A two-generation family story that runs from Saros to Bozburun, and from Bozburun to Bodrum.
The Orfoz Boat
The Bozçağa family's journey with the sea began in 1973 in Pendik, Istanbul, with a boat named 'Orfoz.' The name later given to the restaurant carries the memory of that first bond the family formed with the sea.
Orfoz’s Early Years in Güneyli
Orfoz's story began in 1986 on the shore of Güneyli village, in the Gulf of Saros. The retirement dream of Güneş and Selçuk Bozçağa, who had moved from Pendik, Istanbul, to Saros, quickly grew into a strong bond with the sea and a culinary culture meant to be passed down from generation to generation.
The Bozçağa family opened Orfoz, carrying their own name, as a hotel and restaurant. The father worked the kitchen, the mother handled service. In the early years, tables shaped by the day's catch grew richer over time with what the sea had to offer, laying the foundations of the produce-, season-, and sea-respecting kitchen Orfoz still holds onto today.
Back to Pendik
In 1991 the family returned to Pendik, Istanbul. The years of experience gained in Saros kept the family's bond with the kitchen and the sea's produce alive during this Pendik chapter too.
A Second Orfoz, in Bozburun
The family's path later led to Bozburun. The second Orfoz opened there became one of those special addresses passed along by word of mouth among sailors and visitors to the region. The years of experience gained in Saros and Bozburun then moved on to Bodrum.
A Second Generation, in Bodrum
In 2006, Orfoz's story entered a new chapter in Bodrum with a second generation. The kitchen Çağlar and Çağrı Bozçağa took over carried the family's years of accumulated knowledge of the sea and its produce to Bodrum. What began as a fish-driven kitchen grew, over time, into a distinctive table of its own — centered on shellfish and shaped by the season and what the sea had to offer.
Orfoz’s Address Today
In 2013, Orfoz moved to its present address in Bodrum. A family story stretching from Saros to Bozburun, and from Bozburun to Bodrum, opened a new chapter at this address. The same respect for the sea and its produce lives on today, at this table open to the Aegean view.
What has never changed at Orfoz since 1986 is this: a respect for the sea, for the produce, and for the table.
The Sea's Story, on Your Table
Orfoz Bodrum has served the tasting menu concept for 40 years. Rather than following fixed recipes, the menu takes shape around what the sea and the season offer that day. Daily seafood from Bodrum and its surroundings comes together with local herbs, seasonal produce, and simple cooking techniques.
Sea urchin, scallop, octopus, mussels, squid, and seasonal fish are prepared in ways that preserve the natural character of the ingredient as much as possible. Signatures that have stood out over the years include marinated & roasted octopus leg, oven-baked mussels with garlic herb butter, seafood rice, baby squid casserole, and eggplant bomba. Every plate aims to carry the bond between the Aegean Sea and the geography of Bodrum to the table.
At the end of the tasting journey, flavors from the family kitchen return to the table. A dessert signed by years of family tradition brings the Orfoz experience to its close.
A Story That Runs from the Sea to the Vine
For the past 12 years, Neferiye has been an inseparable part of Orfoz's story. Its wines accompany the flavors of the sea while carrying the family's bond with the Aegean from sea to soil.
The sea, the vine, and the season become different parts of the same story on the Orfoz table. Every bite carries the salt, the sun, the soil of the Aegean, and the work that begins in the early hours of the morning.
Today, Orfoz keeps this legacy alive with a contemporary approach to gastronomy, while carrying forward its respect for nature and produce through a commitment to sustainability. That commitment is an important part of the kitchen philosophy that earned Orfoz a Michelin Green Star.
At Orfoz today, a family legacy dating back to 1986, Bodrum's seafood, and the Neferiye vineyards meet the Aegean's seasonal rhythm at the same table. That meeting is what makes Orfoz its own.
