Things to do in Avanos
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A
Dayının Yeri
In a new location near the bridge, this shiny, modern ocakbaşı (grill restaurant) is one of Cappadocia's best. The kebaps are sensational and the pide is just as good. Don't even think of leaving without sampling the freshly prepared künefe (strands of cooked batter over a creamy sweet cheese base baked in syrup; TL4), cooked on little hobs near the tables. No alcohol is served.
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pottery workshops
Tour groups tend to find themselves shopping for pots in vast warehouses on the outskirts of town. It's much more enjoyable (and infinitely cheaper) to patronise one of the smaller pottery workshops right in town, most of which will happily show you how to throw a pot or two. These are located in the small streets around the main square and in the group of shops opposite the PTT.
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B
Bazalt Disco Bar
There are a few bars dotted along Atatürk Caddesi and around the main square, but most are geared towards locals and don't make visitors (particularly females) feel very welcome. The only one we'd really recommend is Bazalt Disco Bar, which hosts live music and has a friendly vibe.
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C
Şanso-Panso Restaurant
This low-key eatery on the main square is a great spot to have a beer and people-watch. Given Avanos' pottery trade, it's hardly surprising that the speciality is güveç (beef stew with potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, paprika and cumin, baked in a clay pot).
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D
Tafana Restaurant
This cluttered but reasonably attractive eatery on the main street is nowhere near as impressive as Dayının Yeri, but is a decent fall-back option if one is needed. It specialises in pide, which is cooked in a wood-fired oven. The beer here is cheap.
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E
Sofra Restaurant
In a line of restaurants catering to the tour groups visiting the nearby pottery shops, Sofra has a wide-ranging meze menu, pottery dishes and a small terrace.
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F
Bizim Ev
'Our House', next to Sofa Hotel, is the best choice for lovers of the white tablecloth. The wine and dining is divided into four sections: cave cellar, terrace, cave entrance and stone room. We prefer the open spaces upstairs, but wherever you sit, a clay pot of local trout (TL11) or the surprisingly pleasant catfish skewers (TL12) are among the more interesting selections.
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G
Kirkit Voyage
This company has an excellent reputation. As well as the usual guided tours, it can arrange walking, biking, canoeing, horse-riding and snowshoe trips. It's an agency for Onur Air, Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Atlasjet, and runs a shuttle between Avanos and Kayseri airport (TL50, reservation essential).
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Medraft
Avanos is a base for rafting trips in Cappadocia. Medraft offers a variety of one-, two-, three- or four-day trips on the Kızılırmak and Zamantı Rivers (Grades 2-5)including all equipment, guides, meals and camping.
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Horse-Riding, Akhal-Teke
If you fancy horse-riding, Akhal-Teke organises guided half-day horse-riding treks in the area. Kirkit Voyage also arranges horse-riding trips.
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Seçkin Kebap
A kebab's throw from Kirkit Pension is this breezy gourmet fast food shop with pumping tunes and lively young owners. Welcome to the new generation of meat-on-a-stick.
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Adana Kebap
This old-school equivalent of fast-food dining, with sticky floors and greasy tables, churns out huge kebaps stuffed to the marrow with chilli and garlic to locals and regional gourmands.
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H
Çay Bahçesi
If you're keen to linger over a tea and nargileh, try the çay bahçesi adjoining the tourist office, which is as welcoming to women as it is to men, or the large riverside çay bahçesi in front of the pottery on the southwestern side of the bridge.
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