Kebabs

Mention Turkish food – especially to a Brit, and they’ll recount drunken, post-pub encounters with a doner kebab as it oozes meat juices down their wrist.  The local Turkish version is a lot more appetizing and delicious. A popular kebab is the Tuvak (Chicken) Doner, and you’ll see the kebab stands at all of the local towns.  In Bodrum, there’s a good selection on offer along Ataturk Cad. (which runs parallel to the bay), a firm favourite is Akyol Bufe.

In Turgutries there’s also lots of options, especially around the area close to the location of the Saturday farmer’s market (on other days this area is a car park).  This photo below shows the front of Zeyno, which serves a succulent and flavourful chicken wrap for 3.50TL.

Turkish Breakfast

When it comes to eating and drinking, there’s a wide variety of budget options available.  Try a local restaurant for a traditional Turkish breakfast of salty cheese and olives, served with flavourful tomatoes, and other seasonal local product, all served with fresh bread and homemade local jams and preserves.

A tranquil setting for breakfast in Yalikavak is Gulten Abla.  The restaurant is a converted Greek house, with plenty of outside seating in the shade, and is a relaxing place to kick start your day.

Lokanta’s for Lunch

If you’re looking for a quick and cheap lunch, head to a local lokanta for a peasant lunch of a bowl of white beans and salad.  There’s usually no menu, and quite often not a lot of English spoken, but the homemade food is cheap and tasty.  For a great location, that’s open long hours, and always seems to attract the locals, visit Dalgiç in Gümüşlük, or it’s smaller neighbout, the Gozmele House.

Meze for Dinner

A traditional dinner in this area of Turkey, starts with a selection of cold meze, followed by hot meze, a salad and then your choice of fish.  To be honest, when the weathers hot, that amount of food can get a bit much, and I much prefer ordering a selection of different meze for dinner.  Some of my favourites are Fava (mashed white beans with, oil, garlic and lemon) – and bit like hummus; hydari, made with thick Turkish yogurt, garlic and dill.

Aubergines (egg plant) are a popular base for meze dishes; mashed aubergine and yogurt and garlic; or chopped with fresh, sweet tomatoes, and red chili pepper.  You’ll find that yogurt, garlic and olive oil are popular meze ingredients.

One of the restaurants offering the largest servings of flavour-packed meze is the Limon Cafe, Gümüşlük which offers a fairytale hillside setting for watching the sun set. Another favourite is Myhane in Kadikalesi, where the garden setting amid citrus trees is a perfect location to enjoy their traditional Turkish music on a Saturday night.

You Can’t Visit Bodrum Without Eating _________ ?

Gözleme

Many of the local lokantas serve Gözleme, but I think it tastes more delicious when bought at a local farmers market, and you snack on it as you wander around. Gözleme are made from large, paper thin circles of dough; filled with any mixture of cheese, vegetables and meat; then folded and cooked on a dome shaped griddle.  My preference is for a spicy mixtures of aubergine, tomatoes, onion and white cheese.

Gözleme are very filling, and will keep your hunger at bay.  They’re the ultimate Turkish street food.

 

Discover more Bodrum Peninsula Food & Drink Articles

 

Read these Top 5 Guest Articles about places to eat on the Bodrum Peninsula:

• John Moon’s Top 5 “Where to Eat”

• Top 5 Eating experiences on the Bodrum Peninsula

• Top 5 Zesty Moments