Fish in Akçakoca

Where to eat fish in Akçakoca?

Fish restaurants aren't concentrated in one place; you can eat by the sea in the centre, around the harbour, along the coast from Çuhallı to Ayazlı and in the western coves such as Kalkın, Karaburun and Melenağzı. Choose one near where you are staying, and don't forget to ask what the fish of the season is.

There is also a custom unique to Akçakoca: fish restaurants in the centre serve hazelnut halva at the end of the meal (Düzce Governorship, Akçakoca Ethnographic Culture Inventory, 2010).

Which fish in which season?

On the Black Sea the fishing season generally opens on 1 September. Akçakoca's fishermen put to sea on that date too, and the season's first bounty is often bonito. Fish out of season is both more expensive and less tasty, so the best thing to do at a restaurant is to ask "what came in today?"

The periods are general Black Sea information; fishing bans and abundance vary from year to year. Fish species: studies on fishing in Akçakoca (Yağlıoğlu, 2013) and Düzce promotional sources.

Akçakoca's local fish dishes

• Anchovy pastry and anchovy pilaf: classics of Black Sea cuisine.
• Gurnard soup: made with gurnard caught off Akçakoca; as filling as a main course.
• Salt-cured bonito: bonito preserved for winter in jars with rock salt and bay leaves.
• Bonito baked on a clay tile and poached fish.
• Pan-fried whiting, horse mackerel, red mullet and anchovies.

Alongside the fish, try Akçakoca's foods with geographical indication too: mancarlı pide and melengüççeği dessert.

The rakı-and-fish table

As in many of Turkey's coastal towns, long fish dinners by the sea are a feature of Akçakoca evenings. Fish of the season, rocket, sliced salad and meze are the basis of these meals. Not every restaurant serves alcohol; it depends on the establishment, so ask before you go.

Excessive alcohol is harmful to health. Don't drink if you are driving.

Shore fishing

At Akçakoca Harbour, also known as the fishing shelter, people cast lines for horse mackerel, bluefish and young bluefish in season. In amateur fishing you must follow minimum size limits and daily catch limits. For the current rules, see the amateur fishing regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Frequently asked questions

Where to eat fish in Akçakoca?

Fish restaurants are spread across the centre and along the coast: around the harbour, along the coast from Çuhallı to Ayazlı and in the western coves of Kalkın, Karaburun and Melenağzı. You can choose one near where you are staying.

When is the time to eat anchovies in Akçakoca?

Anchovies are at their tastiest in the winter months, usually from November to February. In some years an anchovy festival is also held in Akçakoca in March; the municipality announces the dates.

When does the bonito season start in Akçakoca?

On the Black Sea the fishing season opens on 1 September. Bonito is usually plentiful from September to November.