Bodrum, the beloved seaside city along the Turquoise Coast, is the absolute gem of the Turkish Riviera — and where I spent countless summers growing up. With its stunning, sapphire-blue waters, lush green landscape, waterfront restaurants, coastal charm, and, of course, the locally beloved Bodrum mandalina (the region’s distinctive mandarin), it’s a dreamy escape that keeps one coming back, summer after summer.
Vacationing in this coastal city can be based at a summer house rental, a beachfront boutique hotel in Türkbükü, or an ultra-luxurious resort. For travelers seeking an indulgent retreat with every imaginable luxury at their fingertips, the all-inclusive Maxx Royal Bodrum is one of the region’s most coveted resorts. The sumptuous hotel along the peninsula is home to six pools, private beach decks where you can sip Turkish rosé by the sea, daily yacht tours, and the 61,000-square-foot Maxx Wellbeing spa center offering wellness treatments like Ayurveda therapy, Turkish hammam rituals, bespoke facials, and beyond.
It is also one of the hottest culinary destinations in the area, with seven restaurants, five cocktail bars, an artisanal ice cream parlor, and in-house patisserie Le Mélange & Chocolatier. From Wolfgang Puck’s signature creations at Spago Bodrum and caviar bumps at Caviar Kaspia to Turkish classics like içli köfte and mantı at Safraan, the acclaimed culinary program even attracts non-guests from nearby homes and neighboring hotels who come solely to dine at the resort. And the impressive bites begin with the first meal of the day.
A Mediterranean breakfast buffet that goes above and beyond
Bread and pastries at Twenty4Credit: Courtesy of Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort
I’m not a breakfast person. Especially when traveling, I skip straight from coffee to a fulfilling early lunch. At Maxx Royal Bodrum, that all changed thanks to a meticulously curated breakfast experience. I woke up every morning dreaming of the breakfast buffet at Twenty4, the resort’s 24-hour restaurant, featuring local specialties like acuka (a traditional breakfast spread), sucuk (dried, spicy beef sausage), olives, honeycomb, pickles, an assortment of Turkish cheeses, and pastries like simit and zeytinli poğaça. À la carte dishes like avocado toast, sucuklu yumurta (sunny side up eggs with sucuk), and menemen (scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers, and onions) are made to order as well. (Alternatively, breakfast is served daily at the beachfront Casa Sol.)
As the Maxx Royal Resorts corporate chef, Naoki Katori, tells Food & Wine, the buffet’s cheese selection reflects “[Türkiye’s] exceptional diversity of regional cheeses,” with varieties sourced from renowned cheese-producing cities like Kars, Antalya, Hatay, İzmir, Çanakkale, Erzincan, and Bursa. The scrumptious olives, meanwhile, are sourced from local growers in Bodrum, Milas, and Hatay.
Savor Turkish seafood classics and Aegean mezes at Seavoré
Dishes at SeavoreCredit: Courtesy of Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort
No trip to Bodrum is complete without a taste of Aegean coastal cuisine. Luckily, Seavoré, the resort’s waterfront seafood restaurant, does it just right, drawing inspiration from “the rich traditions of Turkish fisheries and coastal cuisine,” per Katori. First, guests pick a locally caught fish to be grilled to their liking, then an abundant display of housemade mezes is presented on a large tray to choose from. I recommend the atom (garlicky strained yogurt topped with spicy chili oil), levrek marin (marinated sea bass), and midye dolma (stuffed mussels). Lastly, the must-have of any Turkish seafood spread: terayağlı karides (spicy, buttery sautéed shrimp), which comes sizzling in a mini casserole. Our attendant teasingly warned us to order two servings of the hot starter, promising it’d be the favorite — he was absolutely right.
The resort’s celebrity chef-led restaurants blend upscale dining with exceptional flavors
Smoked salmon pizza and other dishes at SpagoCredit: Courtesy of Maxx Royal Bodrum Resort
Across from Seavoré, on the other side of the sea, sits legendary Michelin-starred chef Wolfgang Puck’s Spago. Begin the evening with Wolfgang’s Perfect Negroni, blending Aperol and Campari to give the cocktail an extra burst of orange essence — a fitting touch for Bodrum, aka Turkey’s citrus haven. Standout dishes include beef filet skewers with hot mustard aioli and shichimi peppers, Spago’s iconic smoked salmon pizza, and scallop sashimi with creamy citrus-yuzu dressing, daikon, and amaranth. For a freshly baked, warm, and gooey dessert, don’t skip “Wolfgang’s favorite chocolate chip cookies,” a recipe Puck has inherited from his Austrian pastry chef mother.
Related: These All-Inclusive Resorts Are All About the Food
Perched atop a rocky hill, Leña by Michelin-starred chef Dani García, with a dimly lit, bohemian ambiance, is the ideal choice for a fire-led steakhouse dinner. At the Spanish-inspired restaurant, fire, smoke, and charcoal take the lead across an innovative menu, featuring expertly grilled rib eye, lamb chops, as well as chargrilled avocado and chargrilled leek.The meal begins with Leña’s signature starter: goat butter with leek ash. The tangy, rich artisanal goat butter from Turkey’s Konya region is topped with the completely blackened, powdered leek. “It is a small dish, but one that perfectly represents the approach in Bodrum: combining Spanish fire-cooking techniques with exceptional local ingredients and producers,” the resort corporate chef explains. Another highlight is the subtly sweet, aromatic, and spicy tuna ceviche with ají amarillo and Turkish green chilies, developed exclusively for Leña Bodrum, using locally sourced ingredients from the region.
Each of these restaurants leaves a lasting impression, making Maxx Royal Bodrum’s culinary program a compelling reason to book your stay. Of course, the constantly glistening Aegean Sea, endless selection of Turkish wines, and expansive spa center don’t hurt either.
(Pro tip: At Casa Sol’s beach bar, ask for a spicy Tabasco Margarita, an off-menu cocktail that was the most unforgettable drink of my recent trip.)
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Dining and Cooking