Alaçatı
Bumba's table-covering breakfasts are packed with local and seasonal herbs, cheeses and fruit. Highlights of 15 small plates could include yoghurt with…
Must-see restaurants in İzmir & the North Aegean
Çeşme
Operated by a local women's cooperative, this humble spot a short stroll from Çeşme's busy main street specialises in homestyle cooking. The ever-changing…
İzmir
Serving Bosnian food that is remarkably similar to Turkish home cooking, this stylish lokanta (eatery with ready-made food) in the pretty Abacıoğlu Han…
İzmir & the North Aegean
We love everything about this extremely chic eatery behind Taş Kahve at the liman (harbour). Owned by the Kürsat olive-oil mill, it offers a delicious…
Alaçatı
A meal at the ‘Vine Leaf’ is an essential experience for gastronomes. Seating is in an atmospheric courtyard between April and November, and inside…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Owner and chef Emine was taught to cook Girit (Cretan) dishes by her grandmother, and the results are simply inspired. Expect her to emerge from the…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Owner/chef Erhan Şeker is rightly proud of his hybrid restaurant, hotel and cookery school overlooking the Bay of Edremit, and he loves to introduce…
Çeşme
Relocated to a shaded garden location off Çeşme's pedestrian shopping street, this friendly balık pişiricisi (fish eatery) is Çeşme's foodie hot spot. It…
İzmir
Serving tasty dishes harking from Diyarbakır in the country's southeast, this is a popular venue for celebratory and family dinners, and is also known for…
Urla
With English-speaking staff, excellent wood-fired pizza and a reputation for very good cabernetsauvignon, merlot and shiraz wines, Urlice Vineyard's…
İzmir
Şambali are made by baking almond-studded semolina, yoghurt and sugar, then dousing the cake with sweet syrup. This famous şambalicisi, which opened in…
Ayvalık
Framed by an overflowing grape arbour, Taman Meyhane's slim laneway space is a perfect spot to while away a few hours enjoying the fixed menu of 15…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Very popular at the time of writing, it's definitely worth booking ahead for this spot specialising in seafood meze-style shared plates. Highlights are…
Alaçatı
This stylish courtyard restaurant on the main eating and shopping strip offers unusual Aegean dishes including braised goat with chard and thistles, tire…
İzmir
A Parisian-style divertissement in the heart of the city, this stylish cafe on Lozan Meydanı is wildly popular with Alsancak's ladies-who-lunch. Coffee is…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Its location in a pretty square near the Alaybey Mosque is only one of the attractions of this friendly cafe and bakery, which was established in 1959…
Çeşme
Winning the prize for the biggest and best döner in town (order an İskender), this long-established and friendly lokanta is hugely popular with locals,…
İzmir
The blue-and-white checked tablecloths give this popular lokanta in the courtyard of the Mirkelam Han near the Hisar Mosque a Greek-island vibe, but the…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Having a second breakfast for lunch is a perfectly valid dining choice, especially when it's the array of small plates on offer at this specialist…
Alaçatı
Combining a retail store and a garden restaurant, Arven is an excellent spot to explore the best of Turkey's wine scene. There are more than 200 wines…
İzmir
In İzmir, three ingredients make for the perfect meal: balık (fish), roca (rocket) and rakı (aniseed brandy). This friendly terrace restaurant on the…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Standing out from most other Bozcaada restaurants with its wider range of interesting mezes, Hasan Tefik is definitely worth seeking out. Menu highlights…
İzmir & the North Aegean
A good value alternative to Bozcaada's more expensive cafes and restaurants, Boboz specialises in tasty gourmet sandwiches. Seafood, meat and vegetarian…
Ayvalık
Tucked away in the middle of Ayvalık's Pazar Yeri, the shaded garden at this family-owned lokanta is a good place for seasonal meze and prepared dishes…
İzmir & the North Aegean
One of a number of lokantas (eateries serving ready-made food) that can be found on the town's main drag, this friendly place next to the hamam has indoor…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Homestyle cooking combines with sunset views at the friendly 'Blue Door Cafe'. Tables on the upper terrace are very popular, but the downstairs garden is…
Ayvalık
Named after its English-speaking owner Pinar (Pino to her friends), this friendly cafe in an old stone house opened in 2016 and is a good choice for a…
İzmir & the North Aegean
This popular meyhane (tavern) and şarap evi (wine house) is hidden behind a stone wall in the old town, but the giveaway is the loud music and the clink…
İzmir
In the Kestane Pazarı (Chestnut Market) section of Kemeraltı, this simple place has been serving tender and tasty Macedonian/Albanian–style köfte with…
Alaçatı
This long-running alternative to traditional Turkish fare recently moved into new and very swish digs within the Alavya hotel compound. Chef-owner Melih…
Ayvalık
With a great selection of traditional Turkish pastries and cakes, this friendly patisserie on the main street makes a terrific mid-morning or -afternoon…
İzmir
This is the best spot in the city to try the local speciality of boyoz, a fried pastry made with flour, sunflower oil and a small amount of tahini…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Our favourite of the fish restaurants by the liman (harbour), blue-and-white Boruzan offers a wide range of mezes made with produce from the restaurant’s…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Decked out in blue and white, this friendly eatery with ocean views is a good option at the quieter eastern end of Cunda's harbourfront strip. Diligent…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Either dine inside the restaurant's heritage dining room or amid the leafy garden. There's no surprises to the menu, but the concise array of kebabs,…
İzmir & the North Aegean
Ice cream and the seaside go together like Fred and Ginger or Posh and Becks, and this is the best place in Foça to order a cone. Nazmi Usta is an…
Ayvalık
This eccentrically decorated and very popular cafe in the old town offers a nostalgic jazz soundtrack, extensive dessert menu (cakes, soufflés, tiramisu),…
İzmir
Making authentic kumru sandwiches with aged kaşar cheese from Kars, sausage from Urfa and local tomato paste, this is one of the most popular fast-food…
İzmir
This long-established fish restaurant on the kordon is attached to the İzmir Palas hotel and is widely acknowledged as one of the best eateries in the…
Alaçatı
This is without doubt the best restaurant down on the Alaçatı marina. It serves all of the standards, and is known for the freshness of its mezes and the…
