Greek Taverns on the Island of Kos
The Greek pronunciation of the Latin word taberna is taverna. Although this word means hut in Latin, in Greek, taverna is used to refer to places where people eat and listen to music. There are several types of taverns in Greece. The first and most common type are the ‘psarotavernas’ located on the coast, which primarily serve fish and seafood. In a way, these are the taverns most loved by British visitors. Especially if there is live music in a psarotaverna, nothing can beat the enjoyment.
Psarotavernas are, in other words, the original example of tavernas. In 1970, excavations carried out by the American School of Classical Studies in the Agora of Athens uncovered a site believed to be a taverna. The numerous ceramic pots, cooking utensils, and large quantities of fish bones, oyster and mussel shells found here confirm that this was indeed a taverna.
Special Dishes from Greek Cuisine
Taverns serving kokoretsi wrapped in lamb liver, goat or lamb meat cooked in a wood-fired oven, and chicken in wine sauce known as kokkoras krasatos are called kreatotaverna, meaning meat tavern, or paradosiaki taverna, meaning traditional tavern.
Greeks also call their stylish restaurants estiatoria. This word, derived from the name of the fire goddess Hestia, is used more for restaurants. There are also small establishments called ouzeris, which are neither tavernas nor estiatoria, where light meze dishes are served alongside ouzo and metaxa (Greek brandy).
Village Taverns
Travellers who fail to sample a glass of ouzo accompanied by a full plate of bean stew with red onions, dried tzatziki and lakerda at a small ouzeri in the villages of islands that preserve their traditional characteristics more, such as Chios and Lesbos, are missing out on something in terms of taste and Greek cuisine.
Dinner at the Taverns
One of the features of Greek taverns that surprises us at first glance is that they open late. Today, it is almost impossible to order food at a taverna before 9 p.m. in Greece. But it is also true that when midnight strikes, there is no service concept of dimming the lights and closing up shop. Taverns are not suitable places for those in a hurry or who are impatient. Taverns are reasonable places in terms of food and drink prices. Service here is slow and not particularly attentive enough to pamper you. However, portions in taverns are large and very generous. Therefore, if you want to sample many flavours of Greek cuisine, the best thing to do is to order dishes to share at the table and enjoy them in a friendly atmosphere accompanied by rembetiko music.
Live Music and Sirtaki Fun in Taverns
While not all Greek taverns feature live music, many do. When it comes to live music in Greece, the first instrument that comes to mind is undoubtedly the bouzouki. The bouzouki, whose name means “broken stringed instrument”, is the main instrument of rembetiko music, which developed on the islands and in Izmir and then spread to Greece. Other instruments accompanying the bouzouki in live music in taverns are the guitar, accordion and clarinet. Although not as common today as it once was, the unforgettable entertainment in taverns is the smashing of plates one after another to the accompaniment of the sirtaki dance. When the film music composed by Mikis Theodorakis for Kazancakis' legendary hero Zorba is heard, the only dance to be performed is, of course, the sirtaki.
Kos Taverns
We have selected some of Kos Island's most beautiful restaurants and Istanköy's (Kos Island) best taverns where you can sample Greek cuisine.
Horiatiki (Horyatiki) Greek salad, also known as Greek salad, moussaka, imam, stuffed squid, prawns, grilled octopus, sea fish, tzatziki, tiropita (cheese pie), feta cheese, saganaki cheese and, of course, loukoumades (lokma) and revani for dessert await you in the taverns and restaurants of Kos Island.
For those who want to enjoy Greek drinks while discovering Kos cuisine, ouzo, tsipouro, suma, Kos Island wines, Kos liqueur and Kos beer are the most delicious flavours to drink on Kos Island.
This restaurant, one of the finest taverns in the centre of Kos, awaits you with Greek music, Greek cuisine and Greek hospitality. Featuring décor unique to Kalymnos Island, Kalymnos Tavern also offers delicacies from Kalymnos' local cuisine.
The best place for Kos's local cuisine and traditional Greek dishes. For those seeking an affordable, stylish, high-quality restaurant on the island of Kos, Nick The Fisherman Restaurant is the ideal choice.
Kos welcomes you with the island's seafood and authentic décor on its most beautiful beach. Barbouni Taverna, one of Kos's seafront restaurants, also offers you the opportunity to cool off on Kos's most beautiful beach.
Some evenings, you can experience Kos's nightlife with the most beautiful Greek songs at Sardelles Taverna, where live music is performed accompanied by bouzouki,
kitara, guitar and clarinet. For those wishing to dine in Kos while seeing Kos architecture and monuments up close, this restaurant offers the Greek cuisine with the
freshest seafood.
After cooling off at the most beautiful beaches on Kos Island, Avli Taverna welcomes you upon your arrival at Zia Village, one of the top places to visit in Kos.
In Zia, the most authentic of Kos' villages, you will witness the most beautiful view on Kos Island. Avli Taverna is the ideal restaurant for watching the sunset in Kos.
While admiring the Tigaki salt lake amidst the natural beauty of Kos, you can sip famous Kos wines or a cold glass of retsina (resin) wine under the pergola.
After doing your most economical shopping on Kos Island, you can sample special Greek dishes such as lamb tandir, roast lamb and kokoretsi in the must-see forest village
of Zia Village on Kos. It is one of the finest taverns where you can enjoy traditional Kos cuisine accompanied by famous Greek singers such as Glykeria, Dalaras, Kazantzidis and
Haris Aleksiou. Even in winter, the majority of Kos's population comes to this warmest restaurant, named after Mount Dikeos, to enjoy the most economical and freshest food.
