Zakka Cafe & Restaurant — Restaurant in Bodrum

The good - our server was great, and we had a small conversation.

The bad - the food was so-so and very expensive.

My wife and I stopped at this eatery based on glowing Google reviews. The menu choices are very limited.

I ordered a yougurt meat kebab (strips of grilled beef on yogurt bed with some grilled vegetables). The only thing I could taste was sourness of the yogurt. The strips of grilled beef were not seasoned, and all the taste was very lucklaster. The cost was 17 euros.

My wife ordered a seafood geveche at 20 euros. It also was very so-so, with lacking flavors and only prominent seafood being chunks of octopus.

With ayran and a lemonade, we paid $48, which absolutely doesn't correspond to the quality and taste. You can get a better quality/taste at a street stand for $15-$20, for two people.

I'd suggest avoiding this overrated place, but if you want to repeat my experience , be my guest.

P.S. In case you think I might not have a developed taste , this is my third trip to Turkey, I traveled the world and often cook Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, European, and...

We came to Bodrum for the day to visit the Castle and the different ruins. We were surprised at the prices as we have been staying in Ortakent and have loved going to local restaurants where we have to use Google translate to translate the menus. Anyway, so I was looking for a restaurant that wouldn't be too touristy and found this one. My oldest is autistic and was hungry and cranky when we arrived. The owner was super amazing with him and very kind. Most of the time my son doesn't 'present as autistic' whatever that means, but writing it so others understand. So most people don't understand why he is picky about where he sits at a table or anything like that. I had the chicken yogurt kebab, my husband the beef version, my youngest the meatballs (I'm assuming Köfte, but the menu was in English), and my oldest the braised beef (dry). Everyone cleaned their plates, it was so yummy. We then got turkish tea and baklava to share. The only thing that was hard is all the smokers around us, obviously this is not the owners...

I have been accused of being posh but I can assure you that I am not.

This charming Turkish restaurant in the middle of the tourist area is a real rare gem.

The restaurant is small but so well decorated with retro ornaments from the restaurant owner’s family home. The owner Mehmet is very friendly and make you instantly feel home.

He decorated and modelled his restaurant with his reminiscential and nostalgic view of his grandmother’s village from his childhood. It took me back in time and stretched my imagination.

The food is good. It’s not fine dining but decent homemade food in a place where you feel you belong home. This is what it is all about:- feel home in a foreign place. I haven’t had this feeling for so long. No amount of fine dining and pretentious service would bring you home.

This is one of the best restaurants I have visited in recent years, and I do travel a lot to many fine restaurants in the world.

Food 9/10, ambience 9/10, service 9/10, value for money 9.5/10.

What a hidden gem and I...