Tourist restaurants serve the most pathetic watered-down versions of turkish food... Like they think all foreigners have baby taste buds or something. If you want real heat levels that'll actually make you sweat, avoid kaleiçi completely and hit these local spots instead...

Sirali kebap (on atatürk caddesi) does proper adana kebab and beyti with serious kick — Ask for "acı" (spicy) and extra pepper flakes if you can handle it. Their muhammara will change your whole perspective on turkish cuisine being "mild" — Solid 8/10 heat that builds up slow then hits hard. Order the smoked eggplant too because why not live a little.

Can can pide salonu makes pide with actual character, not those soggy tourist versions that taste like cardboard. Their spice blend has proper burn — Maybe 7/10 heat — And the crust gets this perfect char that tourist places never achieve.

For breakfast hit tarihi ankara simit (near konyaaltı) — Cheese and tomato simit costs like 8tl vs those ridiculous 45tl hotel buffets... Plus way more flavor and you can eat it while walking to wherever you're going later (because who has time for fancy breakfast when there's stuff to see).