73 Best Restaurants in The Central and Southern Aegean Coast, Turkey

Authentic Turkish mezes with delicious imaginative twists such as added peach or apple are displayed in the cabinet, where one of the family, Ümmühan, will assist with her infectious pleasure in explaining their dishes. Mains can be meatballs, kebabs, tender meats, liver, mushrooms, or if the fresh fish of the day. All dishes are attentively served at tables tucked into a lovely hidden garden in summer or in cooler weather, in a quaint, Bodrum-style, white one-story house. Local and regional Turkish wines, plus a menu of raki blends are offered to the many local and visiting diners who return to this haven of dining.

Getting lost amongst the fields and vineyards becomes worth it when arriving at Hus to receive polite but interested, professional service, beautifully curated menus, detailed explanations, and suggestions for wine pairing. The modern building houses the busy kitchen led by three chefs, while the tables are set out indoors or around the lawns looking over the Hus vineyards. There are two rooms available for bed and breakfast accommodation upstairs. Cheese platters accompany afternoon tastings of five wines for 450 TL.

A dazzling array of inventive seafood and vegetable mezes in the cold cabinet, for hot or cold consumption, makes for a hard choice but yields very tasty plates. The decor is of a beguiling old-school fish restaurant, photos of years of past clients and friends, raki bottles and fish posters which fit the view of fishing nets piled on the harbor path from the small fishing boats moored there. The single tempura prawn with chili sauce is superb. The mains are fried or grilled fresh fish, but check the fish in season, weight and price before ordering. Father and sons have built a respectful, popular following, amongst the many fish restaurants along the old port walkway.

Chef and owner Melih Teksen moved his deliciously inventive dishes and Mediterranean restaurant out to a superb setting and partnership at Buradan Vineyards in early 2024, after 25 years of Agrilia leading the trends in a la carte restaurants in Alaçatı's center. From April to September set menus of fresh seasonal foods are paired with the wines in a superb setting of sunset in the vineyards.

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, or his waiters 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.

In the pedestrian center of town, a few steps up into the old 19th-century building takes you to the long display of dishes cooked as their mother, auntie, and grandmothers used to. In this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant (2024), that means a combination of Turkish and old Greek influence, using wild greens and the famous Urla artichokes. At the rear, the indoor dining room is flanked by a popular terrace shaded by trees in summer. The large lamb shanks on potato puree, a very meaty Urla Guvec (casserole), Mucver (a large courgette fritter), and many versions of stuffed artichoke Enginar Sarma (e.g. stuffed with rice, and dill and herbs) are just some of the delicious dishes.

Excellent coffees, detox juices, herbal teas, croissants or healthy sour-bread breakfasts, vegan dishes, German-style baked cakes, cookies, and desserts are served in this bright yellow corner cafe on the traffic road leading away from the Bodrum Marina. A breakfast Bellini is possible, as it is licensed for alcohol service. The team also creates the Munchbox takeout or delivery boxes of savory or sweet platter nibbles.

This outdoor terrace overlooking the waterfront is an ideal spot in Dalyanköy for a splurgy seafood dinner. After meze of kabak çiçeği dolması (stuffed zucchini flowers) and deniz börülcesi (samphire), and a main of tuzda balık (fish baked in salt), try to find room for sakızlı muhallebi, creamy traditional milk pudding flavored with gum mastic.

This small and colorful eatery serving Greek and Turkish fare is an increasingly rare find in ever more chic Bodrum. Choose from meze like smoked fish or roasted eggplant with tahini sauce, followed by fresh fish, ending perhaps with a cream-topped candied mandarin for dessert. Reservations are essential, and the service does get harried when the tables are filled.

This popular spot overlooking the Selçuk aqueduct is run by a friendly family team—husband, wife, and son—and offers a menu that includes such traditional vegetarian dishes as exemplary stuffed peppers and fried eggplant. It may sometimes take a while for the generous juicy lamb and chicken kebabs to cook in the small hearth, but it's worth the wait.

The peripatetic Turkish-Armenian maestro Garo heads the kitchen at this enduringly popular stone cottage-turned-waterfront restaurant in Türkbükü with a comfy Greek-taverna feel, friendly staff, and an outdoor terrace with blue-and-white checkered tablecloths. If you're not in the mood for seafood and meze, there are spicy Turkish meatballs or a Bodrum specialty, çökertme kebabı (beef strips over fried potatoes with yogurt sauce).

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.

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.

Summer and winter, the restaurant associated with and just 50 meters (164 feet) from the Kırkınca Houses Boutique Hotel is the best in town, overlooking the lovely landscape and serving delicious and authentic dishes prepared with oil produced from olives harvested in their orchards. You can accompany your meal with wines produced in Şirince, and the sound of mellow live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Among the delicacies on the menu are creamy eggplant soup; şevketi bostanı, a root vegetable cooked with tender pieces of lamb; and delicious homemade pasta, erişte, served in a light cream and almond sauce.

Long established in a beautiful old Bodrum house and courtyard, this restaurant serves tapas, paella, beef cheeks, scallops, and a variety of other Spanish and Mediterranean dishes, available for lunch and dinner. Chef-owner Neco regularly visits Spain for inspiration. Desserts include San Sebastian and Creme Catalan. An impressive wine room offers a range of Turkish and international labels. They also run an economical pizza cafe in the alley next door.

The owners of Sevilen, one of Turkey’s best-known wine brands, have renovated and opened their family home to visitors as a fine-dining restaurant in a bucolic setting near İzmir airport. Grilled meats are the focus of the menu, which also includes tasty salads and starters—along with Sevilen wine pairings, of course. Summertime meals are served under a 300-year-old plane tree that provides cooling shade on a hot day.

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 slow-roasted lamb on Fridays. Beer, wine, and rakı are available to accompany the well-prepared dishes.

This local favorite is the place to come for dessert; in addition to black forest cake and semolina cake, there's ice cream in many different flavors, served in a homemade waffle cone. Sakızlı muhallebi, a local specialty, is Turkish milk pudding flavored with gum mastic, the aromatic resin of the mastic tree. A beloved local brand, İmren has opened a casual Turkish restaurant on the same street (Kemalpaşa Cad. 70), as well as an Alaçatı hotel.

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, and you might even get a gevriği, the İzmir version of the Turkish circular simit.

Sitting by the old harbor, this classic fish and mezes restaurant exudes an Aegean air with its blue and white chairs and tables. It offers a wide selection of mezes, including stuffed zucchini flowers and yogurt with hot red peppers, as well as grilled fresh fish and meats chosen from their cold cabinet, complemented by a generous list of raki brands, and a shorter beer and wine list. In high season, the outside tables are usually full of Turks and foreign visitors alike, enjoying the view over the old harbor and boats while waiting for the occasionally slow service. Bedecked with blossoms, and steps away from neighboring bars and restaurants, it adds to the summer holiday bustle.

Travelers craving a change from the usual Turkish fare will be happy to find this establishment right smack in the middle of Pammukale. Catering to the growing number of Asian tourists in the area, it turns out surprisingly authentic versions of mostly Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean specialties, including noodle dishes, soups, and stir-fries. Service can be slow and there’s not much in the way of decor; no alcohol is served. The newer sister restaurant, Asian Kitchen Landscape caters to large groups and also independent travelers who want to enjoy the full view of the travertines while dining.

This romantic village 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. It's the epitome of farm-to-table dining, even using their own vegetable garden. There’s no menu, but the staff will help you select from the options on display in the kitchen, though beware of mezes prices adding up. Good local wines are available to accompany your meal. Reservations highly recommended.

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 specialty is gözleme: savory crepes stuffed with either potato, spinach, or cheese.

Upgraded to a modern Türkbükü vibe in all white, but with a few fishnets on display, this second-generation laid-back fish restaurant on the waterfront delivers excellent seafood meals. Seating is either indoors or on the white tables filling the timber deck on the water under the signature string of lights. Start your meal with a selection of seafood or vegetable meze, then choose between the big splash on lobsters or King crab, or simply cooked sea bass. But save room for the house special dessert, helva sarma (phyllo-dough rolls filled with tahini paste, flavored with cinnamon, and served with ice cream and chocolate sauce).

Hearty traditional Turkish soups, stews, and meat and vegetable dishes are arrayed buffet-style at this cheery lokanta (a casual home-style eatery), 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.

The Ayasoluk Hotel’s restaurant offers meals in a pleasant dining room and romantic courtyard, both with a bucolic sunset view, and features local and organic ingredients for a light, fresh take on Turkish favorites. It's one of the more intimate and sophisticated dining options in town.

Fresh delicious food at reasonable prices in atmospheric surroundings—this is a real find tucked away inside a peaceful stone-walled courtyard amidst the chaotic energy of Kemeraltı Bazaar. Make your own plate (cost is by weight) from the colorful variety of lovingly displayed salads, vegetarian dishes, savory pastries, and other home-cooked dishes for a bargain lunch. It closes early, at 6 pm, so it's not a practical dinner option unless you are bringing your food home.

There are many popular seafood restaurants along the Kordon waterfront in Alsancak, but this one, with indoor and outdoor seating areas and a relaxed feel, is especially busy. It features a good selection of appetizers, including the decadent sütlü karides (shrimp sautéed in butter, then topped with béchamel and mozzarella), as well as the usual seasonal seafood choices.

Bitez Dondurma's creamy ice cream concoctions full of fresh fruit have proved so popular that the shop now has branches all over the Bodrum Peninsula, and as far away as Istanbul. The waterfront location in Bodrum's town center is a convenient spot to grab a scoop or two as you stroll along the promenade. Sit down for coffee, waffles, and more ice cream.

A pleasantly old-fashioned eatery popular with locals and tourists alike, this cozy, casual restaurant a short walk back from the beachfront offers a range of Turkish-style grilled meats, plus a smaller selection of appetizers and meze. Tables are along the street front on the corner, or closely arranged inside. Meat portions are small, but quality is high. Mezes are classics, done well. A choice of wine, beer, and raki is served by attentive waiters.