Kalymnos Restaurants
Kalymnos serves its best food at Pothia, the green village of Panormos and the west-coast resorts of Myrties and Massouri. Panormos holds the best restaurants, bars and ouzo tavernas on the island, the waterfront of Pothia lines the harbour with tavernas, and the beach resorts feed the summer crowd. Fresh fish and seafood, Kalymnos honey and the island's oregano and thyme run through the local cooking. This guide points you to the dining areas rather than a fixed list of tables. Hire a car to explore Kalymnos at your own pace, covered in our Kalymnos car hire guide.
- Best tavernas
- Panormos
- Harbour dining
- Pothia
- Beach resorts
- Myrties & Massouri
- Local products
- Fish, honey, herbs
Panormos
Panormos, the vast green conservative village on the west coast, holds the best restaurants, bars and ouzo tavernas on Kalymnos. It sits close to the beaches of Kandouni, Linaria, Ksisitos and Platis Yialos and to the climbing sectors, so it draws both beach-goers and climbers to its tables in the evening. It is the first place to head for a full dinner on the island.
Pothia harbour
Pothia, the capital and main port, lines its waterfront with tavernas. The city is built against a hill in the shape of an amphitheatre, and its colourful houses give the harbour an Italian look, so the beach boulevard is the place to eat by the water and watch the ferries. As a working sponge-diving town, Pothia is a natural spot for fresh fish and seafood.
Myrties and Massouri
Myrties and Massouri, the main west-coast resorts, keep the busiest eating along the beach. Myrties has fine tavernas and cafes near the harbour, with a view across to Telendos, and Massouri, the biggest resort on the island, adds bars, tavernas and clubs behind its sandy beach. This is where most visitors eat within walking distance of their rooms.
Rina and the beaches
Rina, the small port at the foot of the Vathy valley, has tavernas around its sheltered bay, and beach tavernas stand at Platis Yialos, Arginonta, Akti and Vlychadia. Platis Yialos has an excellent tavern on the sand and the finest sunset on the island, while the smaller beaches offer a simple lunch by the water rather than a night out.
Local food and products
Kalymnos is known for its own honey, sold everywhere on the island, and for the oregano and thyme that grow across the mountain slopes and feed the beehives. Fresh fish and seafood run through the cooking of this sponge-diving island, and the fertile valley of Vathy adds mandarins and other citrus. Look for these local products alongside the standard Greek taverna dishes.
