Where to Eat, Swim and Stay in Kos
Seven days. More than 70 hotel inspections. The five restaurants and five beaches that made the shortlist.
Most guides to eating in Kos are written by somebody who had a week on the island and ate wherever was nearest the hotel. We had a week too. We just spent it differently.
Thomas, Antonis and I were on Kos for seven days this summer, working through the island resort by resort to build our programme for next season. We inspected more than ten hotels a day — over seventy across the week — and the job was to decide which of them we would be willing to put our own customers into.
That means we saw a great deal more of Kos in seven days than a holiday would ever show you: the north coast in the morning, the Kefalos end in the afternoon, Kos Town at night. The restaurants and beaches below are the ones that survived that pace.
The short version
Eat: Meze Academy and Votsalakia in Kos Town, Restaurant Ali and Taverna Nestoras for everyday Greek cooking, and Oromedon up in Zia for the one big night out.
Swim: Tigaki and Kardamena if you want easy sand and shallow water, Agios Stefanos and Paradise down on the Kefalos peninsula if you want the photograph.
Stay: depends entirely on what kind of holiday you're after — and that's the part most guides get wrong. There's a section on it below.
How this guide was put together
Seven days, three people, seventy-plus hotels
This was a working inspection trip, not a press visit. Thomas Kaplan, our Product Manager, Antonis, who looks after our operation on the ground in Kos, and myself covered the island over seven days — Kos Town, Psalidi, Tigaki, Mastichari, Kardamena, Lambi and the Kefalos end.
We inspected more than ten hotels on a typical day: rooms, pools, kitchens, the walk from reception to the beach, the bit of the garden the brochure photograph doesn't show. Everything we approved is going into our Kos programme for next summer.
The restaurants and beaches below are simply where we ended up when the working day finished. Nobody paid to be included, and nobody knew we were writing this.
Where to eat in Kos: our five
Kos Town alone has hundreds of places to eat, and a good number of them are built entirely around the fact that you will only visit once. The five below are the ones we chose to return to.
1. Meze Academy — Kos Old Town
Kolokotroni 36–38, Kos Town
A meze restaurant in the old town, and the one we sent most people to when they asked. The idea is straightforward: order several small plates for the table rather than a main each. There's also a rotisserie, so lamb, pork and chicken come off the spit.
It gets busy in the evening and it does not take long to fill up. Book, or go early.
2. Votsalakia — Kos Town seafront
Georgiou Averof 10, Kos Town
A fish taverna, family-run, with tables set out on the water. From the road it looks like nothing much — you walk through and the sea is right there. This is the one to choose if you want grilled fish, octopus and calamari rather than a menu that tries to please everybody.
The seafront tables are the whole point, so reserve for dinner if you want one.
3. Restaurant Ali — Kos Town
Artemisias 23, Kos 853 00 · +30 2242 021860
Away from the harbour and quieter for it. This is everyday Greek cooking rather than a special-occasion restaurant — the sort of place you want on the night when you have looked at eleven hotels and cannot face a menu with photographs on it.
4. Taverna Nestoras — Kos Town
Vasileos Georgiou V', Kos Town 853 00
A traditional taverna on the Vasileos Georgiou seafront road. Straightforward Greek cooking, generous portions, no theatre. The kind of place you book once and then keep going back to without really deciding to.
5. Oromedon — Zia
Epar.Od. Zipariou-Asfendiou, Zia 853 00
The one that needs planning. Zia is a mountain village up above Kos Town, and Oromedon sits looking west across the sea towards Kalymnos and the Turkish coast. It has been run by the same family since the 1990s, and the cooking is proper Dodecanese food — a lot of it out of a wood-fired oven — rather than the standard island menu.
Two things to know. First, go for the sunset, and book, because everybody else has had the same idea. Second, you need a car or a taxi: Zia is not somewhere you wander up to after dinner.
If you only do one
Oromedon for the evening you'll remember, Votsalakia for the meal you'll describe most accurately when you get home. They are doing completely different jobs.
Where to swim: five beaches worth the drive
Kos is not a difficult island to get around. It is long and fairly flat, the roads are good, and there is a cycle path along a decent stretch of the north coast. Hiring a car for even two or three days of a week changes what the island can offer you.
| Beach | Where | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tigaki | North coast, west of Kos Town | Families — long sand, shallow water, easy to reach |
| Mylos | Lambi, just north of Kos Town | A beach day with sunbeds, food and a bar — close to town |
| Kardamena | South coast | Long sandy beach with a resort town attached |
| Agios Stefanos | Kefalos peninsula, south-west | The view — basilica ruins and the islet offshore |
| Paradise | Kefalos bay, south-west | A day trip with a proper sweep of sand |
Close to town: Mylos, Lambi
Mylos sits on the beach at Lambi, a short way north of Kos Town, built around an old stone windmill — which is where the name comes from. It is a beach bar and restaurant as much as a beach: sunbeds and umbrellas, food and drinks brought to you, showers and changing facilities, and music that picks up as the afternoon goes on.
That makes it the easy option rather than the wild one. If you are staying in Kos Town or Lambi and want a full day on the sand without hiring a car, this is where to go. It is also worth knowing that it gets livelier in the evening, so it is not the choice for a quiet family afternoon in August.
The family beach: Tigaki
Tigaki is the one we recommend most often to families, and the reason is not complicated: the sand runs a long way, the water stays shallow a long way out, and it is close enough to Kos Town that you are not committing your whole day to it. Behind the beach sits the salt lake, which is worth ten minutes if there are birds on it.
The south coast: Kardamena
Kardamena divides opinion, and we should be honest about why. The beach itself is long and sandy and genuinely good. The town behind it is lively and aimed squarely at a younger crowd. If that is what you want, it is one of the best-value bases on the island. If it isn't, come for the beach and stay elsewhere.
The Kefalos end: Agios Stefanos and Paradise
The south-western tip is where Kos stops looking like a package-holiday island and starts looking like a Greek island. Agios Stefanos has the ruins of two early Christian basilicas above the sand and a small rocky islet just offshore with a chapel on it — it is the photograph everyone comes home with. Paradise Beach, in the same bay, is the bigger, sandier, more organised option.
It is a drive from Kos Town — allow the best part of an hour — so make a day of it rather than squeezing it in.
Where to stay in Kos
This is where a food-and-beaches guide usually stops. It shouldn't, because on Kos the resort you pick shapes the holiday far more than the hotel does.
The four bases, honestly
| Area | Suits | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Kos Town & Lambi | Couples, first-timers, anyone who wants to walk to dinner | Restaurants, the castle, the harbour and the bike path all on your doorstep |
| Psalidi | Quieter stays within reach of town | Just outside Kos Town; beaches here are shingle rather than sand |
| Tigaki & Marmari | Families | The best sand-and-shallow-water combination on the island |
| Kardamena | Younger groups, value seekers | Closest to the airport; lively at night |
The mistake we see most often is booking a quiet hotel in a lively resort, or a lively hotel somewhere there is nothing to walk to. Tell us which of those two matters more to you and the shortlist shrinks fast.
Where we stayed
Olga's Paradise Apartments — Psalidi
Odysou Street, Paradisi, Kos Town
We based ourselves here for the trip, and there was a practical reason: it sits just outside Kos Town, which meant we could be at the harbour in minutes and still get across to Kardamena or Kefalos without the day disappearing into driving.
It is a small, family-run complex of studios and apartments — pool, garden, kitchenettes, a short walk to the beach. It is not a five-star resort and does not pretend to be. What it has is the thing that is hardest to contract for: people who actually run the place themselves.
What we've added for next season
The hotels we inspected on this trip are going into our Kos programme for next summer. Some of them we have sold for years and were checking again. A good number are new to us, and a few did not make it through — which is the entire point of going.
If you already know roughly when you want to travel, it is worth talking to us early rather than waiting for the brochure. The rooms that suit families — connecting rooms, ground-floor units near the pool, anything sleeping five — go first, every year, without exception.
Practical notes
- Getting there: Kos International Airport (KGS) sits in the middle of the island, which keeps transfers short wherever you're staying. Kardamena is the closest resort to it.
- Getting around: buses connect the main resorts, and there's a cycle path along part of the north coast. For the Kefalos end, hire a car.
- When to go: May, June and September give you the beaches without the peak-summer heat. July and August are hot and busy — book early if those are your dates.
- Booking: Greece packages are held with a deposit covering the flight cost. The balance is due 12 weeks before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to eat in Kos Town?
For meze and food from the rotisserie, Meze Academy in the old town. For fresh fish with tables on the water, Votsalakia on the seafront. Both get busy in the evening, so book. For the single most memorable meal on the island, Oromedon up in the mountain village of Zia is worth the drive.
Do I need to book restaurants in Kos?
In July and August, yes, for anywhere with a sea view or a reputation. Oromedon in Zia and the seafront tables at Votsalakia are the two we would never turn up to without booking. In May, June and September you can generally walk in, though it is still worth calling ahead for dinner.
Which is the best beach in Kos for families?
Tigaki. The sand runs a long way, the water stays shallow well out from shore, and it is close enough to Kos Town to be an easy half-day rather than an expedition. If you are staying in Kos Town itself and don't want to travel, Mylos at Lambi gives you sunbeds, food and facilities within easy reach — though it gets livelier as the day goes on.
Do I need to hire a car in Kos?
Not to have a good holiday, but yes to see the whole island. Buses cover the main resorts and there's a cycle path along part of the north coast. But Zia and the Kefalos beaches — Agios Stefanos and Paradise — really need a car or a taxi. Two or three days of hire during a week is usually enough.
Where should I stay in Kos?
Kos Town and Lambi if you want to walk to restaurants and the harbour. Tigaki or Marmari if you have young children and want sand and shallow water. Psalidi if you want somewhere quieter within reach of town, bearing in mind the beaches there are shingle. Kardamena if you're a younger group or watching the budget. Tell us which of those matters most and we'll narrow it down.
Is Kos better than Rhodes?
They suit different holidays. Kos is smaller, flatter and easier to get around, with shorter transfers and a stronger family beach offer on the north coast. Rhodes is larger, with more to see away from the beach and a medieval old town that has no equivalent on Kos. If it's a first Greek island and you have children, Kos is usually the easier answer.
When is the best time to visit Kos?
May, June and September give you reliable beach weather without peak-summer crowds or heat, and prices are lower either side of the school holidays. July and August are hot and full — good if you want everything open and running, but book early.
Can I book these hotels and resorts with flights and transfers?
Yes. Kos is bookable through GoToBeach as an ATOL-protected flight-inclusive package under licence 11211 (Caria Holidays Ltd), with flights from UK airports, accommodation and resort transfers in a single booking. Talk to our Greece team with your dates and group size and we'll put together the options that actually fit.
Planning a holiday in Kos?
Tell us your travel dates and we'll recommend the right resort before recommending the right hotel. ATOL-protected flight-inclusive packages under licence 11211.
Call +44 208 211 00 01 Email hi@gotobeach.co.ukGoToBeach is a Mediterranean and North African holiday specialist focused on five destinations we know personally: Turkey, Greece, Malta, Morocco and Egypt. ATOL-protected flight-inclusive packages under licence 11211, Caria Holidays Ltd. Trading address: 12 Savoy Parade, Southbury Rd, Enfield EN1 1RT. This guide was written by Eleni, GoToBeach's Greek Islands specialist, following a seven-day inspection of Kos with Thomas Kaplan, Product Manager, and Antonis. Restaurant addresses, opening arrangements and hotel facilities can change — please confirm the specifics with a GoToBeach specialist before booking. If you are reading this after publication and believe any detail has changed, please email us at hi@gotobeach.co.uk.