Veli Usta Körfez Restaurant — Restaurant in Konak

Let me start with positive sides and my review criteria. I review this restaurant in the category of seafood and between other seafood restaurants in the area. I have been to this restaurant more than dozen times, and started to choose another restaurant in the area.

The selection of seafood menu options are comparable with the other area seafood restaurants. The quality of the food is consistent and above average. However, fish is usually drier and less tasty compared to another restaurant in the area. This is usually due to how they prepare and cook the fish. Otherwise, I am pretty sure the fish in both places are equally fresh.

The quality of the service is not consistent. You may get a great and terrible service one day apart.

The prices are way too high for what you get. Remember that all seafood restaurants in the kordon are expensive. So, it would not be fair to compare with another restaurant miles away. However, if you are willing to spend money in this area for a seafood, then I strongly recommend another restaurant. You will get better service and tastier meal for the same price...

Unhygienic and dangerous way if handling food. They have a somewhat open kitchen. After we sat down they invite you to go and choose the appetizers from the glass display case. We pointed to the grilled octopus and the man (maybe chef?) standing near opened the display and grabbed a handful of those octopus legs with his bare hairy hands. Threw it on a small plate and gave it to a waiter. Absolutely disgusted he was not wearing gloves. Imagine what that man touches after the octopus and put it on plates for guests to eat!? We immediately grabbed our stuff and left. Watch out for poisoning at this restaurant. Cross contamination is a high probability and obviously the chefs handle all the food without gloves. I’ll never forge those hairy arms grabbing the food inside that display case. People will definitely find his arm hairs...

Tourist trap! Horrible experience! The person serving/assisting us in choosing a fish for 4 people lied and gave us a false price for the fish and the cooking service. Even though, just to make sure before agreeing that they start cooking the fish we asked MULTIPLE times if the price he had given us was for everything(whole fish/cooking) which he replied it was for the whole fish and the cooking. Nevertheless, the bill came and it was quadruple the amount he told us before and the price was per kilogram for the fish which somehow he failed to mention even though we asked multiple times and when we complained he acted like he didn't know. Never go to this restaurant its a...