Seafood Symphony: Exploring the Rich Marine Bounty of Bodrum, Türkiye

Step into the world of Alaf, where Chef Deniz Temel redefines the essence of Yuruk cuisine. Join us as we explore the stunning ambiance of Alaf’s ...

Imagine the first places where wine was produced: The Caucasus, Anatolia, Mesopotamia. In other words, the geography of present-day Türkiye touches these lands with all its edges. That’s why it’s no surprise that Türkiye’s grapes become jewels in the hands of local producers.

As you would expect in a famous holiday destination like Bodrum, there are many stunning hotels renowned for their views, service, bars, and cocktails. However, some of these hotels also stand out for their restaurants, such as Kitchen by Osman Sezener at The Bodrum Edition and Maçakızı led by Aret Sahakyan—you’ll want to visit them even if you’re not staying there!

In Bodrum, there is a place for everyone, whether authentic, secluded, or vibrant. Bağarası, Dereköy Lokantası, and Kurul Bitez are proof that Bodrum restaurants are not limited to a single type of cuisine. These restaurants offer flavors of different cuisines but have something in common: the pleasure of dining beneath lush trees.

Among the fine-dining restaurants in Bodrum are some of the most celebrated cuisines in the world. Some of them stand out not only for their delicious dishes but also for their cocktails, sunset parties, and vibrant atmosphere, such as Isola Manzara -the representative of Italian cuisine, Zuma -one of the leading restaurants of Japanese cuisine, and Hakkasan which introduced Chinese cuisine to the world.

Bodrum has become a genuinely fulfilling destination with stunning coastlines that offer both quiet and lively holiday experiences -as you prefer. Now, it also stands out for some important restaurants and two prominent examples of these refined places are Malva and Tuti which combine the world-famous Aegean olive oils with fresh seafood, herbs, and vegetables and treat the region’s products, from various cheeses to fruits naturally ripened on trees like precious gems.

Osman Sezener is a renowned figure among gastronomy enthusiasts in Türkiye. He has been followed closely for years as what he will do next is a matter of curiosity. One of the pioneers of the farm-to-table movement, he has raised the bar with his restaurants and now stands as a MICHELIN-starred chef with three distinct establishments. Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik in İzmir is on the list of recommended restaurants by MICHELIN. Kitchen in Bodrum has one MICHELIN star, and Od Urla in İzmir has one MICHELIN star and a Green Star.

Sankai by Nagara is one of the latest One-Star restaurants in Istanbul. It serves the city’s most sophisticated Japanese flavors and promises to offer an authentic Japanese dining experience with a kitchen led by Chef Nagaya and Chef Shibata. And how could they create this “authentic Japanese dining experience” in Istanbul?

The food scene is changing both in terms of age and direction. Generation Y chefs approach food with passion. The more time they spend in the kitchen, the more they discover themselves and then hone their knowledge accordingly. They dream not of rediscovering the world, but rather of walking confidently down their own path and adding something of their own personality to the legacy they’ve inherited from great chefs before them – and by better recognizing and using what this land has to offer them.