22 Best Restaurants in Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

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We've compiled the best of the best in Rhodes and the Dodecanese - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Alexis 4 Seasons

$$ Fodor's choice

Though known for its seafood, the handsomely decorated old rooms, beautiful walled garden, and panoramic view from the roof terrace found here are equalling enchanting. Mussels in wine, scallops in vodka sauce, shrimp risotto in an ouzo sauce, as well as simply grilled fish fill the menu. A side dish might be sautéed squash with wild glistrida (purslane), grown in the restaurant's own gardens.

Ali Restaurant

$ Fodor's choice
Popular among locals, this venerable Turkish-Greek joint has a catch-all menu that hits every comfort-food high note. Zucchini flowers filled with lip-smacking Greek cheese, aubergines bursting with meat, and filling pastitsio complement a vast choice of souvlakis and kebabs.

Benetos

$$ Fodor's choice

A native Patmian, Benetos Matthaiou, and his American wife, Susan, operate this lovely restaurant abutting a seaside garden that supplies the kitchen with fresh herbs and vegetables. These homegrown ingredients find their way into a selection of Mediterranean-style dishes that are influenced by the couple's travels and include house-cured sardines, the island's freshest Greek salad, and juicy slow-roasted pork atop a chickpea puree.

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Broadway Restaurant

$ Fodor's choice
A cozy, family-run restaurant with an ambitious menu that does some very creative things with classic Greek cooking. A "krassotiri" crème brélee makes the most of the island's famous soft cheese, while mains offer an even tenderer touch, with pork cheeks nestled atop a chickpea ragout stealing the show. Excellent value for such skilled, imaginative food.
Alexandrou 36, Kos Town, 85300, Greece
22420-27052
Known For
  • Creative takes on classic Greek dishes and produce
  • Well-located away from the busy port
  • Good value
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Broccolino

$$ Fodor's choice
Set apart from the scrummage of Lindos and buoyed by dizzying views over the bay below, this seductive Italian restaurant does everything well. The food—slow-cooked lamb, melt-in-the-mouth truffle gnocchi, juicy fillet steaks—is never less than glorious, and the house wine is great value. Low lights, good eating, and the flush of the ocean air make it an intoxicating combination. Try to book ahead because tables are rare. It is only open for dinner.

Platanos

$$ Fodor's choice

Set on the shady square where Hippocrates reputedly once taught, this island institution maintains high standards for its cooking and top-notch service. Occupying an early-20th-century Italian club, the surroundings of tiled rooms and candlelit balconies are elaborate. Try the spiced, grilled lamb chops or famous pork and crackling (ellasonitiko). Live music accompanies meals most evenings.

Platia Platanos, Kos Town, 85300, Greece
22420-28991
Known For
  • Romantic and historic setting
  • Excellent dishes
  • A bustling spot with sea views
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Mar., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential

Tholos

$$ Fodor's choice

A seaside perch at the end of Yialos Harbor is the picturesque setting for an excellent meal, which often begins with such traditional appetizers as stuffed zucchini or boiled greens (the taramosalata here might just be among the best in Greece) and includes fresh grilled fish and other daily home-cooked offerings. You may want to arrive early enough to enjoy sunset views of the harbor, and reserve far ahead—during peak summer season it can be booked out days in advance.

Waterfront, Yialos, 85600, Greece
22460-72033
Known For
  • Sunset views
  • Excellent Mediterranean dishes
  • Polished service—not always a given on the island
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed mid-Oct.–Mar., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential

To Marouli

$ | Old Town Fodor's choice
Vegans and vegetarians aren't well catered for in Greece, where the "fish option" is typically your only alternative to a tombstone-sized slab of fried cheese. But this ingenious restaurant from chef Mara Martinotti is the antidote, and she has a recipe book to boot. Vegan soy-and-lentil moussaka as light and cheesy as anything you'll ever taste accompanies the likes of bang-bang cauliflower on an ever-changing menu of bites and larger dishes. The €16 tasting menu is as filling and satisfying as anything you'll find on the island. Look out too for its new bar, Ono by Marouli, in New Town, which is also good for a veggie snack.

Vaggelis

$$ Fodor's choice

Choose between a table on the main square (perfect for people-watching) or the raised terrace out back with stunning views of the sea. Fresh grilled fish and lemon-and-oregano-flavored goat are specialties of the traditional kitchen, and other simple dishes such as mint-flavored dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and tzatziki (yogurt and cucumber dip) are the way to go.

Main square, Chora, 85500, Greece
22470-31967
Known For
  • Stunning sea views
  • Excellent traditional Greek dishes
  • Higher prices than most
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards

Gelateria Marechiaro

$
This café is best known for its homemade gelato, made by its Neapolitan owner—try the dark chocolate and orange—though it also offers fine takes on Greece's three Cs: coffee, cakes, and cocktails.
Skala, 85500, Greece
69456-76391
Known For
  • Best ice cream on the island
  • A peaceful stop for a lunchtime sugar fix
  • Homemade limoncello

Gelo Blu

$
The most popular hangout in town serves homemade ice cream by day and drinks day and night in the cool, blue-cushioned interior and pebbled courtyard as well as on the rooftop terrace of a sea captain's house.
Near Theotokou Church, Lindos, 85107, Greece
22440-31560
Known For
  • Fantastic ice cream
  • Terrace views
  • A cool spot for a sunset drink

Georgio and Maria's Taverna

$

Meals at this simple taverna, as popular with locals as it is with tourists, are served in a high-ceilinged, whitewashed dining room or on a terrace that is partially shaded by a grape arbor and affords wonderful views over the sea and surrounding hills. Fish is a specialty, and simply prepared mezedes (small dishes), such as roasted peppers topped with feta cheese and fried zucchini, are a great start to a meal here.

Chorio, 85600, Greece
22460-71984
Known For
  • Local favorite
  • Sea views
  • Best place to eat in Chorio
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Haritomeni

$
A ten-minute walk east of the evening bustle on the main waterfront leads to this waterside gem. The accomplished Haritomeni has a lofted terrace with spectacular views over the bay. Like most places on the island, either eat early or book ahead as it fills up fast later on. The menu is decent value, with typical Greek mezedes dishes—calamari, fried saganaki cheese, papoutsakia (stuffed eggplant)—all crafted with no little skill and propping up meatier grilled fare.
Yialos, 85600, Greece
22460-072771
Known For
  • Fantastic views away from the crowds
  • Good-value local Greek fare
  • Friendly staff

Marco Polo Cafe

$$ | Old Town

One of the most enchanting places to dine is the garden of this small guesthouse, where you'll want to linger amid the foliage and flowers for an entire evening. The menu features a rich lamb souvlaki and a delectable sea bass fillet with trahanoto (Greek-style risotto). Desserts lean toward Italy—in honor of the largely Italian crowd here—including a masterful semifreddo.

Agiou Fanouriou 42, Rhodes Town, 85100, Greece
22410-25562
Known For
  • Romantic dining
  • Attentive service
  • Fantastic raised garden setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Feb.

Mavrikos

$$

With a large terrace overlooking the sea and Lindos Square, Mavrikos offers elegant simplicity through its flavorful Greek dishes, such as the chickpeas in orange zest, swordfish in caper sauce, black butter beans in carob syrup, and squid risotto. Third-generation chef Dimitris Mavrikos owns this institution along with his brother Michalis and has steadfastly maintained its stellar reputation.

Main square, Lindos, 85107, Greece
22440-31232
Known For
  • Quality local dishes
  • Open-air terrace dining
  • Wine list has good local selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Mar., Credit cards accepted

Mevlana

$
This traditional Turkish coffee house claims to be the oldest of its kind in Europe, and has belonged to the same family for over 200 years. If the 14th-century setting and authentic decor doesn't hook you, the coffee will. This is also a shisha bar.

Nireas

$$
Considered by many to be the finest of the city's seafood restaurants, family-run Nireas comes with little fanfare or pushiness, just impeccable service and a peaceful, vine-draped setting apart from the hubbub of the center. Prices compare well with lesser spots in the city, especially for the quality of produce, and staff won't try to hustle you into spending big, as is the case with many seafood restaurants here where bills can suddenly rocket. Good service and quality food rule. Try the Symi shrimp or battered whitebait for a hit of pure local flavor.
Sofokleous 22, Rhodes Town, 85100, Greece
22410-21703
Known For
  • Friendly service that's eager to help
  • A nice setting on one of Old Town's quieter streets
  • Excellent seafood

Petrino

$$

The setting is the star here. Three brothers have created a calm oasis a few streets in from the hustle and bustle of Kos Harbor. A 150-year-old stone house provides cozy dining in cool months, and in summer, tables pepper a garden full of private nooks, fountains, and gentle music. The enormous menu lists Greek staples, such as zucchini pancakes and liver with oregano, side-by-side with more cultured cuts of chateaubriand and stuffed pork tenderloin.

Platia Ioannou Theologou, Kos Town, 85300, Greece
22420-27251
Known For
  • Atmospheric dining
  • A local favorite
  • A quiet garden space
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

Phournariko

$ | Old Town
This is a nice little Greek bakery filled with myriad honey-soaked and cheese-covered treats, ranging from baklava to bagel-style kalouri and pizza-like peinirli. It's perfect for a mid-morning snack or lunchtime treat.
Dinokratous 1-9, Rhodes Town, 85100, Greece
22410-43057
Known For
  • Greek snack food of the highest quality
  • Late-night opening
  • Good coffee

To Steno

$

When Rhodians want a traditional meal, they head to this simple little taverna on a residential street south of the walled city. Dining is in a plain room and on a sparkling-white terrace in warmer months, where you can compose a meal of such delicious mezedes as bakaliaros (salted cod) in garlic sauce, pumpkin fritters, and zucchini flowers filled with feta cheese. It's a bit of a walk, but worth it for the quality of food and to escape the hordes of the Old Town.

Agion Anargiron 29, Rhodes Town, 85100, Greece
22410-35914
Known For
  • Good and simple Greek taverna food
  • Great for vegetarians
  • Pretty, plant-filled terrace

Tzivaeri

$

The excellent island cooking here is spiced up by the sea views, which you can savor from a seaside balcony table or right on the beach below. The mezedes menu includes such traditional favorites as leek pie, fried eggplant, and smoked pork. Grilled lamb chops and other main courses are served as well. Live music (Tzivaeri, which roughly translates as "my beloved," is also the name of a popular Greek folk song) is performed many nights, usually not earlier than around midnight.

Harborside road, Skala, 85500, Greece
22470-31170
Known For
  • Beautiful sea views
  • Beachside dining
  • Live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, No credit cards

Zoe's Taverna

$
The steep climb up to Zoe's all but guarantees a spectacular view, though it's worth booking ahead to secure a table with front-row seats. The food is equally breathtaking, with a strong adherence to traditional Symiot cuisine: think jugged hare, dolomades (stuffed vine leaves) the way granny used to make them, and five-hour slow-cooked lamb and potatoes. Many of the ingredients used come from the owner's own farm.
Kali Strata, Chorio, 85600, Greece
22460-72520
Known For
  • Fantastic views out over the coast
  • Traditional Symiot cooking
  • Friendly owner and service