I spend a lot of my time eating out for a number of reasons. The first reason is that I always think food tastes better when someone else has cooked it. The second is that I cannot cook and the third reason is that I won’t cook out of pure laziness.
Hey, this is my life and I totally admit that I am not a master chef in the kitchen. I am always on the lookout for new places to eat and when the floating restaurant of Giritli was recommended, I felt I had to see it for myself.
The Floating Restaurant of Giritli in Kazikli Akbuk
So we headed off in the direction of the small coastal resort of Kazikli on the Aegean coastline. We ended up taking a detour and got lost however we did eventually find the Girtili restaurant. Now I have always wanted to be a restaurant critic so since this restaurant is not your average dining establishment, I have decided to write my own restaurant critic guide to the Giritli Restaurant.
Pick Up Service: We did not use the pick-up service as we had hired our own transport. Having said that though, if you like the retro era and fancy taking a step back in time, the pick-up service will be your perfect mode of transport.
Ambience and Décor : Giritli restaurant has hit upon a good seller here. They put you on a floating pontoon and push you out on the water as far as you want to go. The ambience and décor is provided by Mother Nature herself in the shape of calm waters, green mountains and blue skies.
Service and Staff: So considering the seating areas are out on the waters and the restaurant itself is on dry land, you may be wondering how the service was. Well, watching the poor lad row that boat back and forth every time I wanted a bottle of beer means there is no way that I could criticize the service even if I wanted to.
We did have a concern at first because we were not quite sure how to place our order to the kitchen on dry land. However the waiter had forgot to give us the remote control radio into which you say your order and he duly gets in the rowing boat and brings it to you. This one mistake was soon rectified, much to our pleasure as we soon released that none of us could whistle loud enough to attract anyone’s attention.
Food: The menu is basic and you get to choose from chicken, fish or meatballs. It is not posh dining however the Giritli does not claim to be a top notch establishment. I opted for the fish which was quickly delivered to my table by the man in a rowing boat.
Toilet Facilities: The toilet facilities are on dry land and are very clean however you are advised not to leave it till the last minute due to the fact it takes a while to reach the toilets. If you want to relieve yourself, you have to get on the radio, the waiter jumps in the rowing boat, collects you, takes you to the toilet and brings you back again. How that is that for service? You get your own escort to the toilet!
Overall opinion: Giritli restaurant is definitely worth a visit simply for the overall novelty. I actually indulged in the concept of a floating restaurant and along with the fine sea air, good food and wonderful ambiance it was a fantastic day out.