The standard of dining in Dalyan is a wonderful surprise with a wide range of traditional Turkish and seafood restaurants.
Although the decision is of course a personal one, I will be happy to share my knowledge of both my own favourites and those restaurants repeatedly recommended by previous guests.
With this in mind, we have provided a forum for guests to pass on their own recommendations and feedback on local restaurants or places of interest to other guests.
Please feel welcome to add your own favorites in the ‘Local Recommendations’ folder in the villa.
Some local specialities to try include:
Gözleme – Flat bread with various fillings
Mantı – Ravioli with yoghurt sauce
Pide – Turkish version of pizza
Testi – Kebab made in a sealed earthenware pot
Menemen – Eggs with tomato and peppers
A vast array of meze and seafood delicacies can be enjoyed in a romantic riverside setting. Equally delicious and certainly worth a try are the more typical forms of Turkish cuisine, listed above. Enjoy sitting on floor cushions and kilims or at street-side tables and chairs amongst the bustle of evening shoppers in the town’s centre and usually culminate in a glass of çay (Turkish tea).
The town is small, so you can stroll, taking your time to choose as the waiters try to tempt you as you pass, you may even be invited into the kitchen to see what’s cooking! Fish lovers benefit from Dalyan’s location between sea and freshwater lake providing a rich selection of seafood. If you enjoy trying as many different tastes as possible, Dalyan is a good place to experiment. You can even change venue between courses, as there is a good selection of pastanes (pastry shops) specializing in puddings and tarts!
Justifiably famed for its flora and fauna, Dalyan and the surrounding area are a nature lover’s paradise. You can explore the countryside by road, river, or on foot and a great deal of enjoyment comes from simply admiring its abundant life and diversity. Dalyan is a small and friendly town where the locals will be keen to get to know you. Invitations to sit with the trades people with an offer of tea or a cold drink are common place and tend to be more an excuse to chat with you than to make a sale!