This is one of my favorite restaurants in Greece, and I've saved it for the last article.
If you're a foodie traveler like us and are looking for authentically homemade food at amazingly cheap prices, definitely give this place a try -- excellent local food, heaping portions, free dishes every time, and best of all, conveniently located within the picturesque medieval city of Rhodes (Rodos), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place was one of the reasons that made Rhodes so memorable for us, so let’s jump right to the food.
Food Review: YIANNIS TAVERNA (Rhodes)
Address: Platonos Street, Old Town, Rhodes
Hours: 11:00 – 21:00 (based on observation)
Website/Map: N/A
Directions: Starting from Ippokratous Square (main square with fountain), walk on Socratous street towards the Palace. After one short block, turn left into a nameless alley. Yiannis is on the left side of the alley.
Yiannis Taverna is another one of those little gems that that were introduced to us by the locals -- we definitely wouldn’t have found this place on our own. This is your prototypical small town taverna operated by a local family, with the adult children running the show while the grannie sat, in her full traditional gown, at the back with the TV on. Most visitors get seated in the courtyard, which faced some sort of a dusty archeological site. But once you look past its peculiar location and sit down, the good food just keeps coming.
First a word of warning -- this place has a habit of giving you FREE food. And not the mediocre, dispensable leftover kind of grub, but excellent dishes that I would gladly order and pay for. In fact this Fakyes soup pictured here was by far the best soup we had anywhere in Greece. There’s just something about the sweetness of the tomatoes and the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the lentils here that was unmatched anywhere else. The simplest dishes are often the most memorable.
We returned here multiple times and each time the freebie was a little different, depending on what’s fresh in the kitchen. Free salads seem to be the norm every time, though they can come in the tomatoes-and-cucumbers variety or the tomatoes-and-sweet-peppers variety.
On another day they surprised us with this free dish of pasta with Briam -- a serving of delectable slow-braised vegetables in tomato paste and a healthy dollop of olive oil. For small eaters this is probably a meal on its own, and this is why I’m warning all readers -- do not order too much food, or risk taking three hours to finish.
So what did we actually PAY FOR you say? On our first visit we ordered the house platter to get a general sample of the taverna’s offerings, and they brought out this gigantic serving that the two of us could barely finish ... especially after all that free soup and salad.
The squid tentacles were fresh and tender, the peppers overflowed with stuffing, and the dolma was appetizingly smothered in thick, garlicky yogurt. But most amazingly all this great food, plus the freebies, cost about 15 Euros for two people. Our search for restaurants in Rhodes was over -- we have no reason to visit other restaurants after discovering this great little taverna.
Another visit and we started with a plate of Paidakia, which again turned out to be much more than just Paidakia. The portions were generous, and my wife loved the non-gamey but robust taste of the lamb popsicles -- traditional, organically raised lamb that still roam the countryside and possess that highly-flavored succulence. This was good, but the best is yet to come.
Our favorite dish of all was one of the simplest dishes you’d find on any Greek Island -- the Grilled Sea Bream. This was at least the fourth grilled sea bream we’ve had on our trip, which tells you how big of a seafood fan I am. The dish is simple enough that there are no secrets -- start with the freshest fish, season with just the right amount of sea salt, and finish with meticulously thorough broiling. Any screw-ups along the steps and the end result will be painfully apparent to the clientele. My wife and I joked that this was Greece’s version of Sakana-no-Shioyaki -- it takes 15 minutes to learn, but years of mastery to create the perfect fish.
Each time the fish was as close to perfection as one could ask for -- crispy charred skin, moist tender flesh, and fins and tails so crunchy that I could devour them as beer snacks. You could take this fish, replacing the garnish with Daikon Oroshi, to most restaurants in Tokyo and present it as an impeccably done Shioyaki dish. It was so good that I recommended this dish to our German neighbor at our guesthouse, AND their whole family became repeat customers. All this for only 12 Euros.
I was amazed that my wife still wanted dessert, but who could say no to sharing a cup of delectable yogurt with honey and walnuts? At the end we’ve had a free soup, a free salad or pasta, two excellent main courses with generous portions, a dessert and a beer, all for twenty something Euros. I doubt that a better deal could be found on Rhodes, especially for such quality dishes that would bring many higher end restaurants to shame.
Typical Dinner for Two Persons
| Fakyes Soup | FREE! |
| House Salad or Pasta with Briam | FREE! |
| Paidakia | Euro 10 |
| Grilled Sea Bream | Euro 12 |
| Yogurt with Walnuts and Honey | Euro 3 |
| Bottle of Mythos | Euro 1.8 |
| TOTAL | Euro 26.5 (CAD$42.9) |
Food Review: MYSTOGOGIA (Rhodes)
Address: Themistokleus 5, Old Town, Rhodes
Hours: 12:00 – 22:00 (based on observation)
Website/Map: N/A
Directions: Starting from Ippokratous Square (main square with fountain), walk south on Pithagora and then turn left after two block, onto Themistokleus.
This was the first restaurant we visited upon arrival on Rhodes, as it's recommended by Lonely Planet Greece for its "top class home-made mezedes." Situated in the middle of a picturesque cobblestoned alley, Mystagogia was priced in the mid-range ... meaning that it's more expensive than smaller tavernas like Yiannis. But how does the food compare?
We started off with a bowl of giant beans -- by now you’ve probably seen that we love simple, rustic dishes. The beans are as tender as expected, and were excellent as an appetizer. In fact this was probably the best dish ... for good or for bad.
The mussels were also tenderly steamed, but unfortunately bland in taste. These certainly aren’t Mediterranean mussels, as they simply didn’t possess that briny mineral flavor characteristic of the local seafood here. We probably should have ordered something cheap like sardines which would probably be locally sourced.
Again we ordered a large platter for two to get a sampling of the restaurant’s fare. Frankly I have absolutely no recollection of how the individual items tasted, which tells me that it was quite average compared to the similar platter at Yiannis.
At least the baklava was decent, especially after a FREE shot of Ouzo from the owner. It's not a bad meal overall, though I really have no reason to recommend this place while there's Yiannis nearby, with a much better quality-to-price ratio.
Bill for Two Persons
| Giant Beans | 4 Euros |
| Steamed Mussels | 8 Euros |
| House Platter | Euro 20 |
| Ouzo | FREE! |
| Bottle of Mythos | Euro 3 |
| TOTAL | Euro 35 (CAD$56) |
And if you want something cheap and quick instead of a sit-down lunch, you can easily combine your meal with a stroll outside of the medieval city wall at the New Market, right next to Mandraki Harbor. Inside the central courtyard of the market you’ll come across a whole array of these stands churning out all the typical peasant favorites such as whole rotisserie chicken, Souvlakis and Gyros Pita.
The pork and lamb were grilled with the same artery-clogging goodness you’d expect to find anywhere in Greece, though I would have preferred a thicker, more garlicky Tzatziki. While the quality isn’t quite comparable to my favorite Gyros stands on Monastiraki Square, no one should complain about an honest Gyros Pita for 2 Euros.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel Review: MINOS PENSION (Rhodes)
Address: Omirou 5, Old Town, Rhodes
Price: 50 Euros
Website/Map: Official Site
Directions: From the main square, walk directly south on Pithagora for about 5 minutes. Turn right on Omirou, and Minos Pension is on the left side.
Staying in the middle of the historic old town has its advantages and disadvantages. Access to the main sights are extremely convenient, and you get to appreciate the authentic atmosphere of the town after all the day-tripping tourists have left for the casino. That said, it’s a good 20 minute walk from the bus station or the harbor upon arrival and departure. But if you’re staying for a few days like we did, the proximity to the sights probably outweigh the logistical inconvenience. Besides, our pension was accessible by taxi!
This view from the roof top cafe was part of the reason why we chose Minos Pension -- a wonderful panorama of the medieval town, a few minutes’ walk to the sights and yet quietly located on a side alley. The owners, Maria and John, actually lived in Vancouver (along Broadway in fact!) for some time, and we spend a good amount of time chatting about life in Canada as well as life on Rhodes. It’s hard for me not to envy their new life.
The room was simple and clean and came with a private bathroom, air conditioning and a small fridge. They were talking about a full scale renovation while we were there, so the room probably looks even better now. This definitely beats staying at some characterless concrete block of a hotel in the new town.
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