What food is Kos known for?

Kos is known for its fresh seafood — the island's position in the Dodecanese means excellent local fish and shellfish. The island also produces good local wine. Dodecanese cooking generally incorporates more Middle Eastern influence than mainland Greece — look for dishes with cinnamon-spiced meat and pilafi (rice) dishes.

Is food expensive in Kos?

Mid-range in Kos Town — comparable to Crete or Rhodes, significantly cheaper than Santorini or Mykonos. A full meal with wine at a decent restaurant runs approximately €25–€40 per person. The tourist strip near the castle is overpriced relative to quality; a short walk into the residential streets gives better value.

Where should I avoid eating in Kos?

The restaurant strip closest to the Castle of the Knights and the tourist harbour is the most tourist-facing, with aggressive touts and variable quality. A five-minute walk into the back streets of Kos Town gives significantly better food at lower prices.

Kos Restaurants Guide | The Greece Guides

Kos Town has a food scene shaped by its position as a major tourist hub — there are plenty of restaurants, but they vary enormously in quality. The tourist-facing strip near the harbour and castle attracts visitors by location but not always by merit. The better eating is in the residential streets behind the main boulevard and in the neighbourhoods away from the main tourist concentration. This guide points to the places worth your time.

What to Eat in Kos

Dodecanese mezedes: The Dodecanese islands (Kos, Rhodes, Patmos, Leros) have a distinct local food culture influenced by proximity to Turkey and time under Italian occupation (1912–1943). Look for:

Pitaroudia: Fried chickpea fritters flavoured with onion and herbs — a Dodecanese speciality that appears on menus as a starter or meze. Crispy, flavourful, and addictive.
Loukoumades: Greek fried dough balls with honey, often served at festivals and some café-bakeries.
Makaronia me manestra: Pasta with tomato and cinnamon-spiced meat — an echo of the Ottoman culinary tradition.
Fresh grilled fish: Sea bream, red mullet, and octopus are the most common. Priced by weight (approximately €60–€90/kg for whole fish as of 2026).
Local wine: Kos produces its own wine under the Dodecanese PDO. The local white (from Muscat and Athiri grapes) is light and aromatic; available in most tavernas by the carafe.

Restaurants in Kos Town

Petrino Restaurant

One of the most reliably well-regarded restaurants in Kos Town — set in a neoclassical building with tables spilling into the square. The menu covers traditional Greek and Dodecanese cooking well: pitaroudia, grilled octopus, fresh fish, and good mezedes selections. Not cheap by Kos standards (mains approximately €18–€28) but the quality justifies the price. Book ahead in August — it fills up.

Barbouni

A fish-focused restaurant in the quieter part of Kos Town, away from the main tourist circuit. The name (barbouni is Greek for red mullet) signals the focus. The fish is fresh and handled simply — grilled with olive oil, lemon, and herbs. An excellent choice for those whose priority is quality seafood without paying resort-strip prices. Approximately €15–€22 per main, fish priced by weight.

To Kymata

A casual harbour-facing taverna at the quieter end of the Kos waterfront, serving standard taverna fare — grilled meats, salads, meze plates — at reasonable prices with a sea view. Good for lunch; the evening dinner options do not quite match the more focussed restaurants in the town back streets. Approximately €12–€18 per main.

O Makis (Traditional Souvlaki)

For budget eating in Kos Town, the souvlaki spots in the back streets are the answer. O Makis and similar small grill houses (look for queues of locals rather than menus displayed outside) serve excellent grilled pork or chicken souvlaki, lamb chops, and sausages at €4–€8 per portion. An unambitious but satisfying meal for €12–€15 total including bread and a drink.

Restaurants in Kefalos

The south-west village of Kefalos and the bay below it have a handful of tavernas serving the local community as well as visitors.

Kamari Bay Taverna

The generic-sounding name hides a genuinely good family-run fish restaurant at Kamari beach. The octopus here is dried and grilled correctly — not tough. The fava is creamy. The fish is local. Service is unhurried. This is the kind of honest taverna that most resort areas struggle to maintain once tourism takes over; it has managed it. Mains approximately €14–€20.

Kefalos Village Restaurants

The village of Kefalos itself (above Kamari, on the hill) has a couple of small tavernas used primarily by locals. These are worth seeking out if you are spending time in the south of the island and want lunch or an early dinner without the beach-strip atmosphere. Prices are lower than the beach tavernas; the food is straightforward Greek home cooking.

Eating Near the Resorts

The resort areas (Tigaki, Marmari, Kardamena) all have their own restaurant strips primarily aimed at package tourists. Quality ranges from acceptable to mediocre. If you are staying in these areas:

Tigaki: A few tavernas in the village behind the beach serve better food than the beach bar restaurants. Ask at your accommodation for current local recommendations.

Kardamena: The most package-focused resort on the island, with the most tourist-facing restaurant strip. The best approach is to seek out the tavernas used by Greek families (look for Greek menus alongside English ones, and tables of locals).

Practical Dining Notes

When to eat: Lunch at Greek tavernas typically runs 13:00–15:30. Dinner opens from 19:00–19:30 and kitchens in good places are often done by 22:30. The resort strip operates later.

Booking: For the better Kos Town restaurants in July and August, calling the same day or on arrival is advisable. Most do not take formal advance reservations more than a day ahead.

Bill navigation: In tourist areas, check your bill. Overcharging (adding unrequested items, inflating fish weights) is a reported issue at restaurants near the main tourist harbour. In the back-street tavernas this is uncommon.

Breakfast options: Greek bakeries in Kos Town open from 07:30–08:00 and sell good bougatsa (custard pastry), spanakopita, and fresh bread for a cheap breakfast. The cafés around the central market square serve excellent Greek coffee (frappe or ellinikos) and pastries.

Bodrum day trip food note: If you are doing a day trip to Bodrum, Turkey, note that Turkish food is excellent and worth having lunch there rather than hurrying back to Kos. A lunch of lahmacun, köfte, and Turkish mezedes runs approximately TRY 250–400 per person (as of 2026 — verify current exchange rate). The bazaar area near the harbour has the best concentration of local restaurants.

For the complete Kos island guide including where to stay and travel logistics, see our Kos travel guide. For things to do including the Asklepion, the Castle of the Knights, and cycling tours, see things to do in Kos. For beaches from Tigaki to the south coast coves, see best beaches in Kos. Comparing Dodecanese islands? See our Rhodes travel guide.

Book Kos tours and excursions with GetYourGuide. Pick up a Greece eSIM before you fly — keeps you connected without roaming charges.

Where to Eat in Kos: Best Restaurants and Tavernas on the Island