is rife in their country against the foreigner's that are targeted to depart them of their money by using acts to discriminate

 

[Janeavsallar]

In Datca most of the main courses in restaurants with a bit of a view are around 20 lira unless you go for something like kofte which is around 10 lira. In some restaurants that 20 lira does not include rice/veg etc so your main course can mount up to at least 25 lira or more. Mezes are around 5 lira a portion or a mixed plate for 12.
Then many places are charging 5 lira for efes although last night we noticed a couple of places just away from the main strip advertising it for 3 lira so perhaps now the end of the season is near they are coming down a bit. Soft drinks are astronomical and I paid 4 lira for a soda last night.
Now I know we can plod off round the back streets and get something for less but I would rather sit on my terrace overlooking the sea than sit near the road in a back street.

In all the restaurants in our area bread, mezes, salad, fruit after the meal and coffee, apple tea or raki, are all included in the price of the main meal.

Jane

 

[kaplumba]

You are fortunate then Jane as it is quite different here. You are usually offered tea or coffee at the end and sometimes some melon but not always. Salads, rice, chips etc really increase the cost along with water. Something i have noticed this year is that some restaurants that used to put some salad and rice or chips on the plate are not this year. So that 20+ lira could well be 30 lira or more for your main course. Any way it's not a huge problem and I used to be one of those who said I'm not going to Turkey to cook. Now we quite enjoy doing it and all muck in. We eat out a few times but not every night.
I'm not so sure about paying a lot in tourist hot spots in UK. We recently had a holiday in Cornwall and were so impressed with the quality and prices of the food there. This isn't putting me off coming to Turkey at all but we just change the way we do things here.
M&J - I'd love to know where you were ripped off and how.
PS I'm back in Datca now so would love to meet up for that drink. We are eating in tonight but will probably be in Maradonnas tomorrow night followed by a drink nearby.

 

[lara]

Acts of discrimination should not be allowed to flourish.One price for foreigners and another price for non foreign.
lt is so odvious discrimination is rife in their country against the foreigner's that are targeted to depart them of their money by using acts to discriminate

Whenever I go for a meal, I always take a Turk with me...............works everytime. :504xn:

 

[PASH]

Whenever I go for a meal, I always take a Turk with me...............works everytime. :504xn:

If i was to pick a Turk up off the street to get a better price, surely it would cost more as another mouth to feed and that does not include the Raki consumption! :95im: