Should you eat here? Hell yes; Its a lovely place to be so make sure you look it up and book.
My last visit to Marmaris was September 2022 when the beachfront promenade was packed with tourists enjoying the late evening sun and the many restaurants and bars vied for business, sometimes a little too enthusiastically. This is the Marmaris “strip” and during the season the many restaurants and bars lay claim to the beach directly opposite their establishments. Some have built jetties out into the Aegean bedecked with lanterns; A popular setting on a hot August night when the temperature rarely falls below 30 degrees.
Now it is a cold February night and Marmaris beach is strewn with seaweed after the recent storms which swept along the coastline and along into Icmeler. The sun loungers and parasols have gone, and the romantic jetties are steel Skellington's abandoned to the elements. Tonight, most of the eateries are closed and their alfresco dining areas are cold and empty. Only the occasional blackboard with last year's specials and BOGOF offers gives a clue to their business.
At the end of the strip nearest Marmaris center and the public beach is the Yeshill restaurant and hotel. One of a few places open on the strip at this time of year, its panoramic glass windows and bustling interior are a beacon to those looking for food, wine or just a bolt hole from the wind and rain. Inside the place is a green oasis of plants, climbing, hanging, and sometimes blooming. In the summer, the glass frontage and roof fold back for alfresco dining – no one wants an inside table. In the winter it becomes an orangery. A second level further back provides more seating and everywhere is busy with locals enjoying a night out in lovely surroundings. The waiter leads us to a table at the front of the Restuarant. A cake is delivered to a table nearby and a chorus of happy birthday breaks out.
Water is delivered without requesting and a young waiter brings us menus. Mine is in English and my wife's in Russian. She wonders if this is just carelessness or something in her appearance or manner. We ordered the house white wine. A bottle of Buzzbag arrives in an ice bucket which is placed on an adjoining table there for the purpose. Ice buckets seem to be going out of fashion in favour of stainless steel tubes which have become ubiquitous and simply useless in warmer climates. The waiter pours and second menu in English is handed to my wife.
While we are deciding on starters, the waiter arrives with a selection of Flat breads, olives, caramelized onions in balsamic vinegar, fresh tomatoes with chilies and bulgar wheat. It looks good and tastes better. It’s by no means unusual in Turkey to be provided with complimentary starters but the practice is dying out and its now a lottery meaning that you can expect anything from nothing to a delightful meze selection.
The Buzzbag wine is a supermarket staple and one I buy too much off on my regular stays in Turkey. Made with native Turkish grapes Emir and Narince I find it a refreshing easy drink and I’m not averse to chucking ice in it when the stainless-steel tube as lost the battle with the Ambiant temperature. Tonight it's perfect.
Our choice of main courses did not disappoint. Our order of Kilas Tava is a delight. A sort of kebab in a pan made from ground lamb and spices cooked in the oven and topped with flatbread. The second dish - lamb ribs were served with peppers, onion & mint salad, grilled tomatoes and served on a flatbread. To be fair you need to be a major fan of lamb to enjoy this dish. The ribs are high on crispy lamb fat and are best tackled with fingers. I loved them.
Our main course was followed by a complimentary fruit board. Fresh green apples, juicy orange slices, grapes and my favorite pomegranate. A final course (name unknown) was a sort of flat, crispy baklava served with Turkish ice cream was simply morish and I would go back for that alone even though desert is something I would normally pass on, especially Baklava!
So should you look it up and book, call in if passing or steer clear. Well, I would suggest you look it up and book and in the summer months booking will be essential.
0 (252) 413 4041
Yeshill Hotel and Beach Restaurant
Çıldır Mahallesi 207. Sokak No:8 Marmaris, Muğla
Tel (0) 252 414 4041
0 (252) 413 4041
Comments