Six charming Restaurants and Bars in Rhodes
Discover the flavors of the Greek island.
Wherever you stay, most street corners will have a local souvlaki joint where you can eat cheaply and well; the combination of meat, tzatziki, salad and chips in a soft pita wrap is hard to beat for three euros or less if you’re on a budget. To linger over a table of small plates or mezes, there are romantic terraces all across the Old Town. In the new parts of town, restaurants and bars often have live music on Saturday nights (such as Proavlio or Ono on 28 October Street).
Fresh fish on the beach Zephyros
Archontariki
Zephyros is not the most beautiful beach in Rhodes by any means, nor are the restaurants right on the sea – they are separated from it by a busy road. But the short strip of restaurants here is where locals come to eat fish, because it’s right by the fish markets. Archontariki is certainly one of the best. Ask to see the fresh fish, cooked on the grill – and try some of their specialities such as the sardines in oil and garlic.
Genuine and unpretentious
To Aletro
This tiny village on the southern slopes of the highest mountain on the island has authenticity, and a sense of calm and peace. The handful of outdoor tables look out across rolling green valleys, and swallows dart among the rafters where they build their nests. Food is fresh and unpretentious, from the nutmeg-infused pastitsio to the salad with local rocket and capers. Ask to try local souma, the clear and pure liquor made from grapes.
Locally grown and extra high quality
Cantina, St Paul’s Bay
Restaurants in Lindos are set in old stone mansions or on rooftops looking up at the illuminated castle and acropolis. The standard of food is high, especially at old establishments such as Symposio. For lunch, however, it is hard to beat the setting of St Paul’s Bay, which has a taverna at either end. Work up an appetite with a swim, and then choose either Tambakio, built over the old tannery, or the ‘Cantina’, otherwise known as Dimitri’s Beach Bar, with simple dishes including local herbs and olive oil, and vegetables grown right there in their own terraced gardens.
Mandraki's popular bar street
Rex Authentic Kebab Shop (Kebabzidikon)
Theodorakis Street, behind the New Market (Nea Agora) in Mandraki, was converted into a street of popular bars almost overnight a few years ago, and café culture is big in Rhodes, with friends meeting over coffee for several hours. Try La Boheme for a drink, friendly and not quite as daunting as some of the busier places. For food, Rex has excellent salads and fresh meats grilled on natural charcoal. Their hashtag is #pamegiamiampira (let’s go for a beer). At lunchtime, a nearby alternative is Symi Kafeneio, a traditional café with small mezes within the New Market.
Home-made Mediterranean food
Philosophia
Pefkos is a popular holiday place just south of Lindos, named for the pine trees amid dramatic rocky cliffs. It has a handful of beaches of fine, pale sand. Above one of these, set in a quiet location looking out over a seemingly endless expanse of sea, is Philosophia, owned and run by local man Philippos and his English wife Barbara, along with their daughter Sophia (hence the restaurant’s name). The food is a fine, home-made combination of Greek and Mediterranean dishes.
The locals' go-to place
Maroulakis
The highest mountain village on the island of Rhodes, Embona is known for its local products including wine, lamb, vegetables and honey. Right in the centre of the village is Maroulakis taverna, family-run for generations (do look for the photo display inside). In the evenings it’s a favourite haunt of locals, and since it’s at the crossroads of the village it’s a good vantage point to watch passing pickup trucks with their loads of olives or grapes, depending on the season.
Text by Jennifer Barclay