Dine at a restaurant that caters to tradespeople and gain great insight into daily life and the local cuisine. Known as Smyrna in ancient times, Izmir has long been an important port and you will see the abundance of goods available in the Kemeralti Market. Many of the items on display in this centuries-old market will be ingredients in your lunch, which will be enjoyed at a traditional restaurant for working people known as a esnaf lokantasi. These popular spots are typically small, lively and filled with locals that come for the fresh home-style cooking. You will be offered a variety of authentic small-plate dishes and main courses made with seasonal ingredients that reflect the cuisine of Izmir. The welcoming atmosphere is such that you can’t help but feel like one of the locals. After dining, you can explore the neighborhood on your own, an experience that will enhance your understanding of day-to-day life.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse a centuries-old marketplace that offers a remarkable array of merchandise.
• Dine at a restaurant that serves traditional dishes to a largely working-class clientele.
• Revel in the restaurant’s lively, unpretentious atmosphere.
• Spend free time exploring the surrounding neighborhood after dining.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy an indulgent meal at a contemporary restaurant in a boutique hotel along the revitalized Urla wine route. Although wine had been produced in this area for thousands of years, the wineries had fallen into ruin and forgotten until a landowner stumbled across the remains of one somewhat recently. Wineries are now back in full force as you will discover at Perdix, a restaurant in the heart of this burgeoning wine region. You will be offered a sampling of several wines made from familiar grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and lesser-known varietals from grapes that have been brought back from near extinction. It is an inspiring story made all the more relevant during the tasting. Similarly, lunch will reflect the distinctive cuisine of Urla as the ingredients will be locally sourced. The small-plate dishes will likely include octopus-stuffed gnocchi while the main course may be grilled sea bream fresh from the Aegean Sea.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover how the long-forgotten wineries in the Urla district have been revitalized.
• Sample premium wines made from grapes that thrive in the Urla terroir.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Settle in for a panoramic drive through Izmir, an ancient city whose origins date back more than 5,000 years, and then dine on a gourmet meal that showcases the local cuisine. Izmir exudes history through its many excavated archaeological sites, yet it is still a modern metropolis, especially around the shimmering Gulf of Izmir. The restaurant Soiree overlooks the waterfront and offers an extraordinary setting for your lunch. It occupies a building in the Konak Pier Shopping Mall that was used as a customs house in the 19th century. In this atmospheric location, you will enjoy a leisurely multi-course meal that showcases the local ingredients. The area’s signature sour plums will be prepared into a sauce to accompany the veal shank entrée and an exquisitely flavored type of local pear will be featured in the dessert. Local wines or raki – the national drink of Turkey – will also be served.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gain a historical perspective of Izmir on a panoramic drive through downtown.
• Dine at the restaurant Soiree, which overlooks the renovated and modernized waterfront.
• Savor a meal made with iconic ingredients for a true understanding of the local cuisine.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Whet your appetite by browsing a fish market with the bounty of the sea on ice and then settle in at a restaurant for a traditional seafood lunch. As an introduction to the area, you will be treated to a panoramic drive through Izmir, a densely populated city that dates back more than 5,000 years. Even so, Izmir is decidedly modern, much more than the town of Güzelbahçe, which lies a bit farther down the Gulf of Izmir. While meandering through its main fish market, you will see an array of seafood such as octopus, squid, mackerel and mullet, all caught in the Aegean Sea. Sardines are also plentiful and perhaps even more iconic, especially when grilled. Although the menu at the waterfront restaurant changes with the season, you will likely dine on mezes such as crispy calamari and succulent mussels and sea bass or sea bream as the main course.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a spectacularly scenic and enlightening drive through downtown Izmir.
• Browse a fish market in seaside Güzelbahçe, where the day’s catch will be on display.
• Dine on fresh seafood caught in the Aegean at a waterfront restaurant in Güzelbahçe.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.