Things To Do in Side

The beer is cold and the melon cocktails come with colourful straws at this friendly place just a minute away from the western beach. You can sit outside on the roof terrace or find a comfy spot inside, where it’s all Turkish rugs and hanging lanterns. The soundtrack switches between pop and rock, with a bit of live music and belly dancing thrown in, too.

You’ll find this must-visit restaurant overlooking the harbour up a small flight of steps. Pizzas and steak share the spotlight with Turkish specialities like saray kebab – skewered veal, chicken and mushroom smothered in cheese and cream. And the kids get their own menu, complete with child-friendly cocktail list. Everyone likes Gul, so best get here before 8pm to bag a table.

Around the west-facing harbour, open-fronted bars and restaurants jostle for the best sunset view. After dark, the colonnaded main street takes the reins, with a line-up of cocktail joints and clubs. Plus there’s karaoke and quizzes in the Brit pubs on West Beach promenade.

New owner, Zafer, provides a warm welcome to locals and tourists, not to mention a cocktail list as long as your arm. And you don’t need to worry about last orders, as they stay open ’til everyone’s ready to go home.

You’ll find some of the cheapest – and most truly Turkish – restaurants in the narrow alleyways of Old Side. Locating them can be a bit of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair, but if you persevere you’ll be rewarded with Turkish delights like meze plates, doner kebabs and freshly baked pitta bread. And you’ll often get a free coffee for your efforts.

The sweet spot for Side’s nightlife is the harbour. Things get going with cocktails in the bars here. If you fancy it, you can try a nargile, the traditional tobacco pipe. Around midnight, the locals are ready for the open-air nightclubs – just follow their lead on the dancefloors as DJs spin the sounds.

Side's summer festival is more Glyndebourne than Glastonbury. It puts on free, open-air concerts by international musicians and dancers – and lines them all up around the ruined amphitheatre and temple of Apollo. There’s jazz and ballroom dancing, and appearances from the likes of the Vienna Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.

The west side beach is the busier of the two and has plenty of sunloungers to hire along the sandy strip. On the east side, things are a bit more peaceful. This spot earns bonus points, too, because you’ll be sunning yourself on an archaeological site – the Temple of Apollo rises out of the dunes just east of the harbour.

Both main beaches come with loungers, showers and watersports. West Beach has got a brand-new prom, lined with souvenir shops and bars, that gets busy in high season. If you fancy the desert-island treatment, wander 15 minutes north along East Beach to Sorgun. Here, you only need share the sand with the occasional fisherman.

Gladiators once did battle on the sands of Side’s colossal Roman amphitheatre, just north of the old town. Today, things are a little less hectic, and for 10 Turkish lira you can spend an hour poking around the place. For your own personal Russell Crowe moment, sit on the stone terraces where 20,000 spectators used to bay for blood.

As dusk settles, the centre of town becomes a pedestrian zone, so it’s a great time to check out the souvenir shops and market stalls along the main street. Here you can haggle for bargains on everything from handmade leather jackets to jewellery, lace and freshly made Turkish delight. And when you’re peckish, try the apricot-sweetened honey cake, baklava.

This restaurant on the first floor of Conny’s Hotel is run by husband and wife team Conny and Ad. They’re a friendly couple who serve up first-class food like lamb chops in orange sauce, and chicken marinated in ginger. The chateaubriand steak is a particular favourite, and they’ll cook the sauce at your table. Helpfully, they also run a free pick-up service from the hotels.