Restaurants in Aegean Coast
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Ejder Restaurant
Roughly opposite the Byzantine aqueduct, this tiny but time-tested local favourite serves delicious Turkish dishes – if you can't decide, take the whole sizzling Anatolian meat platter. The kind owners, Mehmet and his wife Rahime, are proud to show off the guest books and memorabilia, which include photos from the Clinton family's visit and a touching guest entry from the late, great Steve Irwin.
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Kebab House Mehmet & Alibaba
Covered in testimonials from contented customers, this friendly and informal joint dishes out tasty Turkish fare. The smiley owners are eager to please and are happy to educate the uninitiated palate with a variety of local treats such as Adana kebap. Complimentary coffee and yoghurt sides are the norm.
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Asansör
Asansör is a 'destination' restaurant rising high above the old Jewish quarter and accessed via a charming historic elevator. Inside is a formal, white-tablecloth venue with superb set menus on weekends (TL60 per person). Perhaps more charming though is a light meal and a beer on the terrace, especially in summer when the crowd comes to escape the Alsancak kerfuffle. It's about 2km from the town centre.
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Nazik Ana
This simple back-alley place offers prepared dishes hot and cold (viewable at the front counter), letting you sample different Turkish traditional dishes at knock-down prices.
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Okumuş Mercan Restaurant
Set in a small courtyard beside a fountain in the shade of a 100-year-old mulberry tree, this place is loved locally for its traditional home fare at good prices.
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St John's Café
Despite, or perhaps because, it being Selçuk's most touristy cafe-shop, St John's has the town's widest coffee selection, various toasts and other international snacks. There's a play area for restless youngsters, too.
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Star Restaurant
This Norwegian-Turkish-owned restaurant offers cosmopolitan surprises such as Hawaiian pizza and pasta carbonara alongside the gamut of steaks and lahmacun (Arabic-style pizza). The tables on the leafy cobbled square next to the church are perfect for whiling away an afternoon.
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Sakız
With a wooden terrace and red-and-white tablecloths, Sakız is informal and fabulous. Its fresh meze includes recommended sardines, octopus and köz patlıcan (smoked aubergine with tomatoes and peppers), the unusual mains include sea bass with asparagus and stir-fried fish with artichoke. Live traditional guitar music sets the scene on weekends.
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Avlu
Hidden in the old town amid a maze of streets, this lokanta is well worth seeking out. It offers first-class home cooking in a clean and cheerful environment at unbeatable prices. A long-standing local fave, in recent times it's been discovered by the more daring cruise-ship tourists too; if you don't want to queue at lunchtime, come either earlier or later.
There's a great pick-and-point counter for those unsure what to order. It's a good choice for veggies too, as well as for sampling delectable Turkish puds.
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1-A Grand Restaurant
Set in a square just off Bar St, this lovely place is a whole world away from it. Tables are set in a garden-courtyard under old fig and orange trees and the place is so mellow and laid-back that even the dogs are asleep, curled up on the benches. There's a daily happy hour from 22:00 to 23:00. The food (both European and Turkish) has a good reputation and it claims to do the best steaks in town. There's also free internet access to customers.
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Kocadon Restaurant
Set back from Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi in the cobbled courtyard of a very attractive 200-year-old stone house, is this highly civilised and atmospheric place that specialises in old Ottoman cuisine. The excellent three-course set menu (for lunch or dinner), which includes an open buffet of 12 meze and a fish dish, is fab for a splurge. The à la carte menu is select and enticing. This claims to be Bodrum's best; it may well be.
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Amazon
With its classical music and stools around a bar, the brand-new Amazon looks more wine-bar than restaurant, but the İzmiri chef has a great reputation and serves good international dishes using fresh local ingredients. The set lunch is great value. The paintings hung on the walls are by young local artists and are for sale. Outside there are a few tables with distant views of the Artemis temple.
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Yağhane
Housed in an old olive mill built in 1894, this is an attractive and atmospheric place, with the walls hung with the works of local artists. The menu, which specialises in old Ottoman and Mediterranean dishes, is select and imaginative. Try the delicious regional speciality et çökertme - sliced beef with garlic yogurt, grated potatoes and butter. The wine list is also impressive.
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Simorg Café
With its Orientalist interior (complete with carpets, old maps and portraits of sultans and their harems), this café makes a great place to recline and rest after a run around the bazaar. The 'coffee made in cup' is a speciality of the area as is the mantı (Turkish ravioli). There's live Turkish music on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 19:00 to 21:30.
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Tarlakusu Gurmeko
This artsy coffee house is very urbane for Ayvalik (the owners hail from İzmir) and the brew is top notch. Lounge on soft armchairs, browse the painting exhibits or purchase from the larder. Nibbles include cookies, brownies, soup, salads, cheese plates and börek (TL4.50).
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Sağlam Restaurant
This Bergama favourite has moved out of town to the Opet garage by the otogar. Despite the proximity of the petrol pumps, it has a pleasant dining environment and an unlimited buffet. Beer, meze, pide and kebabs are also offered.
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Tranca
Jutting out into the bay, the family-run Tranca probably boasts about the best views of anywhere. Its specialities are tuzda balik (fish baked in salt) and testi kebabı (casserole served in a clay pot that's broken at your table), both cost around €25 to around €30 with a minimum of two people. Reserve a seafront table if you can.
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Avşar Büfe
Famous throughout Turkey is Ayvalık tost (Ayvalık 'toast') and this is the place to get it. Traditionally they're filled with sucuk (Turkish sausage), cheese, tomato, ketchup and mayonaise, but you can opt just for one or two ingredients if you prefer! Though not exactly haute cuisine, they're delicious if you're hungry enough.
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Cafe Nostalji
Lying 20m north of the post office, this gem of a place lies hidden down a side street off Bankalar Caddesi. With walls decorated with musical instruments and old records, it has a great atmosphere particularly at night. There's live Turkish music on Thursdays and Saturdays from 21:00 to midnight (to 02:00 in high season). Alcohol is not served.
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Kırmızı
Serving Mediterranean food made from the freshest local ingredients, the Kırmızı is a small but characterful place spread over three floors. The walls are used to exhibit the works of local artists, and Duygu, the charming owner, will accord you a warm welcome. The three-course fixed lunch is astonishing value.
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Café Carpouza
Housed in the 133-year-old former railway workers' lodging in the middle of a large green square, this is a cool, tranquil and relaxing place for breakfast, a beer or a cup of coffee, either on the veranda or inside the atmospheric building. Run by the municipality, prices are kept low; this place offers the best value in town.
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Liman Köftecisi
Famous nationally, the trendy Liman has a lovely position on the seafront, yet serves delicious food at very decent prices. Köfte (grilled meatballs) are the speciality. Of the six types, try the Liman köfte - served with yoghurt, tomato sauce and butter. The service is also exemplary.
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Özsüt
Also new, this well-known İzmiri chain has the usual delicious selection of traditional Turkish puds served up in smart surrounds, as well as great coffee and ice cream. Try the wonderful aşure (Noah's pudding) or tavuk göğsü kazandibi (burnt chicken breast pudding!).
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Dört Mevsim Et Lokantası
Famous as far afield as Ankara and İstanbul, this award-winning lokanta serves excellent food at reasonable prices. From the open ocakbaşı (grill), try the delicious chargrilled-melted cheese, stuffed aubergine kebab or köfte with chilli (the house specialities).
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Deniz Restaurant
This old favourite on the kordon trades a little on its reputation – and it's far from good value – but the mezes like octopus in oregano and baked sardines are worth the snobby service. The house speciality is tuzda balık (fish baked in a block of salt that's broken at your table; suitable for three or four people).
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