Best Restaurants in İçmeler: Where to Eat, What to Order

How eating out in İçmeler works

The resort centre runs on restaurants that serve Turkish and international dishes side by side, so a group with different appetites can share one table. Menus cover everything from British roasts to Korean dishes, which means you are not locked into one cuisine for the evening. Use the icmeler map to work out which end of the seafront you are on before you commit to a table.

A 2017 round-up of places to eat in and around İçmeler gives a useful picture of what each named kitchen does. Treat the specific dishes as a guide to style rather than a live menu, since kitchens change. For the wider resort picture, our Things to Do in İçmeler page sets the scene.

Turkish breakfast: what a full spread includes

A Turkish breakfast is a spread rather than a single plate: cheeses, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jams, honey, fresh bread and börek, with a pot of black tea brewed in the Turkish style and served in tulip glasses. It is designed as a slow family gathering, so leave the morning free and do not plan an early boat trip afterwards. Ros Beach, near Marmaris, is the pick for this meal, with tables over the water and views across to the Marmaris shoreline and the mountains.

Weekends are the busy slot at Ros Beach, so book ahead or go on a weekday if you want a relaxed table. After eating you can use a sun bed or swim, which makes it a half-day rather than a quick stop. Ask for a waterside table when you book.

Turkish tapas and meze: what to order

Hanedan in İçmeler serves Turkish tapas and main meals, with a few British dishes on the side, and the advice from the round-up is to try a mixture of plates rather than commit to one dish. That approach lets you try the kitchen's more unusual offerings alongside familiar plates.

The round-up notes some unusual menu items at Hanedan, such as honey pepperoni. The menu also includes British offerings, so fussy eaters have a fallback.

Seafood and steak: İçmeler and Marmaris options

Highside sits in the old-town area of Marmaris, up cobbled steps that are tiring for some but reward you with a view over the harbour. The kitchen specialises in fresh seafood, as many places in that area do, but the steak is the dish the round-up recommends here. Go before sunset so you see the colour change over the water.

In Turunç, Fidan is a beachfront restaurant with a good range of fresh seafood; the grilled prawns and calamari are the plates to aim for, and the fresh orange juice is worth ordering. Service is quiet rather than warm, so go for the food and the sea view rather than a lively atmosphere. It makes a sensible lunch stop if you are spending the day on that side of the bay.

Family-friendly and special-setting meals

Waterfall in İçmeler has a waterfall as its backdrop, which makes it the obvious choice for a celebration or a romantic dinner, but children enjoy watching the water and fish too. Portions are big and service is good, so it works for a mixed-age group. Message the restaurant on Facebook to pre-book a table beside the waterfall, and look for the hammock up the cobbled steps to the side.

Three Bells is a lively restaurant, karaoke and sports bar in İçmeler, with an extensive menu of Turkish and international food plus a Korean section that is unusual for İçmeler; the bulgogi is the dish to try. It also does a Sunday roast with a generous portion, and that is the busiest sitting of the week, so go early. The staff are friendly and the service is good, which helps with children.

Where to eat in nearby Marmaris and Turunç

When the resort centre feels samey, Marmaris old town and Turunç give you a change of scene. Highside above the harbour is the old-town pick for a sunset steak, while Fidan on the Turunç beachfront is the seafood alternative. Both make a change of scene from İçmeler, so build the journey into your evening rather than treating it as a walk.

If you are combining a meal with a day out, use the İçmeler Map to get your bearings between İçmeler, Marmaris and Turunç before you set off. Allow extra time in the evening when transport fills up.

Practical points: peak evenings, booking and paying

Weekend breakfast at Ros Beach and Sunday roast at Three Bells are the two sittings the round-up flags as busy, so go early or shift your meal to a weekday. For harbour views at Highside, aim to arrive before sunset rather than at it.

Ask for the menu with prices before you order, in whatever currency the restaurant quotes, and check the bill as you go. If you want to combine a meal with shopping, our shopping in icmeler page covers the centre's shops.

Which table should you book first?

Start with Hanedan for a meze spread and Ros Beach for a long breakfast, then add Waterfall for a special evening or Highside for a harbour-view steak. If you don't mind a dolmuş ride, Fidan in Turunç gives you a beachfront seafood lunch. Book the busy sittings ahead and keep the rest of the day loose around a Turkish breakfast.