On one of the nights I was at hotspot Maca Kizi a group came for dinner from the seven decked Emir of Kuwait’s yacht. A couple of weeks before, Kate Moss with family and Naomi Campbell were spotted splashing around in the crystal clear blue waters. Whether it’s for party or chill, this is Turkey’s most stylish hideaway and one of my favourite spots nestled in a bay near, but a world away from, hectic Bodrum by Alan Greenhalgh
Alan Greenhalgh at Maca Kizi Turkey
Chef Aret Sahakyan’s, who has been with Maca Kizi since it opened, menus reflect his passion for blending Turkish and Mediterranean flavours and cooking. The guy is a genius. The setting is superb.
The bar at Maca Kizi Turkbuku
Salty, pickly things are perfect at the beach after a long day in the sun and seawater on the lips.
Starters
Roasted beets at Maca Kizi (£12.5)
Roasted beets, asparagus, pink grapefruit, mint and goats cheese (45TL) – impossible to describe the surprise of grapefruit and goats cheese apart from a mouth explosion. I imagine it’s a bit like mixing semtex.
octopus, pickled radish and white bean hummus (£13)
Roasted octopus, pickled radish and white bean hummus (49TL) – enormous sweet pickled radish in quarters with crunchy and then soft octopus and super smooth cool white bean hummus – who knew they could make reinvent hummus? The octopus carries the endorsement of Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis according to CNN Traveller.
Mains
squid ink glazed grouper (£27)
Squid ink glazed grouper , grilled fennel, parsley-garlic puree (98TL). I am still waxing lyrical about the squid ink risotto from a few years back; now the Chef uses it to colour the juicy fish served a top some still aldente asparagus. There’s tonnes of bread, nuts, the biggest olives you’ve ever seen and bowls of iced grapes.
It’s decadent, and I love it.
This is the classic served at the bar – thin crust prosciutto pizza – simple and tasty. If it’s too much to eat can you have it an a box and take it back to your room for a midnight feast.
pizza (£12.5)
The dessert menu has tarts and cakes but served with delights such as bay leaf ice cream, lemongrass mascarpone and cherry confit – perfect tastes to have by the sea.
You can get a decent wine for around £65 a bottle or push the many decked boat out with a 97 Petrus at € 5,167!
Magical Maca Kizi
So with the lyrics ‘you walked into the party, like you were walking onto a yacht’ buzzing in my ears I knew I had discovered the world of the have yachts, not the have nots.
FIVE out of FIVE
The hotel tends to close in the winter although the restaurant is open. Book to stay from May onwards for about £300 per night including breakfast. READ MORE about the hotel here
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