OD Urla
Restaurant · Urla ·
Open-fire cooking, local ingredients, seasonal tasting menus
Open-fire cooking, local ingredients, seasonal tasting menus
"A winding road takes you to the top of the hill, from where you get a first impression of Osman Sezener's world. Once you arrive at his family estate, you trade the view of olive trees and vines for his impressive vegetable garden. A visit to the garden is an absolute must, as is an overnight stay in one of the guestrooms. This trendy glasshouse restaurant is surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, and the chefs' passion and energy is infectious. The restaurant grows about half of its ingredients independently and sources other produce from nearby suppliers. Chef Sezener works with a supply radius of about ten kilometres. The commitment to sustainability and local sourcing is as much part of this restaurant's identity as its focus on open-fire cooking. The chef cooks on a charcoal grill to bring out the natural flavours and textures of his ingredients. The cuisine is simple and unpretentious, sometimes even bordering on the rustic, but it is always full of flavour. Take the smooth mashed potatoes with caramelised onions, the perfectly grilled squid glazed with a braised onion jus, and a tuile of the remaining parts of the squid sprinkled with fresh herbs. This cuisine is personal. The way the robust, tender beef rib is balanced with textures of celeriac is testament to the chef's understanding of the ingredients and flavours that nature yields (there is both a vegetarian and non-vegetarian set menu)." - Michelin Inspector
"One of Türkiye’s first farm-to-table fine dining restaurants by chef Osman Sezener, serving a Michelin-starred tasting menu in a modern glass house overlooking olive groves."
"Born from a “return to the roots,” this Aegean retreat unfolds across extensive land with a vineyard garden, farm, separate kitchens, and a cellar, all serving a zero‑waste, low carbon footprint philosophy. Open by day as well as in the evening and welcoming children until 6:00 pm, it leads you in with a stroll through olive trees, aromatic herbs, tomatoes, and pepper plants to a modest space whose “ornament” is the surrounding nature and a large stone oven inside; you can sit at the bar of the open kitchen to watch the cooking and experience the “Chef’s Journey” tasting. Animals are bred in‑house, olive oil is pressed on site, fruit and vegetables are grown by the team, and anything not produced is sourced from the nearby region, with seasonal ingredients shaping menus that are refreshed each season as the agricultural side keeps expanding. Local flavors—Urla’s blue tail shrimp, mastic artichokes, and Ödemiş potatoes—anchor the menu, and the lavash with beef tail, slow‑cooked over a 12‑hour wood fire, is not to be missed. Vegetarians and vegans have abundant options reflecting the rich variety of Aegean herbs and vegetables. A vast wine cellar ranges from France, Italy, Argentina, and Australia to producers on the Urla Vineyard Route, with pairings or an unusually large selection by the glass; garden‑fresh herb cocktails and Aegean citrus offer an experience “beyond expectation.”" - Guide MICHELIN
"Surrounded by large windows looking out on olive groves, Od Urla offers a true taste of every season. Led by chef-owner Osman Sezener, staff members make cheese from the milk of the restaurant’s own goats and grow vegetables in summer and herbs all year round. Though the a la carte and tasting menus cycle throughout the year, you might start your meal with blue-tailed shrimp from the Özbek region served with citrus dressing, followed by sakız artichokes from Urla with pickled stems, crispy baklava dough, and pea cream. Then it’s on to signature dishes such as oxtail cooked 12 hours in a wood-burning oven, served with fig molasses and caramelized onion; roasted celeriac with mastic gum tarhana (dried fermented wheat berry and yogurt soup) and celeriac cream; or grouper with sakız artichoke. Along with an excellent wine cellar and whiskey collection, the bar offers a Negroni menu and other signature cocktails made from local botanicals and fruits. If you can swing it, book a stay in the property’s Guesthouse — a handful of rooms set among the olive groves, where breakfast features local produce — but the restaurant can also arrange a car to fetch you from other accommodations." - Tuba Şatana
"OD Urla – led by Chef Osman Sezener – stands out for its authentic, deep-rooted culinary approach. In this family-run estate surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, the chef and his team showcase the finest local ingredients. Half of them are grown directly on-site, while the remainder is sourced with producers and artisans in the local vicinity. The plates are simple, natural, and rustic in some cases, but each dish is always perfectly executed, and those grilled on the restaurant's open wood fire deserve an honorable mention." - MICHELIN Guide