4 Best Restaurants in Kos Town, Rhodes and the Dodecanese

Set on the shady square where Hippocrates reputedly once taught, this island institution maintains high standards for its cooking and top-notch service. Occupying an early-20th-century Italian club, the surroundings of tiled rooms and candlelit balconies are elaborate. Try the spiced, grilled lamb chops or famous pork and crackling (ellasonitiko). Live music accompanies meals most evenings.

The setting is the star here. Three brothers have created a calm oasis a few streets in from the hustle and bustle of Kos Harbor. A 150-year-old stone house provides cozy dining in cool months, and in summer, tables pepper a garden full of private nooks, fountains, and gentle music. The enormous menu lists Greek staples, such as zucchini pancakes and liver with oregano, side-by-side with more cultured cuts of chateaubriand and stuffed pork tenderloin.