Food and Drink in Bodrum

Exploring Bodrum's delicacies

The use of fresh vegetables in Turkish cuisine is of the utmost importance, especially in Bodrum. You’ll see heaps of fresh produce in market stalls in towns around the region, much of which is used to whip up your next meal. The same goes for just-caught fish, a readily-available commodity in this coastal region. Many Turkish restaurants also have their own personal fish counters where you can select your own seafood meal.

Mezze dishes dominate menus in a number of restaurants here. They’re small starter meals that’ll give you a little taste of a particular dish, like dolma – which is stuffed vine leaves – without having to commit to a heaping portion. Order enough mezze platters and you’ll have yourself a full meal. On Turkey holidays you’re likely to enjoy mains that revolve around seafood, chicken and lamb.

Uncles Restaurant, Turgutreis

Uncles Restaurant somehow manages to keep a laid-back atmosphere in spite of its romantic setting along the waterfront and gorgeous sunset views.

You can pop in for just about any occasion – breakfast, brunch, dinner or drinks – and you’re bound to find something that suits. The cuisine is just as varied, with a wide international selection, featuring everything from Turkish classics to fillet steaks, full English breakfasts to the complimentary ‘puffy bread’ with dip as a starter.

Giggles, Yalikavak

For peaceful beachside settings, look no further than Giggles. This waterfront restaurant comes complete with sunbeds, as well as cosy couches for settling in with a glass of chilled wine. Meals here range from seafood mains, like salmon in an orange sauce, to peppered chicken with a side of chips – and cocktails are always encouraged.

Peter's Place, Gumbet

Widely touted as one of the best restaurants in Bodrum, Peter’s Place caters to the adventurous and the not-so-adventurous. The kitchen whips up traditional Turkish food but also features classic chicken dishes with dollops of mashed potato or pasta topped with fresh veg. In fact, it’s known for having a wide array of vegetarian options on the menu.

Sugar and Salt, Bodrum City

Sugar and Salt not only serves incredible dishes, but has the wow factor going for it. Its ceiling is woven with a spider’s web of cords and light bulbs that give the restaurant a stylish and rustic feel. The cuisine is worldly, covering traditional Turkish food to Thai curries and handmade pasta and pizza.

Dessert is worth leaving room for, as the chef prepares a delicious homemade chocolate cake.

Kocadon, Bodrum City

Kocadon is another of the Bodrum region’s atmospheric restaurants – its charming candlelit courtyard is surrounded by stone walls making way to the marina. Food presentation isn’t lacking either. The restaurant specialises in hot and cold starters, with seafood taking centre stage. Octopus and apple mezze plates build up to sea bass mains, capped with chocolate desserts and crisp wines.