As much as we enjoyed Rhodes, we had been kind of underwhelmed at the food we'd had. It's the tourist trade that brings in the money, I get it. It wasn't until the end of our stay on Rhodes that we found a place, a humble taverna in the Old Town, just a block or so off the main tourist track, named Taverna Kostas.
You walk in and it looks like a simple little shop.
The first time we visited, we peeked in the front and had our doubts, but the older gentleman sitting at the table peeling garlic, stood up and warmly greeted us…."welcome, welcome….come in!" And we couldn't turn back. This was Kostas, whom we loved…….warm and friendly, with a gentle demeanor.
We were led to a much brighter and nicer dining area at the rear of the restaurant.
There were no other workers in the place………everything was done by one man….and done with great joy.
When we mentioned how much we loved the olive oil he served, Kostas, smiled and said he got it from one of his relatives…..
Then proceeded to show on the standard issue Rhodes Taverna paper tablecloth, cum map where he got the olive oil from.
When a larger party came in, we noticed they set the table themselves, putting on the tablecloth and getting water………as they conversed with Kostas, it became clear that they were regular visitors who came to Rhodes every year and ate here….they knew the drill.
The next night, after walking past several places, we decided to head back to Kostas. After walking in, we set our own table, which just delighted Kostas! "Good, good….thank you….you are now family!"
The item the Missus enjoyed the most were the Gigantes Plaki.
Something which I've been making since we returned from Rhodes.
My favorite was the octopus salad, tender, full of herb flavor, and stil lquite refreshing.
The grilled octopus, while not o the same level in prep or flavor as Vasiliko in Chania on the island of Crete, was still good enough for us to order it twice.
And while some of the other dishes were less memorable, none of them were bad at all.
Of all the meals we had on Rhodes, it was this humble taverna that we enjoyed the most. On another funny note, one of the restaurant owners of a place in Rhodes I posted on has sent me a couple of emails ordering me to delete my post or be slapped with a law suit….really? C'mon, get serious. Just kind of tells you about the folks who run that place…..
And then you have Taverna Kostas. A little place on a side street with well priced, unpretentious, honest food…. and one heck of a nice owner.
Taverna Kostas
Pythagora 62
Rhodes Town, Greece
what a great place!
Just had a lovely experience with Costas. It was pouring for hours and hours today. The entire area was declared a disaster and people were told to stay home except an emergencies. But staying in a hotel we had to find a place to eat. And we ended up sticking our heads in the door, looking like wet puppies. He said we’re closed. We don’t have anybody to help you. But I guess we looked sufficiently wet that he invited us and his cooks were there. He said if we sat at the top so he didn’t have to walk back-and-forth he’d be happy to serve just the two of us. Course few other people saw us going in and since it was the only place with the door open, they tried to get in as well. A few were successful. Anyway it was a wonderful experience. Really enjoyed it.
Yes, I just read about the state of emergency declared in Rhodos! We loved the hospitality at Kostas and it’s good to know it carries on; in spite of the terrible circumstances. You’ve now got quite the story to tell! Stay safe and hope the rest of your trip goes well Jack!
It was a nice place…..we really liked the owner Kat.
I just went back to look at your older posts on Rhodes and didn’t find any of them particularly negative on the restaurants you tried… they must be really sensitive to criticism. Or maybe they can’t accept that their restaurant is mediocre at best? I hope you don’t give in and you will leave all of your posts up.
Of course it doesn’t affect me one or the other Jason! What a joke….really…. It just shows you what kind of people own places like this.
I’m surprised the owners found your post in the first place. Unfortunately behavior like this is getting more and more common these days.
Yes, that seems to be the trend Junichi. But really, what is the guy going to do? How stupid and such a waste of time. There are photos and we ate there, and I’m based in the US, so the only thing you can do is be a bully I guess.