Denizatı Restaurant, Fethiye – A Year Round Favourite

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Eateries in Fethiye; it’s a never-ending, constantly changing, fluid tale. They come / they go / they stick around for years / they completely refurbish. This is how Fethiye rolls. So we’d like to tell you about Denizatı Restaurant in this post.

Denizatı Restaurant, Fethiye

Denizatı Restaurant is right at the end of phase 2 of Fethiye harbour. It also happens to be our nearest food and watering hole.

We like to have good neighbours; somewhere where we can just drop in for a quick drink and a chat, somewhere to chill, somewhere familiar.

We have places like this dotted all over the Fethiye area. And in other places in Turkey, too, that we visit often. We’re bar people – we live in Turkey – we need our havens.

Denizatı means ‘seahorse’ so, if you know Ölüdeniz at all, you’ll recognise the name immediately. Seahorse is also one of the beaches and hotels on the lagoon.

The businesses are run by the Özdemirs. And Fethiye people have known them for many years as the owners of Kral Restaurant in the centre of Fethiye.

These days, the building that housed Kral is now a block of smart apartments and ground floor shops.

The Big Refurbishment

But let’s get back to Denizatı Restaurant.

When all the new restaurants were built along the harbour, the style they were built in meant it was a struggle for them to look and feel cosy in winter. It was a challenge for them to keep customers dry as the rain tumbled down.

But, over the years, some of the restaurants have got creative and invested in not just a more updated look but also in the comfort of customers year round.

Çarıklı Et and Denizatı have got to be our favourites.

As well as a partial rebuild, Denizatı also employed a local interior designer to kit the place out.

The result is what we see today. Shaded outdoor seating by the sea in summer and cosy interior for cold winter nights.

Dining At Denizatı Restaurant

Over the years, the menu at Denizatı restaurant has seen a few changes. But what has never changed is the fact that there is something for everyone.

Sometimes, we’ll just go to Denizatı for a snack on the way to the Fethiyespor match. Other times, we’ll go for a more substantial meal for a special occasion.

Favourites Old And New

The dishes in the photos are some of our favourites. I love the crispy seafood salad – a recent addition to the menu – and also the beğendili köfte.

If you’re a fan of Turkish köfte and also of the aubergine puree that makes up the famous Ottoman dish, Hünkar Beğendi, then we can recommend beğendili köfte!

When it comes to snacks, Barry’s a big fan of the classic menemen at Denizatı. It’s sometimes also possible to graze on some midye dolma (stuffed mussels) chosen from the fridges inside.

Warm, Sunny Days

Obviously, in the summer months, warm sunny days and evenings are plentiful. But we also get lots of pleasant winter afternoons, too.

At Denizatı Restaurant, you are sitting right along the harbour, taking in the sunshine. Enjoy panoramic views around the bay overlooking Fethiye, the peninsula or over towards Şövalye Island and Çalış.

Into The Evening

And in summer, as the sun goes down, booking a table to time your dining with the sunset is well worth your trouble. As you can see in the photo.

Timing this right isn’t as difficult as you might think. Choose your day and the check on our events calendar for that day’s sunset time.

Then it’s just case of messaging the guys at the restaurant and booking your table.

The Çalış Beach sunset is certainly spectacular but the Fethiye harbour sunset is also a treat not to be missed. At any time of year.

Cosy Winter Days And Nights

Those downright cold winter’s evenings (and daytimes, too) are where the refurbishment at Denizatı Restaurant really comes into its own.

It doesn’t matter how cold or wet it is outside, many Turkish people still prefer to sit outside all wrapped up so they can smoke.

For us non-smokers, however, bring on the toasty temperatures and cosy atmosphere of the great indoors!

Warm lighting, a mix of formal dining chairs and sofas, rustic tables – it all combines to make Denizatı Restaurant a place that is difficult to leave.

Seafood Dining At Denizatı Restaurant

Turkish meze is, for us, the best way to eat – small portions, some of which arrive to the table over a period of time so as not to fill you up too quickly.

Leisurely dining at its best, where food, conversation – and often alcohol, too – blend together to create a perfect evening.

We often think of meze as the cold, mainly vegetarian, dishes placed on your table before your main meal arrives.

But, while this is also the case, non-vegetarian meze dishes are, these days, well and truly on the menu in many of Fethiye’s restaurants…and here we’re talking about seafood meze in particular.

At the fish market in Fethiye, more and more of the restaurants have displays packed with, not only the old faithfuls such as Antep Ezmesi and aubergine salad, but also a variety of seafood-based meze treats, too.

There are dedicated fish restaurants in Fethiye that really go to town with their seafood meze – so much so, you don’t need to order a main meal of fish afterwards.

Whilst the menu at Denizatı Restaurant has a whole variety of dishes to match most tastes, they also have a large selection of meze and main meal seafood dishes that will tempt just about anyone who loves to enjoy the fruits of the sea.

Seafood meze and main meals can be chosen from the menu. But, also, make sure you don’t miss out on any daily specials from the fridges, too.

The waiters will be happy to go to the fridges with you to show you what’s on offer and take your order. We often mix and match both from the menu and the fridges.

Save The Bread

When you order a meal at Denizatı, before your order arrives, you will be served with warm, homemade village bread and fresh, herbed butter and olives.

Do dive in and savour the melted butter atop the bread – but also keep some to one side for your upcoming banquet.

Because, if you order dishes like the creamy seafood casserole or the sizzling prawns, if you’re anything like us, you’re going to want to dip your bread, buttered or not, into all those tasty juices and sauces!

For börek fans, the seafood börek is a real ‘flavours of the sea,’ treat. Shaped like an oversized sigara böreği, the filling contains various seafoods as well as other vegetables and herbs.

We sometimes make a similar seafood muska böreği at Christmas as a treat but Denizatı’s seafood selection is more varied, of course.

This style of eating means – in theory – you don’t get too full because you can be dining over a long period. If you’re still hungry, you can always order more.

But, just to say, we’re never still hungry. One day, we will learn the art of not getting over-excited and ordering too much!

Denizatı Restaurant, Fethiye – Useful Info

• Denizatı Restaurant is along the seaside road (Cahit Gündüz Caddesi) that follows Fethiye harbour between the town and Fethi Bey Park.
• There is indoor and outdoor seating and they are open all year for breakfasts, lunches and evening meals.
• As well as what is on offer on the menu, be sure to also look in the fridges at the meze selection and also daily seafood specials.
• The Denizatı Restaurant menu is packed with Turkish traditional favourites, lots of international dishes and a wide selection of desserts and hot and cold drinks. There is a full bar.
• If you want to reserve a table at Denizatı Restaurant or see more photos and information, you can do so via their Facebook page.
• This article was updated in 2019 to reflect the new menu and refurbishment.
• Denizatı Restaurant is included on our list of places where we like to eat and drink around Fethiye.

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