A holiday in Bodrum is not complete without a meal of fresh fish, grilled or fried, and accompanied by a glass of raki.
Bodrum seafood is not just about selecting a fresh fish from the catch-of-the-day menu. Its cuisine is known for traditional Aegean and Mediterranean flavors, built around olive oil meze and wild herbs.
Last updated: January 2026
Aegean food culture: herbs and olive-oil dishes
Your day begins with an Aegean breakfast that consists of lots of fresh herbs and vegetables. Green herbs served with fresh tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are an example of a typical breakfast. You can also enjoy cheese with olives and olive oil from the region.
Enjoy a light lunch of midye dolma, mussels stuffed with rice, followed later by a seafood dinner with the fish-of-the-day lightly grilled or fried, or grilled octopus.
The Bodrum seafood formula (so you order right)
Row upon row of cafes and restaurants can be found at the Bodrum harbor, marina area, or on the shorelines of the many well-known resorts around Bodrum, all offering wonderful dining opportunities.
The typical flow of a Bodrum seafood dinner is to start with 2 to 4 meze dishes, 1 to 2 hot meze, and a shared grilled fish or seafood. The meal typically ends with seasonal fruit or a light, sweet dessert.
Meze is at the heart of Aegean cuisine, reflecting a cultural mindset that turns a meal into an unhurried, shared experience, where conversation and companionship matter as much as the food on the table.
Rooted in hospitality and local tradition, meze celebrates variety and togetherness, encouraging diners to linger over small plates rather than to hurry through a single main dish.
Cold meze is prepared with Aegean ‘wild greens.’ You can order a variety and make it your main meal.
What to order in Bodrum
Turkish cuisine is as varied as it is appealing. Here is a ‘best bets’ breakdown of some well-known and favored dishes.
| What to order | What it is (and why it’s worth it) |
|---|---|
| Deniz börülcesi (samphire) | Salty Aegean green with olive oil + lemon - a signature local meze. |
| Fava | Broad bean puree - mild, filling, and a safe cold-meze pick. |
| Kabak çiçeği dolması | Stuffed zucchini blossoms - seasonal Aegean classic (order when available). |
| Ahtapot (octopus) | Salad or grilled - great “main” if you do not want a whole fish. |
| Kalamar (calamari) | Grilled or fried - reliable crowd-pleaser (grilled is lighter). |
| Karides güveç | Shrimp casserole - common hot meze, usually served sizzling. |
| Çipura (sea bream) | Whole fish, grilled - ask the price per kilo before confirming. |
| Levrek (sea bass) | Whole fish, grilled - another easy choice, also confirm price per kilo. |
Want to make it more than just dinner? Add a Bodrum food experience to your trip – think market stops and cooking sessions, or a boat day that includes lunch.
Aegean cuisine and herbs
Herbs are integral to Turkish cuisine, and in some regions they are served at all three meals.
An example of a local dish is ot kavurma, a dish of local herbs sauteed in olive oil.
This is a specialty dish to showcase the taste of fresh olive oil. Kiymali semizotu is purslane, regarded as a weed in many countries, cooked with minced meat, or sevketibostan (St Benedict’s thistle), a plant associated with the Aegean region.
Muğla-Aegean olive-oil cuisine
The food culture of Aegean cuisine is not only that it is absolutely delicious, but also that it embodies the use of fresh olive oil and herbs to create light and healthy dishes.
Muğla’s Aegean olive-oil cuisine is a vibrant, healthy tradition centered on abundant, high-quality olive oil, especially the local ‘Memecik’ variety.
Dishes are served with fresh vegetables, wild herbs like ‘sevketi bostan’, and fresh seafood, featuring signature dishes like ‘Zeytinyağlılar’, olive-oil vegetable dishes served cold, ‘Çökertme Kebabı’, meat served with fried potatoes, and ‘Kabak Çiçeği Dolması’, stuffed zucchini flowers, emphasizing natural flavors, regional ingredients, and minimal processing.
How to avoid tourist-trap ordering
Restaurants may display the catch-of-the-day on ice together with an extensive menu of mouth-watering options. To avoid falling into the tourist trap of over-ordering, here are a few tips:
- Ask to see the day’s catch on ice, pick your fish, and ask the price per kilo before confirming your order.
- If you are price-sensitive, order more meze and one mid-sized fish instead of multiple premium items.
- If you want “Bodrum-style,” prioritize herbs/meze first, and not only fried platters.
A customer review of a restaurant in Bodrum City is a case in point when placing your order.
A couple, with their baby, wanted to leave Bodrum on a high note, with a pleasant memory of eating fresh seafood at a local restaurant.
They obeyed the rule of weighing today’s catch before placing their order, and it weighed under 1 kg. However, when they were handed the bill, they were charged for a fish weighing 1.3 kg, which added an additional thousand lira.
Although the fish was tasty, they left feeling cheated and paid around $170, an unreasonably expensive bill for a meal that left them disappointed.
Bodrum Marina and Old Town (best for waterfront vibes and an easy night out)
Bodrum Marina and Old Town are the perfect choice for an easy night out with vibrant waterfront vibes, all within easy walking distance.
If you want seafood spots within easy walking distance, compare hotels in Bodrum center and the marina area.
Why go here
Beautiful waterfront views make an ideal backdrop for upscale restaurants, cocktail bars, and lively tavernas, all set along charming and historic streets with boutique shops. If you want to enjoy energetic nightlife, then the famous bar-lined Cumhuriyet Street is calling your name.
The restaurants specialize in Bodrum cuisine, and guests can linger over a meal of meze dishes, shared grilled fish or seafood, and a light, sweet dessert or fruit.
Where to go
Memedof Fish Restaurant
Located near the Marina, classic, busy, strong seafood-and-meze reputation.
The restaurant serves good seafood meze and offers guests stunning views across the Bodrum Marina. However, if you are price-sensitive, expect higher prices here.
Memedof is known for its excellent food and for serving fresh calamari. It’s a good place to eat if you can handle the price.
Tranca Restaurant
Bodrum center, sea view, well-known for grilled fish + meze, good “traditional” feel.
Tranca has a deck overhanging the shoreline, offering diners amazing views. It specializes in seafood, as well as traditional Turkish cuisine, making for a unique gourmet dining experience.
Orfoz Restaurant
For a more chef-driven seafood experience (not the standard meze-then-fish formula).
This family-run restaurant specializes in seafood and plant-forward cuisine. Their commitment to locally sourced ingredients and short supply chains ensures exceptional quality, and the chefs’ love for the sea is palpable in every dish.
Some diners report a fixed-price full menu for €50, but be prepared to pay substantially more if you order wine. The restaurant serves tasty and good quality fish.
Gumusluk (Gümüşlük): best for sunset, “fish village” atmosphere
Gumusluk is a seaside village and fishing port with a population of under 5,000 in Bodrum, Turkey.
Why go here
Gumusluk is a classic Bodrum-peninsula stop with seafood restaurants offering seafront tables, ensuring a relaxed and slower-paced outing, where diners enjoy a sunset-first vibe with a drink, before placing their food orders.
Where to go
Gumuscafe Fish Restaurant
Diners keep on returning to this quaint eatery that serves great fish dishes and offers guests a free dessert, such as halva. Gumuscafe is beautifully located and its high standard of food, complemented by great service, makes it a good choice.
Siesta Restaurant
For a friendly dining experience, Siesta restaurant is known for its grilled octopus and calamari. Quaint white-painted wooden tables and chairs with dark blue cushions set a magical seaside atmosphere. Diners also recommend the Lantern Roast served with real butter and loads of garlic.
Gumusluk Balik Pisirme Evi
More “simple and local” restaurant.
Diners select the fish of their choice from a display case. It is then weighed, and carefully prepared by the chefs. Appetizers are small but tasty, and the arugula salad can be enough for five people.
Beyond – when you want a different vibe: marina glam, beach day, or a quieter harbor
The quick decision rule
| Area | Best for (quick vibe check) |
|---|---|
| Yalıkavak Marina | Polished, upscale, energy-saver - marina glam when you want it easy. |
| Ortakent-Yahşi | Seafood plus beach day - relaxed daytime-to-dinner setup. |
| Turgutreis | Sunset harbor nights - often better value than the flashiest marinas. |
Where to go
Sait (Yalikavak Marina)
Upscale seafood, listed in the MICHELIN Guide.
Yalikavak Marina is all luxury yachts and designer boutiques, and Sait sits right on the waterfront.
Inside, the nautical decor makes it clear that fish and seafood are the focus. You can start with dolmas filled with aromatic rice and meat, then try the prawn ceviche with citrus and dill.
Expect colorful, fragrant plates and generous flavors, with a cooking style that stays close to home-style Turkish tastes.
Sait has successfully served fresh seafood for more than 30 years.
Dayi Balik Sahil Restaurant and Beach
(Ortakent-Yahsi): seafood + beach setup.
This fresh seafood restaurant offers diners the unique experience of eating on the beach, with sea sand as their floor. The service is friendly and the restaurant enjoys good reviews.
Kadir Reisin Yeri
Turgutreis: harbor seafood option with a local-regular feel.
This is a go-to restaurant for many diners who enjoy the fresh seafood and mouth-watering local desserts. Octopus is especially good.
If you want to turn this seafood dinner into a full day out, you can also book a Bodrum food experience – from market visits and cooking workshops to boat-day trips with lunch included.
Conclusion
The perfect Bodrum seafood order ensures that dining becomes a linger-longer experience. Start with 2 wild-green meze, plus 1 hot meze, and a whole fish to share.
Dine out at the Marina for convenience, Gumusluk for awe-inspiring sunsets, and Beyond for a more laid-back vibe.
Traditional Aegean and Mediterranean flavors are the hallmark of Bodrum cuisine. Menus offer a variety of vegetable dishes prepared with wild plants so dining generally is healthy and non-fattening, unless you overindulge in Turkish bread, pastries, and rich sweet desserts.
