I have to be honest, it is now 1:21 am and I’m way over tipsy coming home from a kinky bar meeting and I met lots of old friends and I had a blast. As of right now, I’m eating instant noodles cos gods, they are the best when you are drunk and hungry. It just suddenly dawned on me that I didn’t actually write a blog post. Blogmas can be challenging. So forgive me for this being short. All I’m going to say is, Rhodes Greece surprised me although I don’t like weather that’s too hot. Both the food and wine were amazing though. Read more about my travels here:
Rhodes is full of great restaurants. Most of the restaurants we visited are in or around Old Town. We got tons of recommendations from friends and our host at our guesthouse Mascot Garden Rooms (part of the reason why I like guesthouses more than regular hotels). Here are some recommendations:
Old Town restaurants:
Mango Restaurant Lovely family-owned restaurant with fabulous food and situated in undeniably the loveliest spot in Old Town. Must-try: seafood risotto, kleftiko (if you like lamb) and calamari.
Koozina Gastronomy House Lovely environment, delicious food. Must-try: Grilled squid and pita with three dips.
Romeo Restaurant In the center of Old Town, friendly layback staff, great atmosphere. Must-try: meatballs in tomato sauce.
Outside of Old Town:
Tamam Restaurant Stunning little restaurant, friendly staff. Definite must-try: beef giouvetsi with cheese paired with Electra rosé wine (trust me, you will not regret it)
Kellides Small grill place with cheap and absolutely delicious gyro and souvlaki pitas, great for takeout snack.
The Last Butler Atmospheric cocktail bar with some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. Their snack menu also looks great. Also delicious non-alcoholic drinks. Must-try cocktail: Naked Guial (pina colada -esque).
And now, some photos 😀 Hope you enjoy!
Best seafood risotto ever! Restaurant MangoBeef giouvetsi with cheese Restaurant TamamKleftiko Restaurant MangoCalamari with tzatziki Restaurant MangoGrilled octopus Restaurant MangoGrilled squid stuffed w/ veggies+feta Restaurant KoozinaCuttlefish ink rice Restaurant RomiosSouvlaki pita Gyro grill KellidesDolmas aka stuffed grape leaves Restaurant MangoFried feta with honey and sesame Drosoulites RakadikoChicken souvlaki Restaurant AgalmaFried zucchini with feta Ta PetaladikaGrilled sardines Ta PetaladikaStuffed tomato and bell pepper Restaurant MangoSmoked octopus carpaccio Restaurant TamamGreek meatballs in tomato sauce Restaurant RomeoFried cheese w/ pistachio and mango Restaurant KoozinaKleftiko Restaurant DafniPita with three dips Restaurant KoozinaPork gyros plate Restaurant Jasmine (Pefkos)Fried eggplant Tavern YiannisTzatziki Ta PetaladikaGreek salad Restaurant Mango
Here’s a fun fact about me – one of my favorite things is Greek mythology so Greece has always been on my bucket list. The little Greek island Rhodes, however, isn’t part of the bucket list though, especially during summer cos I am not built for heat and beaches. But since I got a chance to visit Rhodes, I decided to embrace it. And in the course of ten days, the insanely blue sea and the food and the people of the island of the sun did win me over.
I am not beach person at all. But one can’t visit Rhodes and not visit their pristine beaches. The ones at the north coast of the island are consisted of tiny stones instead of sand – which I actually prefer. And I chose a seaside bar and restaurant with the most luxurious and soft sunbeds for rent (Baia Seaside Bar and Restaurant). I realized that I very much enjoy the beach, provided there are soft sunbeds, large beach umbrellas so that I’m not actually in the sun, a call button for waiters to order food and drinks, and a blue blue sea with clearest water to swim in when it gets too hot. And of course, sea means adventurous activities! I get to tick another thing off my bucket list – paragliding in the sea (picture below). 😀
What I didn’t expect to find was a giant Medieval City in Rhodes, lovingly called Old Town. Hidden inside a palace and its giant walls are nearly 200 cobblestoned streets and alleys, such as Knight’s Street seen below. There’s also a public library inside a historical building with a small garden in the middle that is worth visiting, and of course the multiple museums, the most majestic of them all the Grandmaster’s Palace. I visited the Old Town on a daily basis and got lost in its less crowded alleys and hidden treasures can be found around every corner. If you ever visit the Old Town of Rhodes, do wander off the bustling busy main streets.
I stayed mostly at the northern parts of Rhodes but I did get to see other parts of the island. I have a driving person with me so we rented a car for a day and drove around the mountains and ceremoniously visited Lindos, the white village with a majestic natural citadel – an acropolis with the ruins of a temple. We didn’t visit the village cos it was too crowded for our taste. But we did get some awesome pictures from above. 😀
I also visited the Butterfly Valley and the Bee Museum, a very nature-oriented road trip. 😀 I do recommend the Bee Museum, it’s also a great place to get some honey as souvenirs. I suggest you get souvenirs in town, cos the shops in the airport of Rhodes are quite limited in their selection.
There are tons of products and trinkets you can buy in Rhodes, especially in Old Town. The only slightly more valuable item I bought from the trip was a small bronze helmet. I don’t know why the tiny helmets instantly caught my eye and I visited many shops in order to find the right one, and this little guy was especially green. It’s going to be on the fantasy section of my future awesome bookshelf, on the prime spot! ❤
Stay tuned for part 2 of the Rhodes travels, it’s going to be all about the food!
Slap Ass For Motivation 