Ölüdeniz’s original Buzz Beach Bar reopens with its new chef’s table

❤ loved★★★★★€€€

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Location

Opening times

MON 07:00AM – 12:00PM
TUE 07:00AM – 12:00PM
WED 07:00AM – 12:00PM
THU 07:00AM – 12:00PM
FRI 07:00AM – 12:00PM
SAT 07:00AM – 12:00PM
SUN 07:00AM – 12:00PM

Owned by a lovely local family, Buzz Bar was the first beach bar and restaurant to open in the once secluded bay. Since its humble beginnings, the pioneering family have been expanding their offerings to evolve Buzz Bar into an across-the-board experience, now including a hotel and spa. Once we were there, we found it very hard to leave – the food, atmosphere and accommodation was just too good!

We enjoyed probably too many refreshing cocktails, indulging some might say, and feasted in Buzz’s Grill & Seafood restaurant 4/5 nights we were there. The menu is stocked with delicious Mediterranean, Turkish and traditional homemade cuisines all made from freshly sourced produce. We were also honoured to be invited to sit at the chef’s table for dinner one night, which you can reserve any night of the week. It was an intimate experience where we sat with a few other interesting couples and sampled a great menu (weekly changing) with the food being cooked right in front of you. Tip Book in for 6pm to watch the sun setting behind the bay!

Best halloumi we’ve had in a long time! Squeaky thick cuts, with a cooked tomato salsa, splash of balsamic vinegar and sprinkles of herbs!! We’ve been in love with this cheesy starter since Cyprus but this is the one we always picture when we have a hankering for halloumi.

Simple, light and tasty. The mini lamb kebabs starter is an earthy dish with great aromas. The rosemary sprigs, minted spoon salad and garlic infused yoghurt create a flavour explosion that had Josh writing down the recipe.

Buzz Beach Bar’s longstanding reputation, welcoming attitudes and diverse offerings have had locals and vacationers returning year after year. It’s perfectly situated in the centre of Ölüdeniz and is just a short walk from the famous Blue Lagoon. Recently, the bar has gone through some renovations with the opening of the Ecclesia hotel and current upgrading of the famous roof terrace (set to open in 2018). But most impressive, to us, was the careful restoration of the 1300-year-old church of St. Demetrius, which took a dedicated 15 years of negotiations with local councils to get approved. It will be a beautiful addition to the bar when finished with glass coverings and bridges being proposed.

We spent the majority of our time in Ölüdeniz at Buzz where we met its most loyal of fans. We even met the owners, a family who are lovely and welcoming and give the whole place that ‘home away from home’ feeling. They sat with us occasionally to share a beer and we were told about their other endeavours, one of which is a mountain retreat called Black Tree, a self-sufficient farm run by the family’s mother, Anthea. It has nine self-catering holiday cottages with an ethos to “support the local village community as well as farming its own organic produce”, which we loved so ended up visiting and meeting Anthea, who is equally as lovely! The latest addition to the Buzz family’s locations was the newly opened Ecclesia boutique hotel, which is just behind the beach bar, that we were lucky enough to stay in! You can read about it here.

The best full English breakfast Josh had whilst in Turkey! I wouldn’t normally let him put a breakfast on our list, but he went on and on about it so I feel I have to include it for him. To be fair, it did look really good (I had the omelette if you’re interested, which was equally good I reckon)!

Aunty Zee is part of the Buzz family and has her own curry spice mixes! These concoctions are delicious and make for a fragrant curry, which we had on our third night. The menu didn’t tell us much more other than it was made by Aunty Zee. It was perfect and a must try!

As we said, we found Buzz Beach Bar extremely difficult to leave; we even cancelled a part of our trip just to stay another two nights! The Gurkan family, through their beautiful establishment, have welcomed the world into their own little slice of paradise. The great food and drinks, comfortable setting and picturesque sunsets make it the perfect place to find yourself at, especially with the beach right on its door step. If you do visit Turkey, be sure to venture to Ölüdeniz where the iconic Buzz Beach Bar will be more than happy to welcome you. Its not just a bar after all, it’s a place you can truly relax in the summertime and enjoy good company.

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About Sailing Millie Home

We value the simplicity of human interaction. Driven by a desire to share and inspire, Sailing Millie Home is the documentation of our journey through the Mediterranean to the Pacific Ocean. A creative couple, exploring the world and sharing their stories.