Where to eat in Izmir, the capital of Aegean cuisine?

The list is long. With its diverse selection of herb dishes and tables laden with Cretan mezes, Izmir is the epitome of bliss. Its breakfast, with its boyoz (a type of pastry), Bergama tulum cheese, and kumru (a type of sandwich), is a legend in itself. And then there are the street food delicacies like shish kebab, offal, stuffed mussels… Let’s not forget that İzmir cuisine is more than just a taste sensation; it’s also a unique socio-cultural experience, shaped by the culinary heritage of Ottoman-Turkish cuisine and the diverse food cultures of minority groups including Sephardic Jews, Greeks, Crimean Turks, Balkan immigrants, and Levantines. Now we’ll take you to the best places to eat in Izmir to try them all.

Where to eat in Izmir

1. Kumru (Turkish Sandwich)

Kumru is one of İzmir’s great edible troublemakers: simple in theory, dangerously good in practice. Originally, kumru referred to a sesame-covered bread whose shape supposedly resembled a dove. Cute, poetic, very innocent. Then İzmir did what İzmir does best and turned it into a hot, messy, late-night sandwich stuffed with cured meats, cheese, tomato, and whatever else your hunger is brave enough to request.

Today, when people say “kumru,” they usually mean the grilled fast-food version: salami, sucuk, cheese, tomatoes, and sometimes sausage, tongue, ketchup, or mayonnaise. Is it elegant? Absolutely not. Is it the kind of thing we crave at midnight after walking along the coast pretending to be refined? Absolutely yes.

Kardeşler Büfe, Konak

For a classic hot kumru in Alsancak, Kardeşler Büfe is one of the safest bets. Alongside kumru, they also serve local favorites like their mixed sandwich with egg and pastırma. Basically, this is where we abandon restraint and call it “research.”

Address: Alsancak, former NATO building, Konak, İzmir, TR, 1382. Sk. No: 4 C. Click here for location.

Kumrucu Ömür, Karşıyaka

Another excellent address for hot kumru is Kumrucu Ömür. With good-quality deli meats, proper kumru bread, quick service, and a friendly local feel, it is one of the top spots for a kumru stop in Karşıyaka.

Address: Bostanlı Mah, Cemal Gürsel Cd. No:476, 35540 Karşıyaka. Click here for location.

Kırk Merdiven, Konak

Set on the steep stairs near the Historic Elevator, Kırk Merdiven is a small, intimate café converted from an old Greek house. It is the sort of place where we tell ourselves we are just stopping for coffee, then somehow stay for cake, snacks, and a full personality reset.

The menu leans natural and homemade, and the café is especially known for its zucchini-filled kumru. Yes, a gentler kumru exists. İzmir contains multitudes.

Address: 305. Sokak No:59/A Karataş 35280. Click here for location.

Asucan, Çeşme Center

Asucan is a small kiosk in the center of Çeşme, and while its kumru is strong, the place is also famous for something called “atom.” What is atom? A glorious little chaos plate of coleslaw-style salad and homemade schnitzel topped with a special sauce. We did not try it, but apparently once you do, you become a loyal regular. That sounds suspiciously powerful.

Address: 16 Eylül, 3052. Sk., 35930 Çeşme. Click here for location.

Kumrucu Hikmet, Alaçatı

Kumrucu Hikmet is one of Alaçatı’s favorite kumru addresses. If you want to go beyond the classic, try their popular “Çılgın” kumru, which comes packed with sucuk, salami, sayas cheese, and kaşar cheese. “Crazy” is in the name. We cannot pretend we were not warned.

Address: Alaçatı Mah, Uğur Mumcu Cd. No:14/A. You can click here for website and location.

Kumrucu Hüseyin, Ilıca

Kumrucu Hüseyin is a small seaside kiosk in Ilıca where you can eat kumru with a view of the water, which is frankly how more sandwiches should be consumed. Hüseyin sources aged kaşar cheese from Kars and sucuk and salami from Tire. Established in 1966, it is one of the oldest kumru kiosks in İzmir.

Address: Ilıca, 5065. Sk., 35940 Çeşme. Click here for location.

2. Söğüş

Offal has a serious place in İzmir’s food culture. Liver, kokoreç, kelle paça, tongue, and söğüş all appear proudly on the city’s edible map. Söğüş is not for timid nibblers: it is a cold meat dish usually made with boiled lamb head meat, tongue, cheek, and sometimes brain, chopped and served with spices, herbs, and onion.

Is this a casual “just trying something light” snack? No. Is it one of the great local street foods of İzmir? Absolutely.

Söğüşçü Cimbom, Konak

For many locals, Söğüşçü Cimbom in historic Kemeraltı is one of the best places to try söğüş in İzmir. It is a generations-old spot and a favorite among the tradespeople of the bazaar. In other words: if the local shopkeepers eat here, we pay attention.

Address: 855, Konak Mahallesi, Sokak No:17/A Kemeraltı, 855. Sk., 35250 Konak. Click here for location.

Meşhur Hisar Söğüşçüsü, Konak

Another beloved Kemeraltı stop is Meşhur Hisar Söğüşçüsü, which has been serving söğüş since 1975. It is a small, local, no-fuss kind of place, which is exactly the energy we want for this kind of food.

Address: 899. Sk. No:39, 35250 Konak. Click here for location.

3. Breakfast -Kumru and Gevrek

Before the hot kumru takes over the night, there is the breakfast kumru: sesame-covered bread filled with İzmir tulum cheese, tomatoes, and pointed green peppers. You will find it at street vendors all over the city, usually alongside gevrek, boiled eggs, olives, and tea. Breakfast in İzmir does not whisper. It arrives with sesame seeds and opinions.

And yes, in İzmir, simit is called gevrek. The difference? Gevrek is thinner and crispier because it is baked twice. The name literally points to that crisp texture, and once you hear the crunch, the whole thing makes sense.

Historic Zeynel Ergin Gevrek Bakery, Konak

If you want to try cold kumru and proper gevrek, head to the historic Zeynel Ergin Gevrek Bakery. Ask almost any İzmir local where to go for the city’s best gevrek and cold kumru, and this name is likely to appear. It used to be more of a traditional stone bakery where you could buy bread and drink tea, but now there is also a café area where you can sit down for breakfast.

Address: Alsancak, 1466. Sk. No: 2, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

4. Sübye

Sübye is one of those old İzmir flavors that feels like a postcard from another era. Like boyoz, it is part of the Sephardic Jewish culinary heritage of the city. Dried melon seeds are ground into powder, boiled with water and sugar, then strained into a cooling drink with a gentle melon flavor.

It is refreshing, unusual, and exactly the kind of local thing we love trying because where else are we casually drinking melon seeds and calling it culture?

Alsancak Dostlar Bakery

You can try sübye at Alsancak Dostlar Bakery, one of the best-known bakeries in the city. Click here for the location.

5. Stuffed Mussels

Buying stuffed mussels from street vendors on the Kordon and eating them on the grass while the sun drops into the Aegean is a classic İzmir move. It is simple, salty, lemony, and dangerously easy to overdo. One mussel becomes five. Five becomes “who counted?”

If you are unsure about street mussels, there are also more established places where you can try them hot, fresh, and with slightly less food-safety anxiety.

Serkan Hamza Mussels and Fish, Balçova

You can find stuffed mussels all along the Kordon, in Alsancak, and around Kemeraltı, but one name that stands out lately is Serkan Hamza Midye ve Balık in Balçova. It is known for hot, fresh mussels and also has a branch in Çeşme.

Address: İnciraltı, Başak Sk. No:53, 35330 Balçova. You can click here for website and location.

Stuffed Mussels with Artichokes, Çeşme

If you go to Ildır, look out for this family-run mobile stall. The father collects the mussels himself, the mother fills them with artichoke rice using her own recipe, and their sons sell them on the street. It may take a little effort to find them because they move around, but with the location and phone number, you should be able to track them down. Food treasure hunt? We accept.

Tel: 0507 1842356. Click here for location.

6. Kokoreç

İzmir takes kokoreç seriously. This famous offal dish is made with grilled lamb or sheep intestines, but the İzmir style has its own personality. Instead of being chopped finely with a cleaver like in many other places, the kokoreç is cut into rings or medallions, then chopped into larger pieces. The result? More aroma, more texture, more drama.

In other words, this is not the shy cousin of street food. This is the cousin who turns up at midnight and somehow becomes the main event.

Kokoreççi Asım Usta, Bornova

One of İzmir’s best-known kokoreç addresses is Kokoreççi Asım Usta in Çamdibi. Their kokoreç is so famous that it has appeared on the menus of fine dining restaurants in Istanbul. When upscale restaurants borrow your kokoreç, you are clearly doing something right.

Address: Rafet Paşa, Burak Reis Cd. No:226A, 35500 Bornova. You can click here for website and location.

Kokoreççi Baki, Karşıyaka

Kokoreççi Baki in Karşıyaka is another heavyweight. They remove the lamb kokoreç from the skewer and place it into bread without grilling it again, because the meat is already tender enough. Confidence level: impressive. They have three branches, but this is the address of the original Karşıyaka branch.

Address: Şemikler, 7400/8. Sk. No:2, 35570 Karşıyaka. You can click here for website and location.

Uğur Kokoreç & İnegöl Köfte, Karşıyaka

Uğur Kokoreç & İnegöl Köfte is another solid kokoreç stop in Karşıyaka. It may not be the top two, but it easily belongs in the conversation. Its big advantage? It stays open late. Alongside kokoreç, you can also find İnegöl meatballs, uykuluk, and Kemalpaşa dessert.

Address: Şemikler, Erdoğan Akkaya Sk. No:37, 35560 Karşıyaka. Click here for location.

Kartal Kokoreç, Bornova

Kartal Kokoreç has been ranked among Turkey’s best kokoreç restaurants by Hürriyet. They serve coarsely chopped lamb kokoreç, and the meat is a little fattier than the versions at Asım and Baki. If you like your kokoreç rich and unapologetic, this one may be for you.

Address: Gazi Osman Paşa, Kamil Tunca Cd No:47, 35090. Click here for location.

Cila Pub, Buca

Cila is one of İzmir’s classic pubs, known for tandoor-cooked kokoreç and mussels. It has two branches, one in Bornova and one in Buca. Below is the address of the original Buca branch.

Address: Vali Rahmi Bey, Menderes Cd. No:69, 35380 Buca. Click here for location.

7. Fish & Seafood Restaurants

In central İzmir, the Kordon is the classic place for fish restaurants. But if you have time, the real fun begins when you leave the center and head toward the coastal towns. Suddenly the table is heavier, the sea feels closer, and the meze starts multiplying like it has a secret agenda.

Expect Aegean herbs, fresh fish, and seafood dishes such as pilaki, red mullet, sea bream, steamed sardines, rice-stuffed mussels, fried mussels, and stuffed mussels. This is the kind of meal where “just a few appetizers” becomes a full table. We support this lifestyle.

Boğaziçi Restaurant, Balçova

Boğaziçi Restaurant, located by the Üçkuyular pier, is one of İzmir’s well-loved seafood spots. Its fava, fish kokoreç, şevketi bostan, calamari, sea bass lokum, and sea bass cooked in milk are especially popular.

Address: Bahçelerarası Mahallesi Üçkuyular Vapur İskelesi, Üstü, Aliye Bulvarı No: 2/A, 35290 Balçova. You can click here for website and location.

Deniz Restaurant, Konak

Deniz Restaurant on the Kordon is an İzmir classic. Cloth napkins, ironed white tablecloths, polished service, and no unnecessary fuss. Their grilled fish, milk-based fish dishes, shrimp casserole, and mezes are consistently good.

Address: Kültür Mahallesi, Atatürk Cad, No: 188/B, İzmir Palas Hotel, Ground Floor, 35220 Konak. You can click here for website and location.

Yengeç Restaurant, Urla

Yengeç Restaurant is known for mezes you do not find everywhere, including less common seafood dishes such as scallops. Their honeyed calamari and octopus dishes are especially famous, and the sea bass simit is another favorite. The menu is creative and varied, so take your time with it. Also, book ahead. This is not a “wander in and hope” situation.

Address: İskele, 2121. Sk. No:6 D:1, 35430 Urla. Click here for website and location.

Ferhat Büfe Fish Sandwich, Yalı

Even if you usually do not love fish sandwiches, this place may change your mind. They only make sardine sandwiches, and the place gets busy. To avoid the queue, you can call ahead a few minutes before arriving. It is one of Güzelbahçe’s best options for cheap, delicious food by the sea.

Address: Yalı Mahallesi, Mithatpaşa Cd. No:463, 35310 Güzelbahçe. Click here for location.

Ergin Guesthouse & Restaurant, Karaburun

This place completely won us over. Set in Mimoza Bay, one of the most beautiful bays in İzmir, Ergin is clean, relaxed, delicious, and right by the sea. They can even set tables on the sand if you want the full “we live here now” fantasy.

Go during the day, swim until you are happily useless, then stay for meze and fish in the evening. The sea is not too crowded even on Saturdays, but make a reservation for the restaurant. This became one of our favorite İzmir escapes.

Address: İskele, Liman Cd. No:6, 35960 Karaburun. You can click here for website and location.

Kemer 6 Fish Restaurant, Kemeraltı

Kemer 6 is one of those casual Kemeraltı spots where you can eat fresh, affordable seafood without ceremony. Sea bass skewers, sole skewers, fish pastries, calamari — everything is simple and well cooked. The restaurant does not serve alcohol.

Address: Konak Mahallesi, 861. Sk. No:16, 35250 Konak. Click here for location.

Cızz Bızz Fish House, Kemeraltı

Cızz Bızz is another affordable, grab-and-go fish restaurant in Kemeraltı. Their fried fish dishes, including skewered whiting and sole, are especially good. Like Kemer 6, it does not serve alcohol.

Address: Güzelyurt, 871. Sk. No:92, 35250 Konak. Click here for location.

8. Historic Restaurants in İzmir

Kemeraltı is the commercial heart of İzmir, and where there are shopkeepers, there is serious lunch culture. This area is famous for historic tradesmen’s restaurants serving home-style dishes prepared fresh each day. Usually there is no menu. You look at the dishes, point with confidence, and build your tray like a person who absolutely knows what they are doing.

The magic formula is simple: fresh food, generous portions, reasonable prices, and no evening service. These places are for lunch. Go early, because once the dishes are gone, they are gone. Kemeraltı does not wait for your relaxed holiday schedule.

Mahmut Usta Tradesmen’s Restaurant

The four local eateries below are Kemeraltı favorites, and all four are run by siblings from the same family. We tried Mahmut Usta, but they are all close to each other and all serve good daily meals. Portions are filling, so arrive hungry rather than politely curious.

Address: Kemeraltı Bazaar, 876th Street, No: 45, 35250 Konak. Click here for location.

Bizim Mutfak: Aegean Cuisine

Bizim Mutfak has one of the most pleasant atmospheres among the Kemeraltı lunch spots. It is tucked into a passageway with a charming courtyard, so you get the food plus a little hidden-corner romance. Efficient and adorable? We approve.

Click here for the location.

Bizim Lokanta

Bizim Lokanta specializes in comforting dishes like tripe soup with chickpeas, kelle paça, duck soup made with duck, goose, and turkey, and fish soup. The duck and fish soups are made on alternating days, so call ahead if you have your heart set on one.

Address: Konak, 911. Sk. No:4, 35250 Konak. Click here for location.

Abbas’ın Yeri

Abbas’ın Yeri is another classic local restaurant where you can find many of the traditional flavors mentioned above. It is simple, reliable, and very much part of the Kemeraltı lunch ecosystem.

Address: Konak, 902 Sk. No:24 Hisarönü – Kemeraltı, 35250 Konak. Click here for location.

9. Herb Dishes

In İzmir, herb dishes are everywhere: fish restaurants, taverns, local eateries, family tables, and probably someone’s grandmother’s secret lunch plan. These flavors come from the culinary traditions of Cretan and Rumelian immigrants and are now deeply woven into İzmir cuisine.

Expect mallow, nettle, wild garlic, turnip greens, stuffed zucchini flowers, wild chicory, radicchio, sea beans, mustard greens, lamb’s ear, purslane, asparagus, wild fennel, chard, spinach, and more. The key is olive oil and restraint: the herbs are cooked gently, not punished into submission. Some come with yogurt as borani, while others arrive with lemon and garlic. Either way, this is where İzmir gets green, bright, and very persuasive.

Morisi Cretan Cuisine, Karşıyaka

Morisi is one of the best places in İzmir for Cretan cuisine, especially olive oil dishes and spread-style Sunday breakfasts. Hot items are unlimited at breakfast, although egg dishes are not included. The service, flavor, and price-quality balance are all strong.

Address: Bostanlı, Nebil Susup Sk. No:159 D:A, 35590 Karşıyaka. Click here for location.

Beğendik Abi, Urla

Beğendik Abi is one of İzmir’s best price-quality finds. It is not quite a traditional tradesmen’s restaurant and not quite a full restaurant either. Like a classic esnaf lokantası, it displays ready-made dishes in a showcase, but the quality and variety are a step above. The space itself is also tastefully decorated, which is always a pleasant surprise when you arrive expecting lunch and get ambience as a bonus.

Address: Camiatik, Tatar Cami Sk. No:12, 35430 Urla. Click here for location.

Mutfak Girit, Konak

Mutfak Girit is a small place serving homemade Cretan and Turkish dishes such as Cretan zucchini, stuffed zucchini in olive oil, bean and lentil patties, lamb’s lettuce with yogurt, and cibez, a wild herb loved around the Aegean.

Address: Kültür, 1388. Sk. 10A, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

Balmumu, Konak

Balmumu is a modern traditional restaurant that revives forgotten flavors from Aegean and Cretan cuisine. The menu changes with the seasons, and the restaurant takes its name from waxed fish roe. You can also buy this specialty and other delicacies when you visit. Alaşehir kapama and paşa böreği are among the highlights.

Address: Kültür Mahallesi, 1388. Sk. No: 5 D:C, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

Ömre Bedel Yemekler, Urla

Ömre Bedel Yemekler is a boutique spot serving home-style Aegean dishes such as Urla stew, stuffed grape leaves, wild chicory, mutancana, and artichokes in olive oil. The owner, Ms. Ömür, is known for being warm and friendly, so if you visit, leave a little time for conversation too.

Address: Camiatik, Tatar Camii Sk. No:10, 35430 Urla. Click here for location.

10. Artichoke Dishes

In the second half of spring, Urla’s famous artichoke season begins, and suddenly the whole region starts behaving as if artichokes are royalty. Stuffed artichokes, artichoke pastries, artichoke stews, even desserts — the vegetable gets its full Aegean coronation.

You can find artichoke dishes in many restaurants, but these two places are especially worth the detour.

Artemis Restaurant, Seferihisar

Artemis is a special place: a family-run restaurant set under the trees next to a 10-acre artichoke field. They serve around 15 different artichoke dishes from farm to table, including artichoke ice cream, tea, and stew. Rustic, local, and extremely specific — exactly the sort of place we love.

Address: Düzce, Azmak Mevki No:78, 35460 Seferihisar. Tel: 0532 456 90 76. Click here for location.

Beğendik Abi, Urla

Beğendik Abi in Malgaca Market is a modern take on a traditional tradesmen’s restaurant. Their olive oil dishes and hot meals are excellent, but the one thing you should absolutely try is Urla’s signature artichoke dish. This is not the time to pretend you came for “something light.”

Address: Camiatik, Tatar Cami Sk. No:12, 35430 Urla. Click here for location.

11. İzmir Lokma

Lokma is a simple but beloved dessert made from dough prepared with flour, yeast, water, and salt, then fried and soaked in syrup. Sometimes cinnamon joins the party too. It is sweet, sticky, humble, and impossible to eat neatly. We have accepted this.

If you visit İzmir, you may see vehicles handing out free lokma on the street. This is completely normal. Distributing lokma to the public during religious occasions, circumcisions, holidays, Mevlid ceremonies, or funerals is a local tradition. Sweet dough with community spirit? İzmir knows what it is doing.

12. Çelebi Bakery

İzmir bombası is a cookie filled with hot, molten chocolate. Served warm, the chocolate inside becomes even more runny, which means it is both dessert and minor engineering hazard. Eat carefully unless you want chocolate lava on your shirt. Worth it? Obviously.

Çelebi Bakery, Konak

You can now find İzmir bombası all over the city, but the best place to try it is Çelebi Bakery in Konak, where the dessert was first created. Try one while you are there, then buy a box to take home. This is not greed. This is strategy.

Address: Alsancak Mahallesi, Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cd. No.185/A, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

13. Famous İzmir Bakeries

Reyhan Patisserie, Konak

Reyhan Patisserie is one of İzmir’s most successful local brands. Open since 1975, it has become one of the city’s most beloved patisseries and now has several branches. Their Pearl Cake, Croquant Cake, Rococo Cake, Polka Cake, and Cherry Süksesi Cake are always fresh and reliable.

The Pearl Cake is especially good, thanks to the soft cake and the pineapple-almond filling. Basically, it is the sort of dessert that makes you briefly stop talking, which is impressive because we usually have commentary.

Address: Kültür Mh, Dr. Mustafa Enver Bey Cd. No:24, 35220 Konak. You can click here for website and location.

Sevinç Patisserie, Konak

Sevinç Patisserie is practically synonymous with İzmir and has at least 60 years of history behind it. Its pavlova is famous, its pistachio ice cream is legendary, and it also serves breakfast alongside classic patisserie treats.

Address: Alsancak, Ali Çetinkaya Blv No: 27 D:C, 35220 Konak. Click here for website and location.

Bravo Patisserie, Karşıyaka

Bravo Patisserie is known for its yogurt-based ice cream, but that is only the beginning. They also offer flavors like green lemon, violet, and tropical fruit, and you may find 30 to 35 different ice cream flavors on a single visit. Decision fatigue has never tasted so good.

Address: Bostanlı Mahallesi, Cemal Gürsel Cd. No:111/A, 35590 Karşıyaka. You can click here for website and location.

Leone Patisserie, Konak

With French-style croissants, spinach quiche, and elegant desserts, Leone feels like a little Parisian patisserie dropped into İzmir. It is also a lovely option for Sunday breakfast if you want to pretend you are effortlessly sophisticated before ordering a second pastry.

Address: Konak Mahallesi, Vasıf Çınar Blv 29/A, 35220 Konak. You can click here for website and location.

Arpège Patisserie, Konak

Arpège is a pastry shop for European-style desserts such as lemon tart, peach tart, vanilla mille-feuille, mastic macarons, and pear tart. They use only butter in their products, and the presentation is excellent. Translation: come hungry and photograph quickly before everything disappears.

Address: Kültür Mahallesi, 1388. Sk. No:5, 35220 Konak. You can click here for website and location.

14. Şambali

Şambali, also known as şambaba, is a semolina dessert soaked in syrup. It is similar to revani and has roots in Western Anatolia. In İzmir, it is one of those old-school sweets that looks simple, tastes nostalgic, and somehow always makes sense after lunch.

Hisarönü Şambalicisi, Kemeraltı

Hisarönü Şambalicisi is a small dessert shop in Kemeraltı. The owner brings in famous fresh desserts from different parts of Turkey and is known for offering complimentary samples, explaining the desserts, and generally making sure you leave sweeter than you arrived.

Address: Konak Mahallesi, 902. Sk. No:5, 35400 Konak. You can click here for website and location.

15. Bergama Meatballs

Çiçeksever, Bergama

Çiçeksever is a simple, clean meatball restaurant and one of the original addresses for Bergama meatballs. The menu is wonderfully focused: butcher-style meatballs, piyaz, and Kemalpaşa dessert with clotted cream, walnuts, and tahini. No confusion. No endless menu. Just meatballs and confidence.

Address: Barbaros Mahallesi, Bankalar Cad. No:71, 35700. Click here for location.

Bergama Köftecisi, Buca

Bergama Köftecisi is a small restaurant in Buca, one of İzmir’s central districts, serving excellent Bergama meatballs. Their köfte and piyaz are both strong, and you should definitely finish with Kemalpaşa dessert. This is not optional. Well, technically it is. But emotionally? No.

Address: İnkılap Mahallesi, 448. Sok. 12/A, 35380 Buca. Click here for location.

16. Skewered Meat

In İzmir, shish kebab is strongly associated with the Selçuk district. Small pieces of lamb are threaded onto skewers and cooked over charcoal, then served with ayran. Simple? Yes. Deeply satisfying? Also yes. When you visit Şirince or Ephesus, stopping at one of the roadside shish kebab places around Selçuk is almost mandatory.

Şişçi Yaşar’s Place, Selçuk

Şişçi Yaşar is known for good skewers and ayran, and its meatballs are just as popular. It is casual, quick, and exactly the kind of roadside food stop that makes a day trip feel instantly more successful.

Address: Atatürk, Atatürk Cd., 35920 Selçuk. Click here for location.

Topçu, Konak

Topçu is one of the first places that comes to mind when people talk about shish kebab in central İzmir. We do not personally love it, but it is undeniably famous. Since it is more of a grill restaurant, you will also find lamb chops, meatballs, and other grilled options.

Address: Akdeniz, Vali Kazım Dirik Cd. No:3/B, 35210 Konak. Click here for location.

17. Lobster & Crayfish

Langusta, Çiftlikköy

Langusta in Çiftlikköy is a casual, friendly seaside restaurant where you can eat langusta, a smaller relative of lobster, at wooden tables by the sea. They also serve calamari, shrimp, octopus, and other fish dishes, because apparently the sea was feeling generous.

Address: Çiftlik, Şht. Mehmet Cd. No:35, 35930 Çeşme. Click here for location.

Istakozcu Canbaba Restaurant, Çiftlikköy

Istakozcu Canbaba is another seaside restaurant in Çiftlikköy where you can try lobster, squid, shrimp in butter, and other seafood dishes. This is the kind of place where “just seafood” somehow becomes a feast.

Address: Çiftlik, 8. Sk. 1/A, 35930 Çeşme. You can click here for website and location.

Horasan Balık, Çeşme

Horasan Balık is a fish restaurant in central Çeşme known for classic seafood appetizers and more playful dishes such as orange-infused shrimp and basil-marinated sea bass. The real star, though, is the lobster pasta.

Address: İnönü Mahallesi, 2022. Sk. No:16, 35930 Çeşme. Click here for location.

Sota, Alaçatı

Sota Alaçatı is located inside Viento Hotel and serves seafood such as crab, lobster, and shellfish. It is open year-round, which is useful if you are visiting outside the classic summer chaos.

Address: Yeni Mecidiye Mah. 11039 Sok. No:18. You can click here for website and location.

18. Mastic-Flavored Desserts

Mastic, the aromatic resin from the mastic tree, is one of the iconic flavors of Greek and Aegean cuisine. Naturally, in İzmir and around Çeşme and Alaçatı, it shows up everywhere: pudding, cookies, ice cream, Turkish delight, halva, Turkish coffee, and more.

The flavor is floral, slightly piney, and unlike anything else. Try it once, and suddenly ordinary pudding starts looking a little underdressed.

Historic Rumeli Patisserie, Çeşme

Opened in 1945 by Rumelian Turks who settled in İzmir after the population exchange, Rumeli Patisserie is one of the best places for mastic-flavored sweets. Try the mastic cookies, homemade ice cream, mastic Turkish delight, and mastic Turkish coffee.

Address: İsmet İnönü, 3435. Sk. No:46, 35930 Çeşme. You can click here for website and location.

İmren Confectionery, Alaçatı

İmren is Alaçatı’s famous sweet shop, open since 1941 and known for mastic pudding, ice cream, and halva. This is where we go when the body says “enough” but the curiosity says “mastic pudding exists, so obviously we continue.”

Address: Alaçatı Mahallesi, Kemalpaşa Cad. No:65. You can click here for website and location.

19. Meat & Kebab

Emektar Kebap, Bornova

Located in Bornova’s 4th Industrial Zone, Emektar Kebap has quickly become a local favorite thanks to its nostalgic atmosphere and excellent kebabs. Whether you order lamb shank, beyti wrap, Emektar kebab, or tray kebab, the food is strong. A major bonus: complimentary ayran. We respect generosity, especially when grilled meat is involved.

Address: Evka 3, 129/7. Sk. 16-2, 35050 Bornova. Click here for location.

Meşhur Tavacı Recep Usta, Konak

If you love tava-style meat dishes, Meşhur Tavacı Recep Usta is one of the places to know. Reservations are essential. Before the main course, they serve salads, içli köfte, and kuru dolma. After the main dish, expect semolina halva with ice cream and baklava. Then comes mırra served by a traditionally dressed coffee vendor, complete with a short explanation. Subtle? Not really. Memorable? Very.

Despite the casual-sounding name, the restaurant is included in the İncili Gastronomy Guide.

Address: Alsancak Mahallesi, Atatürk Cd. No:364, 35220 Konak. You can click here for website and location.

Zaim Usta, Bornova

If you love traditional tradesmen’s restaurant flavors, especially meat dishes, Zaim Usta is a strong choice. Classic dishes such as keşkek, spicy meat casserole, and sautéed meat sell out quickly. Go around lunchtime, and do not arrive too fashionably late unless you enjoy disappointment.

Address: Mersinli, Fatih Cd. No:91, 35170 Bornova. Click here for location.

20. İzmir Restaurants with the Best Views

Teras 1885, Konak

Teras 1885 is the İzmir Chamber of Commerce’s restaurant, and it comes with a magnificent view. The menu focuses on meat and fish, and despite the official-sounding setting, you do not need Chamber membership to visit. If you do not want a full meal, stop by for a drink at the bar and watch the sunset. Very low effort, very high reward.

Address: Alsancak Atatürk Caddesi No:190, Konak. You can click here for website and location.

Yüzde Yüz, Konak

Yüzde Yüz is a brasserie-style place right on the waterfront at Konak Pier. It works for a casual bite, a satisfying breakfast, or simply sitting down and pretending the view alone counts as a full travel experience. Honestly, sometimes it does.

Address: Konak Mahallesi, Atatürk Cad., Konak Pier Shopping Center D:No:19 D:4.

North Pier’s, Konak

Located inside Konak Pier, a former French customs house turned lifestyle center, North Pier’s offers food, drinks, entertainment, and sea views in one neat waterfront package. There is live music on some evenings, and separate daytime and nighttime menus.

Address: Atatürk Caddesi, Konak Pier Shopping Center No: 19/HI-J, 35035 Konak. Click here for location.

Equinox Restaurant and Aquarium Restaurant, Konak

Both restaurants are located inside Swissôtel. Equinox sits on an upper floor with a beautiful sea view, while Aquarium is in the hotel garden and focuses on seafood and meze. Live music takes place on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Both restaurants are included in the İncili Gastronomy Guide.

Address: Alsancak Mahallesi, Swissôtel Grand Efes, Gazi Osman Paşa Blv. No:1, 35210 Konak. Click here for location.

Historic Elevator, Konak

We would not say the food at Asansör Restaurant, Teras Cafe, and Ceneviz Bar is especially memorable, but the view from the top of İzmir’s historic elevator absolutely is. Even if you do not go for a meal, it is worth stopping for a drink and the panorama.

Address: Turgut Reis, Şht. Nihatbey Cd. 76/A, 03500 Konak. Click here for location.

21. Our Favorite Restaurants in İzmir

Alaçatı

Eflatun, Alaçatı

Eflatun, set on one of Alaçatı’s most beautiful streets, impressed us with both its food and atmosphere. We had a legendary vongole here, and we highly recommend it. We had also tried the Robespierre on a previous visit, and two years later, it was still just as good. The mezes, however, did not quite meet our expectations. In Alaçatı, you can find better meze elsewhere.

Address: Alaçatı, 2012. Sk. No:9, 35937 Çeşme. Click here for location.

Kapari Bahçe

Kapari Bahçe is one of our favorite places in Alaçatı. It serves modern Aegean cuisine in a garden setting right in the heart of town. We especially recommend the eggplant paçanga and beef tenderloin with artichoke purée. Reservations are required, because apparently everyone else also has taste.

Address: 2012. Sk. No:10. You can click here for website and location.

Fava, Çeşme

Fava is a good place to escape Alaçatı’s crowds and sit in a spacious courtyard with mezes and fresh seafood. It feels relaxed, generous, and far enough from the bustle to let your nervous system unclench a little.

Address: Alaçatı, Kemalpaşa Cd. No:108, 35930 Çeşme. You can click here for website and location.

Yıldızburnu

Nevi, Ilıca

Nevi, located in Yıldızburnu and easy to reach from Alaçatı, is a lovely meze restaurant that also works as a gastropub. The mezes are familiar but refined with small, thoughtful touches. Just do not get so lost in the meze that you skip the chard rolls from the main course. We loved its calm, elegant seaside location.

Address: 5253 Sok. No:15 (Yıldızburnu) Ilıca, 35930 Çeşme. Click here for location.

Tokmak Hasan’ın Yeri, Çeşme Center

Tokmak Hasan’ın Yeri is a traditional local eatery in central Çeşme serving döner kebab, İskender kebab, kelle paça, and tripe with chickpeas. Open since 1948, it also has a small garden at the back. It is a classic, and classics usually become classics for a reason.

Address: Musalla Mah. 1015 Sok. 3/ı Kale Lokantası Tokmak Hasan’ın Yeri, 35930 Çeşme. Click here for location.

Kaplan

Kaplan Dağ Restaurant, Kaplan Village

Kaplan Dağ Restaurant is a famous restaurant in Tire, known for Aegean herbs, especially those dressed with plenty of garlic and lemon, as well as dishes like stuffed zucchini flowers cooked in olive oil. It is green, rustic, and extremely worth the climb.

Address: Kaplan Ah., Karşıyaka Sokak No:14, 35900 Tire. Click here for location.

Urla

Hiç Lokanta

It is hard to call Hiç just a restaurant, because owner Duygu Hanım seems to have poured everything she has learned into the place. She lived for years in France, worked with food and olive oil education in different countries, followed fashion in Paris through her profession, and eventually created an olive grove in Urla. Hiç came next.

When we visited, they had an open-air cinema concept. A menu was designed to match the film, and guests ate while watching. They also occasionally organize olive oil tasting workshops.

The menu changes because the restaurant follows a farm-to-table approach, so it is hard to recommend one fixed dish. But if the charcuterie board is available, consider it. Their homemade blackberry mustard is legendary. They even make their own pastırma. The whole place is full of effort, detail, and quiet finesse. The name “Hiç” refers to reaching nothingness, or a kind of Nirvana — which feels accurate after a very good meal.

Address: Yeni, Sanat Sokağı, Zafer Cd. No:52, 35430 Urla. Click here for location.

Fırın Vourla

Fırın Vourla is a charming restaurant created by restoring an old Greek bakery. The space has a warm, thoughtful feel, and you can sense the care behind the design. It is one of those places that makes you slow down before the food even arrives.

Address: Yeni, Uzun Sk. No:8, 35430 Urla. Click here for location.

Od Urla

Od Urla is a gastronomic restaurant that opened in 2018 near the center of Urla, surrounded by olive trees. Everything served here is made with local ingredients sourced from local producers and Aegean markets. The architecture is stylish too: glass walls, high ceilings, and a very polished, contemporary atmosphere. The menu changes regularly, and the restaurant received a Michelin star in 2024.

Address: Rüstem, Rüstem Mahallesi 2018/9 Sokak, Süt Pınarı Mevkii No:28, 35430 Urla. You can click here for website and location.

Levan Urla

Levan is one of Urla’s most popular chef-led restaurants. The menu changes daily, though there are steady favorites like wood-fired pizza. The garden is also very pleasant. Note that they do not accept children.

Address: Kuşçular, Kuşcular Cd. No:3, 35430 Urla. Click here for location.

Vino Locale

Vino Locale is run by a chef couple who settled in Urla and transformed an old Urla house into a wonderful gastronomic destination with a slight Tuscany mood. The menu changes seasonally, and the garden is beautiful. Guests under 15 are not accepted. The restaurant received a Michelin star in 2024.

Address: Kuşçular, 8037. Sk. No:3, 35430. Click here for website and location.

Teruar Urla

Surrounded by vineyards and olive trees, Teruar Urla is both an accommodation and a chef’s restaurant. The atmosphere is simple, tranquil, and refined. There is no à la carte menu; only a tasting menu is available. Call ahead to reserve and ask about the current menu before you go.

Website. Address: Kuşçular, 8028. Sk. No:16, 35430. Click here for location.

Perdix

Located on the road between Urla and Birgi, Perdix is an elegant place with modular architecture, landscaped gardens, and a polished menu. It is the kind of stop that feels very planned, even if you absolutely stumbled into it pretending to be spontaneous.

Click here for location and website.

Alsancak

La Cigale – French Cuisine

La Cigale is a refined restaurant next to the French Cultural Center, serving French cuisine in a pleasant garden setting. We would not call it an essential tourist stop, but for a business lunch or a polished meal in central İzmir, it is one of the better options.

Address: Kültür Mahallesi, Alsancak Mahallesi French Cultural Center, Cumhuriyet Bulvarı, D:No:152, 35220 Konak. Click here for website and location.

Boho Lokal

Boho Lokal is a good choice for healthy daily meals, sugar-free desserts, and gluten-free snacks. It is also vegan-friendly, making it a useful stop when your body starts asking for vegetables after several days of kumru, kebab, and “just one more dessert.”

Address: Kültür, Şevket Özçelik Sk. No:2 D:E, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

Odelato Artisan Gelato

Odelato is the place for artisan Italian-style gelato in central İzmir. The ice cream is made with natural, seasonal ingredients, and the variety is comparable to what you might find in Europe. Very dangerous if you are the kind of person who needs to “just taste” three flavors before ordering.

Address: Kültür, Meksika Sokağı No:5A, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik

Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik is one of İzmir’s oldest pizzerias and has been a city favorite since 1979. Its reputation is strong enough that people even travel from Istanbul to eat here. For pizza. In İzmir. That tells us something.

Address: Kültür, Alsancak – İzmir, 1382 Sokak, Gül Sk. No:10/AB, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

Balmumu Dükkan Lokanta

Balmumu Dükkan Lokanta is the restaurant of Ahmet Güzelyağdöken, one of İzmir’s well-known gourmets and an expert in İzmir cuisine who also teaches at university. Naturally, the menu reflects the city’s multicultural culinary heritage.

Do not expect a luxurious, stiff restaurant. Balmumu is modest, thoughtful, and closer to a modern neighborhood restaurant with plenty of home-style cooking. That is exactly its charm.

Address: Alsancak, Kültür Mah, 1388. Sk. No: 5 D:C, 35220 Konak. Click here for location.

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