27 Best Restaurants in Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

One of the most enchanting places to dine in Rhodes is in the garden of this self-styled "mansion," or rather, a small guesthouse, where you'll want to linger amid the foliage and flowers for an entire evening. The menu features a wide array of international influences, from French cookery to fine Italian pasta dishes—all executed with finesse. Desserts lean toward Italy—in honor of the largely Italian crowd here. It gets quickly booked up, so make your reservation ahead of your visit.

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.

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 Turkish-style kebabs.

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 anchovies, the island's freshest Greek salad, and juicy slow-roasted meats.

A cozy, family-run restaurant with an ambitious menu that reinvents classic Greek cooking, with dishes like prawn saganaki and seafood couscous. A "krassotiri" crème brûlée makes the most of the island's famous soft cheese, while mains offer an even more tender touch, with pork cheeks nestled atop a chickpea ragout stealing the show. Excellent value for such skilled, imaginative food.

Family run by the owners of the nearby Opera House hotel, Kavos has umbrella-shaded quayside seating for sunny days and for cooler evenings tables in the elegant setting of an old Symiot mansion. The Med-fusion menu emphasizes local seafood. 

With a large terrace overlooking the sea and Lindos Square, Mavrikos offers elegant simplicity through its flavorful dishes, which twists traditional Greek mezedes with surprisingly delightful results—the usual favorites are offered, but are enriched. Third-generation chef Dimitris Mavrikos owns this institution along with his brother Michalis and has steadfastly maintained its stellar reputation.

This traditional Turkish coffeehouse dubiously claims to be the oldest of its kind in Europe. Whether or not the claim has legs, it has belonged to the same family for over 200 years, and its creaking floor and topsy-turvy interior are testament to its advanced age. If the 14th-century setting and authentic decor doesn't hook you, the coffee will. No matter your vice—whether it's caffeine, nicotine or sugar, this is the spot—it also doubles as a shisha and baklawa bar. Annoyingly, and counterintuitively, it opens late morning.

Hidden away in a more tranquil part of the old town, this gorgeous restaurant hits the spot for those seeking a bit of peace and quiet away from the crowds. The tables, scattered across a large cobbled square, are shaded by an enormous, gnarled ficus tree, with the backdrop of a UNESCO-listed site of antiquity—the partially ruined Ottoman mosque of Recep Pasha. On the menu are slow-cooked meats, pasta, and popular seafood dishes; plus, it has a dedicated gluten-free and vegetarian menu.

Though an increasing number of restaurants are catering to vegans and vegetarians these days on the island, restaurants where you can find truly outstanding such dishes are thin on the ground. This ingenious restaurant rises to that occasion. The soy-and-lentil moussaka is as light and cheesy as anything you'll ever taste, which accompanies an ever-changing menu of bites and larger dishes, most with a Middle Eastern influence.

Just around the headland west of Yialos harbor, Paradeisos nestles next to the closest stretch of beach to town, where it rents loungers for €5 a day and offers an array of water sports plus chilled beers, snacks, and dips, and even a small library of tattered paperbacks for beach reading.

Set on the shady square where Hippocrates reputedly once taught in the shade of a vast plane tree, Platanos is a breezy space with an airy inner lounge and outdoor tables. Its limited menu of thoughtful mains utilizing only the best local ingredients is testimony to the attention paid to the cookery here—think glazed octopus slathered in grape molasses. Live music accompanies meals on some evenings, to boot.

Choose between a table on the main square (perfect for people-watching) or the raised terrace out back with stunning views of the sea. Equally showstopping is the fine dining available here, each dish beautifully decorated and incorporating some of the island's most delicious ingredients in both traditional and more modern fare. It caters excellently to vegetarians, too.

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, dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), delicious fish patties, and meltingly tender five-hour slow-cooked lamb and potatoes—all prepared at the owner's adjacent home. What's more, many of the ingredients used come from the owner's own farm.

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 ocean breeze make it an intoxicating combination. Book ahead—this spot is popular, for good reason.

This is a fantastic 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 midmorning snack or lunchtime treat.

The most popular hangout in town serves homemade ice cream by day and cocktails by night in the cool, blue-cushioned interior and pebbled courtyard as well as on the rooftop terrace of a sea captain's house.

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 their terrace partially shaded by a grape arbor, which affords wonderful views over the sea and surrounding hills. Fish is a specialty, and simply prepared mezedes such as roasted peppers topped with feta cheese and fried zucchini are a great start to a meal here. The atmosphere is laid back and casual, but the food is exemplary.

A 10-minute walk east of the evening bustle on the main waterfront leads to this waterside gem. The accomplished Haritomeni has a lofty 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 skill and propping up meatier grilled fare.

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.

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 seafood pasta side-by-side with more hearty steaks and grills.

Belly-busting portions are served up at this crowd-pleasing restaurant—with dishes that cater all kinds of tastes. The stars of the show are the creamy, herby, seafood-laced pasta dishes, enough to feed two and brimming with local flavors. There's plenty more beyond, from mezedes and gyros to burgers and steaks, but the grilled whole-fish is a real knockout.

When you arrive back hungry and desperately in need of refreshment after a day out on the boats, this little taverna rises to the occasion with its array of hearty Greek favorites, cooked quickly and served with a smile from the friendly family--owners. The Symi shrimp and beef stifado are must-tries. It has an excellent range of local wines to sip in total serenity while watching the harbor boats bob on the water.

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 a good table far ahead.

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.

Occupying the same spot in the New Market since 1946, this traditional café has been trendily face-lifted but stays true to its roots with a menu of salty snacks, sticky sweets, and more substantial seafood dishes. Plenty of dishes here are homemade, laced with specialist local ingredients. It has an excellent value-to-quality ratio and is a hit while in this part of town.

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 traditional favorites like leek pie, fried eggplant, and smoked pork. Grilled lamb chops and other main courses are served as well. Live music is performed many nights, usually not earlier than around midnight—in fact, the restaurant's name, Tzivaeri, roughly translates as "my beloved" and is the name of a popular Greek folk song.