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At this waterfront restaurant, you should begin your meal with a selection of meze, like stuffed zucchini flowers, roasted eggplant with tulum cheese, and octopus salad. Then you can let the owner, Cengiz Bey, help you select the best local fish for the grill. Whatever you choose, don't skip dessert: Gaziantep baklava or irmik helvası (traditional warm semolina halvah) served with ice cream.
Yalı Mevkii 54, Gümüslük, Mugla, 48400, Turkey
Known For
- Spectacular meze
- Aquarium special (shrimp and octopus cooked with garlic, butter, and flame-roasted peppers and eggplant)
- Delicious desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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This lovely restaurant on the waterfront specializes not only in fresh fish, seafood, and meze but also serves an excellent summer brunch. Tables are only a few feet from the peaceful waters of the bay, with a truly romantic view of the ancient ruins of Rabbit Island, often with a soft breeze. The waitstaff are cheery and attentive, and though the kitchen has been refurbished almost beyond recognition, it retains a 300-year-old hearth from when it served as the bakery for the surrounding villages.
1120 Sok. 82, Gümüslük, Mugla, 48400, Turkey
Known For
- Atmospheric spot
- Levrek (sea bass) wrapped in vine leaves
- Stuffed zucchini flowers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Apr.
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This large Turkish restaurant near the Ephesus Museum has an equally large menu, focusing on grilled meats, but also including pide, meze, salads, breakfast, and some specialty desserts. There are also some daily specials, such as roasted lamb on Fridays. Beer, wine, and rakı are available to accompany the well-prepared dishes.
Agora Çarşısı 2, Selçuk, Izmir, 35920, Turkey
Known For
- Varied menu
- Check the daily specials
- çökertme kebabı (meatballs on top of shoestring fries with yogurt and tomato sauce)
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This very popular bakery in hip Alsancak serves up probably the broadest selection you’ll find of boyoz, a round flaky pastry with Sephardic roots that’s these days almost unique to İzmir. Get yours savory or sweet, or perhaps with a hard-boiled egg on the side in traditional style. Go early for the best selection.
Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cad. 120, Izmir, Izmir, 35220, Turkey
Known For
- Sweet boyoz filled with tahini
- Savory boyoz filled with mixed Aegean herbs
- Savory boyoz filled with eggplant
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This small and romantic garden restaurant is a highlight of Alaçatı’s dining scene, with chef Ayşe Nur Mıhçı famed for her fresh renditions of Aegean cooking using seasonal, local produce, especially the region’s wealth of wild herbs and greens. There’s no menu, but the staff will help you select from the options on display in the kitchen. Good local wines are available to accompany your meal. Reservations highly recommended.
1005 Sok. 50, Alaçati, Izmir, 35930, Turkey
Known For
- Roasted pumpkin meze
- Slow-roasted lamb
- Good local wines
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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This charming outdoor café and restaurant is just a five-minute walk from the Priene ruins and features a shaded, leafy atmosphere with gazebos and picnic tables. The menu consists of classic Turkish staples and the speciality is gözleme: savory crepes stuffed with either potato, spinach, or cheese.
Kahramanlar Caddesi, Güllübahçe, Aydin, Turkey
Known For
- Charming outdoor setting
- Gözleme (savory crepes)
- Grilled meatballs and kebabs
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Hearty traditional Turkish soups, stews, and meat and vegetable dishes are arrayed buffet-style at this cheery lokanta, which is always bustling at lunchtime. At the top of Alaçatı village near the minibus stop, it offers a reasonably priced and reliable alternative to the increasingly expensive fare found farther into town.
Uğur Mumcu Cad. 22, Alaçati, Izmir, Turkey
Known For
- Meatballs with pureed potato
- Mücver (zucchini fritters) with homemade yogurt
- Lamb and golden thistle stew
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Hidden away on a side street off busy Cumhuriyet Bulvarı, this peaceful garden oasis attached to the French Cultural Center offers a range of well-prepared Mediterranean dishes, including fresh, flavorful salads, pastas, and grilled meats. There's a winter garden for cold-weather days and regular live jazz, generally on Wednesday and Friday nights.
Cumhuriyet Bul. 152, Izmir, Izmir, Turkey
Known For
- Risottos
- Seafood pizza
- Live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Bedecked with blossoms, this waterfront restaurant has a classic Aegean air and wide selection of meze, including stuffed zucchini flowers and yogurt with hot red peppers, as well as grilled fish and meat. In high season, the outside tables are usually full with Turks and foreign visitors alike.
İskele Cad. 13, Yalikavak, Mugla, Turkey
Known For
- Grilled octopus
- Vine-leaf-wrapped levrek (sea bass)
- Levrek marin (marinated sea bass)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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Stopping here for pide (Turkish-style pizza or calzones, piled with a variety of ingredients that can include cheese, spinach, meat, or egg) is a highlight of a trip to Ilıca and a great choice for a quick lunch, or even breakfast, though on the pricey side compared to similar fare elsewhere. The menu also includes kebabs, soup, pizza, and traditional Turkish desserts.
5152 Sok. 27, Ilica, Izmir, 35930, Turkey
Known For
- Kıymalı (mincemeat) pide
- Good breakfast stop
- Open 24 hours in peak season
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Simple, hearty dishes are what’s on offer at this casual restaurant in the middle of Turgutreis’s bazaar. Choose from traditional Turkish favorites or get an omelet at any time of the day.
Plaj 2 Sok. 15, Turgutreis, Mugla, 48960, Turkey
Known For
- Mantı (Turkish-style ravioli in garlicky yogurt sauce)
- çiğ börek (deep-fried savory pastry)
- Gözleme (Turkish-style savory crepes)
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The specialty of the house at this simple eatery on the boardwalk in Türkbükü is large, rather greasy portions of çiğ böreği, a Crimean dish brought to Turkey that consists of flat, fried pastry stuffed with ground beef, onion, and spices. One of the few unpretentious (and relatively inexpensive) places left on the Türkbükü shoreline, this place has a beach-hut vibe, its own little patch of sand, and a family clientele.
Liman Cad. 77, Göltürkbükü, Mugla, 48400, Turkey
Known For
- Baked or fried mantı (tiny Turkish "ravioli," stuffed with minced meat)
- Gözleme (Turkish savory crepes with various fillings)
- Turkish breakfast
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Oct.–Apr., Credit cards accepted
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This long-standing, family-run fish house overlooks the harbor and is especially noted for a wide selection of Cretan dishes and seafood appetizers that include delectable shrimp cooked in butter, garlic, and seaweed. A local institution with courteous waitstaff, Körfez also serves some meat dishes.
Neyzen Tevfik Cad. 2, Bodrum, Mugla, 48400, Turkey
Known For
- Fried calamari
- Fish soup
- Good brunch
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Ilıca is known for kumru—Turkish-style panini prepared with special sesame-seed rolls and stuffed with salami, sucuk (beef spicy sausage), cheese, tomatoes, and pickles—and this place serves the best in town. Pair your sandwich with a glass of ayran, a refreshing yogurt drink. There are multiple locations in Ilıca and branches of this popular local chain in Alaçatı and Çeşme as well. It's open 24 hours.
5066 Sok. 2, Ilica, Izmir, 25700, Turkey
232-723–2392-Ilıca waterfront branch
Known For
- They also do a good Turkish breakfast
- There are multiple locations
- The place for kumru
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Settle into a lovely, fig-scented garden about 2 km (1 mile) outside town, overlooking citrus trees, the sea, and the ancient city of Myndos and enjoy a meal in these rural surroundings. While the late-risers' breakfast, served until 3 pm daily is a draw, the crowds come for dinner at sunset. Lunch or dinner should begin with the excellent fried calamari; the mantı (Turkish-style ravioli) is homemade.
Kardak Cad. 7, Gümüslük, Mugla, 48400, Turkey
Known For
- House-specialty cocktails
- The sunset views
- Homemade mantı (Turkish-style ravioli)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Oct.–Apr., Reservations essential
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This cheery, casual bistro-style restaurant on the ground floor of the Hotel Ilayda is popular with visitors for its broad international menu, ranging from pasta dishes to fajitas to traditional Turkish grills. Prices are reasonable, portions hearty, and alcohol served.
Atatürk Bul. 46, Kusadasi, Aydin, 09400, Turkey
Known For
- Burgers and steaks
- Upbeat atmosphere
- Outdoor seating overlooks the waterfront road
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This waterfront spot in pleasant Şevket Sabancı Park, just outside Turgutreis city center, has grand views of the sea along with a nice selection of Turkish and international dishes (though, perhaps surprisingly given the location, no fish). Alcohol is served and reservations advisable in high season.
Gazi Mustafa Kemal Bul., Turgutreis, Mugla, 48400, Turkey
Known For
- Kebabs
- Patlıcan sarması (eggplant rolls)
- Turkish breakfast
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Wonderfully prepared seafood is served with polish at this pleasant spot, as are the meat and pasta dishes. After midnight, there are often DJs at the garden bar. In wintertime, regulars cluster indoors around a cozy fireplace. Book in advance on weekends and in high season.
Atatürk Cad. 51, Göltürkbükü, Mugla, 48400, Turkey
Known For
- Good breakfast
- Great sea views from the terrace
- Cozy fireplace in winter
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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This always-hopping waterfront bistro draws a local and tourist crowd with its broad Turkish-international menu of pastas, salads, bar snacks, and grilled meats. Some good local wines are available, too.
Neyzen Tevfik Cad. 130, Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey
Known For
- Fried calamari
- Steaks
- Full bar and good wine list
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With a huge variety of baked goods and desserts, excellent house-made ice cream and chocolates, this pastry shop has been popular for decades. This branch of the legendary patisserie, in the heart of trendy Alsancak, is also a sit-down café serving coffee and Turkish-style breakfast.
Dr. Mustafa Enver Bey Cad. 24, Izmir, Izmir, 35260, Turkey
Known For
- Strawberry cheesecake
- Profiteroles
- Sütlaç (creamy rice pudding)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch or dinner