3 Best Restaurants in Turkey

What was once the house of a prosperous Greek merchant is now a fine restaurant specializing in regional grilled lamb dishes. The wine cellar has more than 12,000 bottles, including a good selection of Turkish wines. The Turkish breakfast, served until 2 pm, is also popular. On hot summer days, you can take refuge in the cool basement; at night, the restaurant lights the abandoned buildings all around, creating an atmosphere that is romantic or spooky, depending on your take. Unusually, free transportation is available to and from hotels in the Fethiye/Ölüdeniz area.

Stylish Aheste (meaning "slowly" in Persian) offers a small but appealing menu consisting mainly of hot and cold meze with some Persian, Ottoman, and Middle Eastern influences with contemporary twists; the sea beans with smoked yogurt and rose petals and the wild rice with currants and herbs are particularly tasty. Prices are a bit high, but the friendly, laid-back service and hip-yet-cozy atmosphere make up for it.

This restaurant on the Netsel marina has a lot more style and dignity than you would guess from the name, and it's a great escape from the mass tourism of Marmaris. The house specialty is tender, oven-cooked, Anatolian lamb; however, the chef also prepares octopus, pasta, pizza, steak, Turkish grills, and divine desserts.