Merhaba!
That is hello in Turkish.
Look at me being Trilingual.
I started Posti dei Sapori as I love to eat out, but more importantly, I love diving into the plates I eat and understanding why they taste so good.
But as a reminder, Posti Dei Sapori are my collections of places I have tried and I feel are worth eating at. It is not a Review in the classic sense but an account of my flavour experience.
If it was not worth the visit, I would not write about it.
But let’s jump into this experience.
Setting the Food Scene
We drove up to the property, the car crunching against the gravel road, and the first thing that greeted us was the towering gates and rows of olive trees swaying in the breeze. Guido and I stepped through, and immediately the air shifted—aromatic herbs and bursts of flowers surrounded us, the garden alive with color and fragrance. Just ahead, a sign stood proudly, displaying the restaurant’s many accolades:
a Michelin star,
a Michelin Green Star,
Gault & Millau’s 16/20 with 3 Toques,
Sustainability and farm-to-table awards,
and even the Michelin Sommelier Award in 2025.
Already, I felt we were about to experience something beyond a meal.
In late 2018, Chef Osman Sezener opened OD Urla on his family’s olive-grove estate just outside İzmir. Urla itself became one of my favorite stops of the entire trip—a true hidden gem, where the land and sea seem to conspire to create beauty and a sense of simple living.
The restaurant embodies this spirit: a striking glasshouse dining space nestled among vines and orchards, with a wine cellar echoing with the terroir of the Aegean.
What We Devoured
Menu:
Ahtapot Tartolet (Octopus Tartlet)
İçli Köfte (İçli Kofte is a meatball facsimile)
Mücver Kroket (Zucchini Fritter Croquette)
Urla Özbek Köyü’nden Mavi Kuyruk Karides - Çeşme Limonu (Blue Tail Shrimp from Urla Özbek Village with Cesme Lemon)
Kara Midye - Odun Fırınında Pişmiş Alabaş - Arapsaçı- (Black Mussels Wood Oven Roasted Kohlrabi - Wild Fennel)
Odun Ateşinde Kalamar - Urla Sakız Enginarı - Taze Bezelye (Wood-Fired Squid - Urla Artichoke and Fresh Peas)
Kuskus - Küflü Mağara Peyniri - Armut - Kakao (Cave Aged Blue Cheese - Pear - Cocoa)
Bostan’dan Kereviz Sapı - Yeşil Elma Sorbe (Celery from the Garden and Green Apple Sorbet)
Dana Yanak - Patlican Begendi (Beef Cheek and Eggplant Begendi)
Frambuaz - Yoğurt -Beyaz Çikolata (Raspberry - Yogurt - White Chocolate)
Fındık - Karmal Gofret (Hazelnut Wafer)
Portakal Çikolata (Orange - Chocolate)
Jelibon (Gummy Candy)
Tasting Menu: 4900 Turkish Lira.
If there is a dish you want to learn more about. Write it in the comments!
🍽️ Kara Midye - Odun Fırınında Pişmiş Alabaş - Arapsaçı- (Black Mussels Wood Oven Roasted Kohlrabi - Wild Fennel)
Long before it landed on a fine-dining plate at OD Urla, Kara Midye lived a far humbler life on the streets of Turkey.
The dish has roots in Ottoman culinary tradition, where seafood was paired with rice and herbs to create balanced, flavorful bites. Across Istanbul, Izmir, and coastal towns along the Aegean, street vendors sold midye dolma: mussels stuffed with spiced rice, pine nuts, and currants, often finished with a squeeze of lemon.
On the elevated plate at OD Urla:
Black Mussels (Kara Midye) – Naturally high in glutamates, mussels burst with umami when cooked. Their proteins denature in heat, firming the flesh while keeping it tender and succulent.
Wood-Oven Roasted Kohlrabi – Roasting triggers the Maillard reaction, caramelizing sugars and amino acids to produce nutty, smoky, slightly sweet notes. The heat softens the interior while leaving a subtle bite at the edges, adding texture and depth.
Wild Fennel (Arapsaçı) – Warmed fennel releases aromatic oils, imparting licorice-citrus notes that cut through the mussel’s brine. Its volatile compounds mingle with the smokiness of the kohlrabi, creating a complex, layered aroma.
Why It Works: The mussels’ natural salinity meets the sweet-smoky kohlrabi, while fennel provides a bright, herbal lift. Each ingredient is geochemically rooted in the Aegean—mussels from the coast, kohlrabi from fertile inland soils, and wild fennel foraged from the hills. Every primary taste—salty, sweet, bitter, aromatic—is harmonized and carried by cooking fats and natural juices, making each bite a balanced, deeply regional expression.
🍽️ Kuskus - Küflü Mağara Peyniri - Armut - Kakao (Cave Aged Blue Cheese - Pear - Cocoa)
I have a soft spot for dishes that combine sweet and savory, and this one immediately captured me. A few months ago, Guido made a similar risotto for us at home from scratch, and the memory came rushing back with each bite.
The dish highlights:
Cave-Aged Blue Cheese (Küflü Mağara Peyniri) – Rich in fats and proteins, this blue cheese develops complex flavors during cave aging, giving it a sharp, tangy umami flavor.
Pear – Juicy and naturally sweet, pears are high in fructose. Their sugars balance the saltiness of the cheese, while their water content keeps each bite tender and fresh, melting seamlessly alongside the cheese for a soft, luxurious texture.
Cocoa – Provides gentle bitterness and aromatic depth. Polyphenols in cocoa interact with the fats and proteins in the cheese, smoothing the flavor and rounding the dish into a harmonious whole.
Why It Works: Sweet pear balances the tangy, umami-rich cheese, while cocoa adds subtle depth and a whisper of bitterness. The kuskus acts as a neutral canvas, carrying the flavors without overpowering them. Every element is connected to its region—cave-aged cheese from Anatolia, pears from local orchards—showing how OD Urla elevates simple, regional ingredients into an elegant, multi-layered experience.
Final Pensieri
This place did not receive our full engagement as Guido was in the throes of pain in his ear with every mouthful. I appreciate him more now than ever because he showed up for this experience for me, even though he claims it was not.
There is one comment I do want to make. I really am debating saying it at all, but I want to be authentic.
We were sitting at the Chef’s Table (more like a bar), which was wrapped around the “Show Kitchen.” I say “show” as there seemed to be two kitchens operating. One chef opened a drawer and pulled out a bag of frozen peas.
I want to specify: They were not opened and were immediately put back in the drawer, and they did not make a second appearance.
But they had them.
Is that scandalous? Maybe a little.
Guido and I noticed. That fleeting moment changed our perspective on the meal.
I still place this on the Posti dei Sapori List because there were some dishes that were truly worth the experience. But I say go in with your eyes wide open.
Eat Well,
Ella
Photos taken - I had to share a few more.
LOCATION:
📍 Süt Pınarı Mevkii, Rüstem, 2018/9 Sokak No:28, 35430 Urla/İzmir, Türkiye
📞 ++90 (532) 696 39 30 +90 (539) 775 12 21 +90 (536) 356 33 55
🌍 https://odurla.com/