Isola Manzara Gardens — Restaurant in Bodrum

Let’s start with the positives: the atmosphere is gorgeous and the view is truly spectacular of the city of Bodrum that I’d argue you couldn’t get anywhere else. Absolutely come for a cocktail and a nibble but leave it at that.

The full debrief: The portions for the food were great, we had the pasta and tartare and you could tell the ingredients were fresh. But my god these prices. For starters, everything is in Euro which was a shock for us. We went to one of the finest dining restaurants the other night and the menu was in Lira but was significantly more reasonable despite being very high end including white tablecloths and beautiful seating. The cost of the wine was beyond extortionate we are talking €75 for the cheapest bottle and you only have a couple options, a decent bottle would be over €100 which is crazy as we paid €50 for a delicious local wine at another high end restaurant. The service was all slightly disorganized and totally appreciate many people are new and it’s the start of the season but orders were forgotten and the flow was disjointed. The chairs were also a bit broken which should not be the case given the prices and „Michelin...

We used to prefer this restaurant several times as it was a special place for our family, but I think our story has come to an end. It is super overpriced, considering they serve only "average" Italian food. It is definitely not a gastronomic experience; perhaps the only noteworthy part of the experience was paying €30 for half-burnt, two-layer bitter parmigiana. There is surprisingly neither creativity nor talent in the food. I understand why they don't serve Turkish tea, but the Earl Grey tea they did serve was particularly disappointing—it tasted cheap and lacked the nuanced flavors one would expect. The atmosphere is usually perfect as is the view, but this time the DJ did his best to convince us we were at an Italian restaurant by playing the lamest 60s and 70s songs. He lost me shortly before he played "Lasciatemi Cantare." The only distinguished item was the burrata, which is not usually available in Turkey. The rest of the dishes were at an almost amateur, home-cooking level. A two-course meal for two, with one glass of wine each, cost over €200. Sadly, we have to rule...

First of all, many thanks to İbrahim and Ozan. They truly provided a warm and sincere atmosphere. As for my observations about the venue:

The menu is priced and presented in euros, which is understandable, but there are some issues in the details. While the place presents itself as high-end, I felt it lacks a strong sense of gusto or culinary identity. I recommend removing the stains on the chairs before the high season begins. The wine glasses seem a bit on the cheaper side; investing in higher-quality glassware would elevate the overall presentation. I would also suggest ensuring that the glasses are spotless, free from lipstick marks—it’s an important detail. If you're going to charge such high prices, the quality should match accordingly. In this regard, I believe there is still room for improvement.

Other than that, I generally enjoyed the food. However, I can't help but ask myself—and the establishment at the same time—whether the experience truly...