Top Restaurants in Rhodes, Greece

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This cosy restaurant, open since 1946, specialises in meze inside the New Market in Rhodes town. Expect a warm welcome from owner Irene and great value traditional seafood dishes. The chalkboard menu features whatever has been caught that day, along with Greek staples such as salads, fava bean dips and fresh dakos (bread topped with chopped tomatoes and cheese). Enjoy authentic food and drink in a leafy candlelit courtyard on jade-green chairs and pretty mosaic-topped tables.

Inside the boutique hotel Marco Polo Mansion, this charming dinner-only restaurant is barely visible from the street in Old Town Rhodes. But its delightful lemon-scented courtyard is always busy. The building itself dates from the 15th century, and you can expect a modern, thoughtfully curated menu, with creations such as pork loin with figs or octopus with cream of beetroot.

In a serene spot sitting above the popular town of Faliraki, you’ll find this high-end Greek and Mediterranean restaurant in the five-star Esperos Village Blue and Spa Resort. Non-guests can book a relaxing spa day here, followed by a mojito at the pool bar and a delicious healthy dinner with sea views. There’s a live interactive kitchen, a whole food corner, a superfood station and plenty of traditional specialities made from local produce.

Expect greens galore at this cosy, family-run eatery – marouli means lettuce. It’s the first and best vegan restaurant in Old Town Rhodes. Inside, you’ll find fresh focaccia baked daily; colourful salads, such as sweet potato, lentil and arugula with grated vegan feta; plus vegan spetzofai (traditionally, a red-wine sausage stew). It’s open from March to October, and it hosts regular live-music sessions to enjoy while you eat.

If you want to eat fresh seafood on the waterfront in Rhodes town, visit Meltemi; it’s set along the sands of Elli Beach. Its name means “summer winds”, so you can expect a refreshingly cool breeze here. You can take in spectacular views from the terrace while enjoying the delicious menu, including octopus, jumbo prawns, lobster and calamari. The friendly owner, Athanasis, is easy to spot – he speaks multiple languages.

This award-winning restaurant, open since 1982, sits in a beautiful courtyard near the harbour in Old Town Rhodes. The menu is dominated by fresh seafood, including the catch of the day, lobsters, octopus, oysters and shrimp cooked in ouzo. It also offers Greek meze specialities. It attracts a chic wealthy crowd out for a quiet romantic meal. And while dinner can be expensive, it’s worth it.

This traditional Greek cookhouse sits at the entrance of Apóllona village, in a former clubhouse for Italian officers, and is a popular meeting place for locals. All ingredients come from the farmland surrounding this neighbourhood restaurant, and Rhodian bread is baked daily in a wood-fired oven. Starters include fava split peas with smoked herring, as well as Greek and eggplant salads. The goat stew – slow-cooked overnight in onions and local wine – is a must-try; you just have to order it the day before.

Sometimes on holiday, you need to swerve from the local cuisine. This restaurant, complete with friendly staff and an aquamarine-coloured facade, offers fresh seafood with a Mexican kick. Here, in the heart of Rhodes town, enjoy fresh shrimp tacos, home-made tortillas and zingy margaritas. Sunday specials include barbecue octopus with romesco, charred leeks and guacamole. There are plenty of veggie options here and a range of Greek beers.

This is a rewrite of an article originally written by Helen Olley.