Bodrum is your next great foodie travel destination

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Apr 10, 2025 - 22:08

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Bodrum is your next great foodie travel destination

With incredible food and world class chefs Bodrum on Türkiye‘s Aegean coast should be your next great foodie vacation destination

Türkiye’s beguiling capital of Istanbul garners most of the plaudits for its ever evolving food scene. But Bodrum, stretching from the country’s southwest coast into the Aegean Sea, is a culinary destination in itself.

The foodie renaissance has also been fuelled by the 2024 arrival of the MICHELIN Guide – with local chefs and produce taking centre stage. Blessed with seafood from the Aegean, wine from grapes grown in the surrounding hills and fresh farm produce, there is a growing community of chefs and restaurateurs showcasing the area’s bounty.

Bodrum is a seasonal destination, with many hotels shuttering during winter and emerging from hibernation for the Summer. During this season, Bodrum becomes an international hot spot for celebrities and sunseekers who flock here in the summer months to vacation on the beautiful Turkish Riviera. But this aside, it’s the perfect place for a foodie vacation.There are new places opening all the time, many of them run by the best chefs in Turkey.

There is also an ecosystem of producers in Bodrum and Mugla to support this flourishing food scene – like the orchard Bodrum Yadigarı, where the region’s famous mandarins have been grown for generations.

Where to Stay

The Bodrum EDITION: The hotel clings to the side of a hill in Bodrum, taking full advantage of the view. Rooms are sleek, minimalist yet also plush and all have balconies with views of the sea. You will love the small touches like a signature scent throughout the hotel (Le Labo for the record); buggies to zoom you around the steep hills and the in-house dogs always available for a cuddle.

The hotel’s 108 rooms, suites, and villas feel almost residential in their warmth and generosity, marking it apart from some of its flashier neighbours. A spa, a beach club, and an infinity pool are among the offerings on site, if you can lure yourself from the spacious rooms.

Aside from the location it’s home to two of the best restaurants in the area. Talk about punching above its weight. Both are also members of The Luminary Set – a collection of critically acclaimed chefs and culinary innovators across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Fun fact, breakfast is served in Kitchen, which at night transforms into a Michelin starred beauty by one of Turkiye’s most revered chefs.

Where to Eat

Brava Bodrum which is helmed by Italian masterchef Stefano Ciotti, who is no stranger to Doha having previously opened Veritas at Al Messila. The restaurant is set outside with beach views, a DJ, a champagne cart and a cocktail bar with incredibly creative drinks. Starting in the 2024 season, BRAVA partnered up with Ciotti, to showcase the flavors of Italian cuisine.

The menu showcases some classic Mediterranean flavors but for me the highlights were a robust sea bass with a silky burnside sauce; a hand rolled and filled chicken tortello with burnt butter; and delicate poached shrimp with a rainbow of gelee sauces.

Ciotti’s approach can be theatrical and every dish has a story – like the little pottery houses for bread on each table symbolizing his childhood. Or the diorama complete with a curtain to unveil petit four that are a tribute to famed composer Rossini who was from the chef’s home town.

Kitchen by Osman Sezener: Chef Osman’s unique and international take on Turkish cuisine. Produce from the region takes centre stage and it is always guaranteed to be fresh and flavourful. His method here is to also emphasize the view, which is the “natural ornament” of the location, and the ingredients in his simple dishes.

The chef finds and uses local ingredients in his dishes and his passion for this approach is clear and the dishes thoughtful. For example, Adana caviar and Bargilya bluetail shrimp feature on the menu. Among the other menu highlights are the roasted Northern Aegean octopus, a delicate calamari with corn semolina from Trabzon; and a crispy skin sea bream again fresh from the nearby sea accented with earthy saffron.

There’s an almost relaxed elegance to this food – the Chef knows his ingredients and how to make them shine.

Orfoz Bodrum: The beautiful bay this restaurant overlooks is the pride of the Bozçağa brothers – not only for the azure waters, but also the bountiful fish and seafood they have to offer. You can feast on clams and sea urchin caught that very morning.

This is complements by Turkish wines, specifically from Neferiye wines. The labour of love of one of the brothers, who works with local families to harvest grapes and literally make wine in the basement of his family home.