Restaurant highlight: Koykos

We discovered an incredible restaurant in the new town of Rhodes called Koykos. I fell in love with the indoor décor--folksy and woodsy, with old cuckoo cloths, vintage do-dads, and musical instruments like banjos and accordions on the walls. The charm even fills the restrooms, where brass handwashing sinks are laid in wooden barrels and the toilet has a drawstring flusher (and I was crazy enough to photograph it). The restaurant has a wood-fire oven where they make delicious varieties of bread and pastries, which you can buy to-go from the glass case (and smell from the street). Or you can take a seat at a table indoors or outdoors and order from the menu, which has a great selection of gourmet sandwiches and Greek meze plates (appetizers), at very reasonable prices. Outdoors there is a lounge area with cushioned benches and piles of colorful pillows that face a walking street. From our seat outdoors, we peeked through an open window into the kitchen where we had a perfect view of the cooks pulling out fresh food from the oven. We ordered toasted sandwiches and fava. As we sat outdoors for over an hour on a late Friday night, we watched nicely dressed people walking by and groups of scooters speed past with 2 youngsters on each. The restaurant was packed with Greek locals. We couldn’t help but come back another time during the day with our books so we could sample Koykos coffee and dessert. I’d have come a third time if we stayed in Rhodes long enough.

- Julia