Kalpazankaya, the mysterious incantation

“Oh darlings, you’re here! Welcome. Welcome!” our host proclaimed as we arrived fashionably late to a dinner party at a chic restaurant on the Bosphorus, kissing us both on the cheek and enveloping us in the vapours of her spicy perfume.

“I simply must introduce you to some people” she continued, slipping her arm inside mine. “Come!” and so we wafted off leaving my husband to fend for himself.

As we approached a group of impeccably dressed ladies, she held back for a beat, turned to me and with a knowing smile whispered, “Kalpazankaya”.

When I eventually made my way back to my husband who was grazing contentedly at the sumptuous buffet, I pulled him aside and said, “I think I’ve just been blessed…or cursed…what does ‘Kalpazankaya’ mean?” He just shrugged and took another bite of his sigara boregi, a delicious cigar-shaped crispy pastry filled with herbed cheese.

Later, as we were leaving, I managed to ask our beaming hostess what the mysterious ‘kalpazankaya’ meant.

“Oh darling” she proclaimed, “it’s the most gorgeous little island restaurant. We’re heading up there next weekend, you simply must come.”

I made my excuses, but I was relieved. A restaurant. Not a magical Byzantine incantation. Not the Turkish version of ‘abra-ca-dabra’…although Turkish superstition is very much a part of modern life.

Prepare to be transported to the world of Kalpazankaya

 

What I discovered was that Kalpazankaya is a restaurant tucked away on a hill overlooking the sea on one of the smaller Princes’ Islands, Burgazada. It serves beautiful fresh fish, traditional Turkish meze, and a host of other delicately flavoured dishes that make the pilgrimage out there worth it. You see, to get to this famed place you have to take a boat, then climb aboard a rickety cart pulled by a team of equally rickety horses, utter the magic word: ‘Kalpazankaya’, and away you go!

And so one weekend, we decided to do just that. The crowded ferry cut it’s path through the waves, pulled in briefly at the first island, Kinaliada, and shortly thereafter deposited us onto the small jetty on the second island Burgazada. As the ferry heaved away amidst frothy waves and a cloud of diesel, we realized that we had been the only ones to disembark. Everyone else on that crowded ferry was presumably going to the biggest island, Büyükada.

“So, what now?” I asked, feeling a little lost suddenly.

“Now we say the magic word!” grinned my husband, pointing to a row of ponies lined up along the seafront road. He loves a good adventure.

 

I’ll be honest with you, those ponies did look a little thin. I am super sensitive to how animals are treated. I won’t go to the circus if it has animals, and I really dislike zoos, but I have been a horse rider my whole life and I could see that these horses were not abused. They held their heads well, not slumped down as a dejected pony would, they pricked their ears when I approached, and the ones I touched were not ear-shy. They were all shod with rubber shoes, protection against the jarring concrete roads, another indicator that their wellbeing was taken into consideration. That being said, the ponies are not fat, and they do work for long periods of time in the hot sun, although I did see them eating and drinking both before and after our trip up the hill. If you feel you cannot use the carriage, you can walk up to the restaurant in about 30-40 minutes.

 

As we clambered aboard the brightly painted carriage, complete with a ‘tasteful’ fringe of beige tassels, the driver flashed us a toothy smile.

Nereye?” Where to?

“Kalpazankaya!” we chorused.

Tamam.” OK, and he urged the ponies forward with a click of his tongue.

 

Steeped in history…bypassed by tourists

 

As the carriage lurched up hill and we left the small town behind, we passed elegant wooden villas, set amidst fragrant fruit trees and shady pines. I now understood why the Princes’ Islands have been home to so many artists and writers over the centuries. The light is clear, the summer breeze delicately scented. Inspiration seems to hang thick in the air. The short story writer and poet Saik Fait Abasıyanık was the island’s most notable modern inhabitant, but this tiny wooded island, no more than two square kilometers in size reaches back evocatively to ancient times. It’s very name ‘Burgazada’ means ‘Fortress Island’ and said fortress was built by a successor of Alexander the Great named Demetrius I of Macedon who named the island Antigoni after his father and one time King of Macedonia Antigonus I Monophthalmus.

Soon we were deposited at the gates of Kalpazankaya, and the driver relieved us of twenty Lira ($7) for his trouble. Not a cheap trip.

 

The food…oh the food!

 

The restaurant is poised on the side of the hill, and as we sat down I took in the 180-degree sea view. Peering over the low wooden fence I could see a small beach below us, adorned with a few sunbathers; and the rocky edge of the island where it plunged into the sea, with jagged boulders deposited at its base by ancient seismic activity, like crumbs from a giant cookie.

 

beach and sea

Like crumbs from a giant cookie…boulders litter the base of Burgazada island. The view from Kalpazankaya.

 

A waiter appeared bearing a tray of traditional Turkish meze: calamari, pickled squid, spicy feta cheese, rich tzatziki, hummus, patlıcan salatası (smoked pureed aubergine), dolma (stuffed vine leaves), muhammara (a hot pepper dip made with walnuts, breadcrumbs and olive oil) and many others. We tucked into our chosen meze with the help of a basket of thickly sliced fresh bread, mopping up the magnificent flavours of olive oil, garlic and chili, and washed it all down with Turkish wine. The main course included grilled fish, the specialty tandir kebab, (slow cooked lamb) and a wide array of Turkish and Greek salads.

 

 

good food and family around a table at Kalpazankaya

Kalpazankaya became THE place we took visiting family and friends.

 

outdoor Restaurant

Kalpazankaya is informal and serves great food.

 

sea view

Kalpazankaya is very child friendly.

 

boats on the sea through the trees.

The views out to sea are spectacular.

 

We feasted until the sun sank low, reveling in the relaxed atmosphere and exhilarating views. Our waiter told us tales of hidden coves and Byzantine smugglers and counterfeiters who hid their loot on a rocky outcrop within sight of the restaurant. Turns out Kalpazankaya means Counterfeiter’s Rock. Everything has a story.

When we emerged, hours later, stuffed thicker than a vine leaf, our toothy cart driver was still there; smoking nonchalantly while his horses ate from a muzzle bag. He had waited to earn the return fare.

 

horse and cart

Catch a horse and cart up to Kalpazankaya.

 

We returned to Istanbul with a sigh, and found ourselves slightly offended by the noise. And from that day on ‘Kalpazankaya’ became our own incantation, a private word synonymous with open skies, sparkling seas, tangible history and heavenly food.

 

child on a boat

The ferry ride is a big hit with kids, and Kalpazankaya is very child friendly.

 

To read more about the Princes’ Islands including how to get there, see this post.

Kalpazankaya details:
Address: Kalpazankaya Mevkii 26 Burgazada Adalar İstanbul, 34975, Turkey

Hours:

 

 

This post is linked to:

Travel Monkey
%d bloggers like this: