What to eat in Rhodes
Pitaroudia and melekouni aren't on every Greek menu — the two of them, alongside slow-cooked goat, keep Rhodian cooking different from islands running on Greek salad and gyros alone.
- Street food
- €3.50–5 (pita gyros)
- Main course, restaurant
- €10–15
- Pitaroudia
- Fried chickpea, mint and onion balls
Rhodian cooking has three names of its own, not just the general Greek list: pitaroudia, deep-fried balls of mashed chickpea with mint, onion and tomato; melekouni, a ceremonial sesame-and-honey sweet for engagements and baptisms; and kapamas, slow-cooked goat or lamb. A street gyros pita runs €3.50–5 (pita gyros), a restaurant main course without drinks €10–15.
Pitaroudia — chickpea instead of falafel
Mashed boiled chickpeas mixed with plenty of chopped mint, onion and tomato, shaped into balls and deep-fried. Depending on the season, soft cheese, minced meat or pumpkin can go into the mix too. Served with tzatziki or just lemon, as a starter, not a main.
Melekouni — a sweet for occasions, not every day
A soft mix of toasted sesame, almonds, cinnamon, cloves and orange peel, cut into rectangles. It isn't sold as an everyday dessert but made for engagements, baptisms, name days and weddings — come across it outside such an occasion and it's usually at a bakery keeping it as the island's own speciality.
A restaurant main course
A main course at an ordinary restaurant, no drinks, runs €10–15 — grilled fish, kapamas or baked vegetables, depending on the place. Street food is the cheaper alternative: a gyros pita runs €3.50–5 (pita gyros), quick and without sitting down.
Kapamas — slow-cooked goat
Goat or lamb cooked slowly with cinnamon and tomato, until the meat falls off the bone. It's heavier than the grilled summer dishes and turns up less often on menus aimed at tourists on the main streets — more likely on the menu at tavernas away from them.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
What is pitaroudia?
Deep-fried balls of mashed chickpea, mint, onion and tomato — a common starter, not a main course.
Is melekouni bought every day?
Mostly not — it's made for engagements, baptisms and weddings, but bakeries also keep it outside those occasions as the island's speciality.
How much does a restaurant meal cost?
A main course without drinks runs €10–15; a street gyros pita is cheaper, €3.50–5 (pita gyros).
Ready for Rhodes?
Where to next
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How well does Rhodes suit you?
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