12 Best Restaurants in Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

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.

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.

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.