Eating out in Dalyan is fantastic. There are various dining opportunities for the holidaymakers in Dalyan. It can be said that whole Dalyan is full of quality restaurants and cafes. Most Dalyan restaurants and cafes are located along the river. You are able to find every kind of food & beverage & world cuisine for your taste.
There are live music and cafe-bar opportunities for the couples or groups after dinner as well. Whether you want to spend your entire holiday dining on steak or chips or fancy something traditionally Turkish, you’ll find this and all manner of other cuisines in this highly developed holiday resort. Keep it cheap and tasty at the many fast food restaurants which serve everything from burgers to kebabs, or have a pie or pasty at one of the British pubs. You can also choose from a wide range of Turkish mezes, kebabs, dishes based on aubergine and meat and world-famous Turkish sweets such as baklava and Turkish delight at the many Turkish restaurants and taverns.
Turkish food is largely based on that of the Ottoman Empire which remained powerful from the 13th to the 19th century. Influences of Persian, Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Caucasian and Balkan cuisines can be found in the melting pot of different cultures which is Turkish cuisine. Common ingredients in Turkish food include lamb, chickpeas, aubergines, olive oil, yogurt, cheese, rice, pastry, spinach, potatoes, bread, tomatoes and spices and herbs such as cumin, paprika, mint and thyme.
Popular starters (mezes) include hummus (a chickpea dip), dolma (vine leaves, peppers, pumpkin or aubergines stuffed with rice and/or meat), Börek (thin layers of dough stuffed with meat, cheese and vegetables) and cacik (cucumber with yogurt, dried mint and olive oil). Popular main dishes include Kuzu Güveç (lamb casserole), olive oil-drizzled lamb kebabs, köfte (meatballs made from minced meat, parsley, bread-egg, onion and spices such as cumin, oregano, mint, garlic and pepper.
Vegetarian dishes include fried aubergine and pepper served with yogurt and garlic, Rice pilaf (rice with white beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas and vegetables) and Mücver (grated courgette/squash with egg, onion, dill and cheese, fried or oven cooked). Famous Turkish sweets include Turkish delight, baklava (pistachios or walnuts sweetened and wrapped in sweet pastry), lokma (fried dough dipped in syrup) and helva (made from sautéed semolina, pine nuts, butter, sugar and milk).
