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Manzara Review

Last summer I had the privilege of visiting one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever eaten in.

Manzara restaurant in Söğüt, 40km from Marmaris centre, sits atop a mountain with a panoramic view of the bay. Known for its fresh array of seafood and unique menu based on local ingredients, this restaurant is very popular and can be fully booked up for months at a time.

View from our table

We arrived by car at around 2pm, with it taking us an hour to do the journey from Marmaris centre. We easily parked and made our way inside where we were greeted by the most spectacular view. The indoor dining area sits on the cliff, looking out at the mountains and the sea. It also had all of its glass windows open and out the way, giving that perfect unhindered backdrop and lovely fresh airflow. Once inside there is access to their outdoor seating area which would probably be better for larger groups.

We started by ordering some meze, going over to the counter to take a look at what was available. We ordered a variety of different small dishes, mostly of seafood we hadn’t tried before. We didn’t have to wait long before the dishes started to come out. The bread first with the Lor (a type of white Turkish cheese) and olive oil. Our seafood plates of crabs legs, prawns with a honey mustard sauce, white fish with avocado and marinated soon followed. Everything tasted amazing. The prawns were my favourite, perfectly cooked in a well-balanced, light, but flavour filled sauce. We then ordered some four cheese börek which was by far the best I’ve had since I’ve been in Turkey and I probably could have eaten all 4 myself. We finished by sharing chocolate mousse for dessert which was not quite the texture I expected as it didn’t have much air in. It tasted nice all the same but had a very strong chocolate flavour and despite the small portion I would not have been able to eat this on my own.

Four cheese börek

I should add at this point that this is an expensive restaurant. A meal for two with enough food to fill you up plus drinks will cost you £100-£200. A large part of the customer base is those who arrive by yacht into the nearby bays. It is also hard to follow what you’re spending if you were on a budget as you do not get a menu with set prices on it.

After we had finished our food and soaking in the atmosphere we decided to head down for a walk on the beach. I would definitely recommend this as Soğut is a quaint town and a lovely place for a stroll. I also took note of a few other places that looked like nice spots for something to eat and drink. If you were to visit the beach just note it is pebbles, not sand.

Overall I had a wonderful experience. This is the perfect place for a special occasion or romantic dinner. We watched the sunset on the beach which was beautiful but you can book a table for the right time if you check ahead to watch it at Manzara. Reservations are also a must, ring or book online on their website.

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