Kos; a Tale of two restaurants

Kos Town

Seasoned travellers know that to get under the skin of a place you need to seek out true local restaurants for food and produce are always integral to culture. This is especially true on the ancient and storied Island of Kos which like many other Greek Islands originally went for mass tourism as a catalyst to alleviate the poverty and stagnation which blighted Greece in the 1960’s. So in Kos Town avoid the strip of restaurants by the harbour with multi-lingual tourist menus. There is nothing too wrong with them but they are a form of culinary wallpaper which you can hardly describe as “Real Greek”. Instead follow me to two exceptional restaurants which give an insight into the diversity and culture of this special place which was the crossroads of the Greek, Roman and Crusader world.


Platani - 4 km outside Kos Town

To do this we first go 4 km outside Kos Town where we find ourselves (and you may be surprised by this) in a Turkish village. Kos at one time had a large Turkish minority but with the tensions over Cyprus, many have left the island. About 50 Muslim families remain on Kos and they mostly reside in Platani along with a Greek minority. Everyone seems to get along just fine but the good news is the Turkish restaurants that await visitors.



At Platani on the way to the Asklepion of Kos there are still Turkish villages with the restaurants reputed to have the best food on the island. Also on the way to Platani you can see the old Jewish and Muslim cemeteries side by side. Platani’s older domestic architecture is similar to styles in Crete from where some of the village’s inhabitants came between 1898 and 1913. There is a working Ottoman fountain near the crossroads and several excellent Turkish tavernas; Arap, Asklipios, Sherif and Gin’s Palace. This is a good place just 3 miles outside Kos Town to come in the evening to enjoy the cooler air, savour the village atmosphere and enjoy Turkish food in Greece.



They all offer Anatolian-style mezedhes and kebabs and enjoy a reputation, including among the Greeks, as the best eateries on the island. We dined at Arap where all the vegetables are grown on the owners land and the meats sourced on the island. We enjoyed an excellent meal with our Greek friends who are regulars here. I expressed my surprise to Yasar, the owner that the menu included a pork chop but he said there was not necessarily a strict interpretation on this before saying he had to earn a living! Yasar Memis, the owner, is always there and in the Greek and Ottoman tradition you are welcome to go into the open and scrupulously clean kitchen to inspect the produce.



The food here is a mix of Greek and Turkish and the spirit of this unpretentious family restaurant is contagious. Whatever you order from the extensive menu, it's impossible for you to choose wrongly. Although there are many meat dishes, vegetarians will have a feast. The roasted red peppers stuffed with feta and the zucchini flowers stuffed with rice are splendid, as is the bourekakia (a kind of fried pastry roll stuffed with cheese). Afterward, you can walk across the street for the best homemade ice cream on Kos.

All of the restaurants here are good with the patrons’ mainly Greek locals who appreciate the quality of the Turkish cuisine as well as the distinct atmosphere of this place which until 1964 was most commonly known as Kermetes (Germe in Turkish). The Turkish community had its own primary school but in the wake of the Cyprus crises of that year the village was given a Greek name and education provided in Greek only. Now things are more relaxed and I can only hope this special part of the world continues to embrace diversity.



The next choice as you might expect is a Greek restaurant but it is in Kos “Old Town” which in reality is the Ottoman Old Town of Halluvazia which survived the devastating earthquake of 1933. Olive (Elia in Greek) at 27. Apelou Ifestou, is a traditional Greek Restaurant affiliated to the Slow Food movement which specialises in authentic local dishes and local produce and which I cannot recommend too highly.


Elia's sweet olives marinated in honey

At the end of the meal you will be presented with their coup de theatre, a saucer of Olives! When you eat them you will react strangely for these are sweet olives marinated in honey and taste surprisingly delicious. Indeed they are so popular and unique that Elia now sells them in jars to take away. The menu is best described as Greek home cooking with many Dodecanese specialities and a quixotic menu which features headings such as “Barley Juices” (Beers), Vineyard Juices (Wines), Boiler extracts (Teas & Coffees).



The emphasis is on quality fresh ingredients with exceptional artisan wines and cheeses in particular. A great place for lunch or dinner and the antidotes to the tourist “bolognaise and cheeps” include specialities such as "pastourma", "gardoumpa" , "frygadelia", "tsigarides" , "spetsofai" and "kavoyrdisto." Don’t worry if this means nothing, just ask the helpful staff. As well as the cool stone restaurant there is a lovely and restful canopied garden at the rear.



So on a Greek Island these are two of the best, one Turkish in Greece and the other traditionally Greek in the Turkish Old Town! Both excellent, both producing the food of memory deeply rooted in the produce and tradition of this special place.

Details;

ARAP Restaurant in Platani

Platani Village Square Kos island 85300, Greece
Tel. +30 - 22420 28442

Elia Traditional Restaurant - Tel. +30-2242022133
Apellou 27 - 85300 Kos, Greece

http://www.elia-kos.gr/en/

See also;

Around Kos Town

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/09/around-kos-town.html

Muslim Kos

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/07/muslim-kos.html

Jewish Kos

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/06/jewish-kos.html


The Greek God of Healing, Asclepia arriving in Kos greeted by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, (seated) and a Coan (in the hat). Roman mural, 1st Century A.D.

Agios Nektarios, Kos - αγιος Νεκτάριος στην Κως.

We have been going down to Kos and Kalymnos since 1999 and in that time we are fortunate to have met people on the islands we count as friends and to have an insight into the real life of the Dodecanese Islands. If you read the tourist brochures they are full of the usual clichés; “Sun kissed Paradise” “Fascinating culture and history” “live the island life” and so on. All very well but, as in real life, reality is more complex than the soundbites and it is only the overall context which makes sense.







So we are very fortunate that our friends take the time to show us their places away from the well trod tourist tracks and allow us to share in their everyday lives. So with them we sometimes head up to the district of Agios Nektarios on the slopes of the Mount Dikeos range just behind Kos Town. Here on the slopes you get a fine view of the town and harbour and 3 miles across the water the Bodrum Peninsular in Turkey and the town of Bodrum itself which in antiquity was Hallincarnassus, the birthplace of the historian Herodotus, known as “The Father of History”, and site of the Tomb of Mausulos, one of the Seven wonders of the ancient world.









Entrance to the Monastery of Saint Nektarios



Here we visit the Monastery of Saint Nektarios which our friends support and help along with many of the locals. This supports a small community of nuns (In the Orthodox tradition there are male or female monasteries) and we have always been warmly welcomed by the nuns, who include a mother and daughter. In the Orthodox tradition monastic life is esteemed and valued within the communities. Within the Monastery you find three chapels - the chapel of the Resurrection, the chapel of St. Raphael and the chapel of St. Irene Chrysovalantou. It also contains the tomb of Gerasimos, a nineteenth century Archbishop of Kos and his mother. The Monastery is located on a panoramic view-point and although it is situated out of town, it is visited every week for the traditional Sunday service. But to understand how an Orthodox Convent (Monastery) is different you must realise that whilst religious keep to a code there are no Monastic Orders like in the West with Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, etc.









Baptisimal font and table



Rather in the Orthodox world a community is set up with the permission of the local Bishop and with a priest assigned to them as a spiritual mentor but often they are otherwise on a small scale supported by the local community. So at Agios Nektarios the community uses the churches for their life events of Baptism’s, Marriages and Deaths but also visit for the Sunday service or just for quiet contemplation in the peaceful grounds or prayer in the churches. They also visit for their Saints Days. In Orthodox tradition children generally take the name of the saint whose feast day they were born or baptised on and this day is commemorated as their birthday. On the day we called to the convent there was a baptism due to take place and a church was decked out with flowers, garlands and gifts for the children attending of toys and bags of homemade sweets. These are always large family events in Greece and around 100 were expected to attend.















The nun insisted we take some sweets as a sign of friendship. The relationship between the “Latins” and the “Greeks” has at times been bitter and fraught but (even though I’m a non-believer) I have only ever been welcomed with considerable courtesy when visiting Orthodox sites and at Agios Nektarios we are welcomed like old friends for the tradition of monastic hospitality runs deep.



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/fall-of-byzantium.html



There are three branches of the early Christian Churches which have shaped Christianity ever since. There were the two “official” churches of the Roman Empire. The Patriarchate of Rome which claims apostolic succession from Saints Peter and Paul (people don’t realise that the second largest Basillica in Rome after St. Peter’s is St. Paul without the Walls which also contains the grave of the saint) and which was the official church of the Western Empire. Then there is The Patriarchate of Constantinople which was the official church of the Eastern Roman Empire and then of Byzantium and which claims apostolic succession from St. Andrew. But these were the “official” churches with all the trapping and baggage being a Church of the State entails.





Kos Town and the Turkish Coast from Agios Nektarios





Grave of Archbishop Gerasimos



There was a third strand that rebelled against Christianity being used as a political instrument and is in many ways more interesting. This was the Church of the East which at one stage reached as far as Western China and adopted local languages and customs in its devotional practice. This was the church most reduced by the rise of Islam but its residue and rich traditions can be seen in the Maronites, The Armenian church, The Copts, the Chaldean Christians in Iraq and the Assyrian Christians who can also be found in India and who claim apostolic succession from St. Thomas the Apostle.













Icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary



But today the world seemed much simpler as we wandered through the churches with their rich frescos in the Orthodox tradition. Like many of the “visuals” and music associated with the Christian tradition they were designed to convey the teachings of the Bible to what would have originally been mainly illiterate congregations but are now part of the artistic patrimony of the church. The gardens of the monastery are peaceful and enclosed with ponds (for the Persian word which gives us “Paradise” meant a water garden, the greatest luxury in a desert) and like the gardens of Marrakesh it is designed to be productive with many fruit and olive trees. As well as the three churches and the archbishop’s grave there is the living quarters of the nuns in a large but simple house. All of this is set in a peaceful and verdant setting which helps sustain their contemplative life.



The Saint after whom the monastery is named, Nektarios of Aegina (1846-1920), (Greek: Άγιος Νεκτάριος Αιγίνης,) Metropolitan of Pentapolis and Wonderworker of Aegina, was officially recognised as a Saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1961. His Feast Day is celebrated every year on 9th November. There are reasons why this place is special to our friends. She is called Irene and one of the churches is dedicated to her saint, Irene Chrysovalantou and she visits to commemorate her saint day.





St. Savvas the New of Kalymnos with his icon of St. Nektarios



But there is also another reason. She is a Kalymnian and their patron is Agios Savvas who inspires great devotion amongst Kalymnians, the hardy and industrious inhabitants of the island north of Kos, famed for sponge fishing. Before coming to Kalymnos Savvas stayed with Nektarios on Aegina and was with him when he died, or reposed in the Orthodox lexicon when speaking about a saint.



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/10/portrait-of-pothia-kalymnos.html



Her husband is Cypriot but went to school in Alexandria which is one of the 14 cities named after Alexander the Great and once had a large Greek community. Here too there is a connection with Nektarios for he started his priestly mission in that great city but after a bitter row with the Patriarch of Alexandria he was expelled in some ignominy.



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/oath-of-alexander-great-in-324-bc.html



So we took our leave of the Abbess and nuns of Agios Nektarios (In Greek names Agios = Saint, Agia= Saintess, Agias = Saints) and headed further up the side of the hill to near where the road runs out and we come to a small double church dedicated to Agias Stelios and Maria Magdalene. Once again this points out a difference between Western and Eastern practice for in Greece there are many churches not used for regular services built either by individuals or communities. So for instance in the grounds of the hotel where we always stay in Kos, The Continental Palace, there is a small church dedicated to Agios Gerasimos built by the owner to honour his father who is named after Gerasimos, Patron and Protector of Kephalonia (as seen in captain Corelli’s Mandolin).







The Convent House





http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/09/around-kos-town.html



This church at the crest of Agios Nektarios was built and maintained by the rural community around here and is used for saints days, baptisms and marriages and village ceremonies. It is also used for private prayer as today when our friend was commemorating the anniversary of his mother’s funeral. The key to the church was found under a nearby rock and incense and an urn were found and the incense lit. Then the icons in the two churches were venerated with the incense. Separating the Nave from the Sanctuary in every Orthodox Church you find the iconostasis, a screen with a door in the centre containing 5 or 7 icons.





Churches of Agias Stelios and Maria Magdalene



Icons are part of the eastern tradition even if they were a source of controversy and division in the east. To Muslims, any kind of picture, statue, or representation of the human form is an abominable idol. In the controversy in the Eastern Church there are two empresses, Irene the great proponent of icons and Theodora who saw their use as idolatry and a barrier to the conversion of Jews and Muslims. Theodora is known as Iconclastis – the destroyer of icons. They still divide with Calvinists seeing these images as a corrupt distraction replacing the many gods of the pagan religion with a similar pantheon in a Christian guise.









Iconostasis



But for the Orthodox today icons are venerated as they represent people of great piety who had a greater understanding of God. For the Orthodox they are venerated not for the image on them but as windows into Heaven. And so our friend’s mother was remembered today by burning incense and venerating the icons. It may seem strange for a non-believer to attach such importance to this but religion is rooted both in belief and in culture. You can, for instance, consider yourself Jewish without being observant. To understand why Greeks are Greeks you need to understand that as they chaffed under the yolks of many conquerors two things kept them Greek, their religion and their language.





Incensor





Icon of Maria Magdalene



Today in Kos you would not think yourself as being anywhere other than Greece but this place was never part of a country of that name until 1948. They endured 700 years of occupation by Crusader Knights of St. John, The Ottoman Turks, Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and more benignly the British before they were finally unified with Greece in 1948. And before that again in antiquity they were Byzantine, Roman and at various time allied with or controlled by Carians, Persians, Dorians, Athenian League and Ptolemies to name a few.





Kebab on the hoof



Then as we leave Agias Stelios and Maria Magdalene to head to Platani (Kermetes) and a Turkish Restaurant



Yes, a Turkish restaurant!



http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2011/06/kos-tale-of-two-restaurants.html)



to belatedly celebrate my birthday there is a moment of pure Greek magic! Suddenly the air is filled with the sound of bells. We look around over a hundred goats are heading in single file without any human guidance along the path and the road to new pastures. However somebody called Lord Byron summed up the special sense of time, place, history and people in the Greek Islands better than I ever could;



THE isles of Greece! the isles of Greece!

Where burning Sappho loved and sung,

Where grew the arts of war and peace,---

Where Delos rose and Phoebus sprung!

Eternal summer gilds them yet,

But all, except their sun, is set.



The Scian and the Teian muse,

The hero's harp, the lover's lute,

Have found the fame your shores refuse;

Their place of birth alone is mute

To sounds which echo further west

Than your sires' "Islands of the Blest."





Sunset over Pserimos and Kalymnos seen from Agios Nektarios

Around Kos Town

When it comes to Greek Islands there is much to choose from and the different areas have their own distinct character. So overall there is much to explore and it is best to make up your own mind between the Ionian Islands, the Cyclades (The “Circle” around Dilos), the Sporades (the “Scattered”), and the Saronic in the Saronic Gulf off Athens, the largest island of all Crete and our own favourite the Dodecanese (the “Dozen” after the 12 larger islands) nestled off the coast of Turkey looking upon what used to be the Greek lands of Asia Minor home to Ephesus (Efes), Halicarnassus (Bodrum), Smyrna (Izmir) and of course fabled Troy the protagonist in the epic fight for influence and domination between Europe and Asia so graphically depicted in Homer’s “Iliad” the very first narrative work in Western Literature. There was also a little city there called Constantionpolis (Istanbul) which whether you realise it or not has influenced all your lives.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/04/fall-of-byzantium.html

We get the English word “autopsy” from the Greek “autopsia”, "to see for oneself", and it didn’t originally just refer to seeing dead bodies but it was the pre-eminent form of Greek Logic. So get a copy of the wonderfully named Frewin Poffley’s “Greek Island Hopping” www.greekislandhopping.com and go see for yourself, as Socrates might have said, it is only logical!


Haluvazia, the Ottoman Old Town

For me I have a special affinity with the Dodecanese and their heightened sense of solidarity forged in adversity from earning a hazardous living from the sea and land and from asserting their culture, religion and Greek nationality in the face of 700 years of occupation by Crusader Knights of St. John, The Ottoman Turks, Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and more benignly the British before they were finally unified with Greece in 1948. They represent a fascinating mix of cultures and diversity and topography even within the islands. For me my heart is in Kalymnos but my head is in Kos as a more practical base and hopping off point. Whilst it may seem surprising in Britain used to the touristic excess of Kardamena to the Scandinavians’ and Germans Kos is a sophisticated destination, but as everywhere you need to know where to go and what to avoid. I don’t pretend this to be a comprehensive guide but just small and selective list of a few favourites near where I base myself in Kos Town.


Merkato Kos

Kos Town for such a bustling place provides a surprising number of peaceful retreats among the landscaped gardens and shady squares. Traditional tavernas and cafés around the waterfront also provide a place to escape the air of business that surrounds the island's capital. Most parts have either been carefully preserved or thoughtfully developed to produce a pleasing resort full of character.


Coffee Frappe

Eleftherias (Freedom) square is the centre of Kos Town. It is the atmospheric open air "Drawing Room" of Kos where everybody goes for their evening stroll, to see and to be seen. It is overlooked on one side by the Nefterdar mosque which was built at the end of the 18th century and the ablution fountain, on the other by the Italian Colonial style Merkato, and by the Theatre and library and the Archaeological Museum on the other sides. Towered over at night by the illuminated crosses of the Orthodox Cathedral and adjoined by the ancient Roman Agora it provides a superb urban set piece symbolising the rich mix of influences which have made this unique island. Avoid the dubious attractions of “Bar Street” or bars like “Shenanigans” who get business from “looking after” tourist reps. Avoid also the strip of restaurants by the harbour with multi-lingual tourist menus, Nothing too wrong with them but they are a form of culinary wallpaper which you can hardly describe as “Real Greek”. Instead follow me to a small and select bunch of authentic good value venues.


Ideal Snack Bar


Timo, the Great Greek Gyros Chef!

A good pit stop for food and drink is Ideal snack bar on Martiou Street just off Eleftherias Square. Ideal is delightful and always friendly and the Gyros (Chicken or Pork Souvlaki) are the best value and tastiest on the island. It is run by Zoë and her family; She is Greek American from Boston and totally cool. She is also an unfailing source of reliable advice on what to do and what to see but nobody can give you reliable advice in Greece on ferry timetables! Nobody stacks a Gyros like Timo, the chef at Ideal; these are not bought in but made fresh every day by Timo and Zoë’s dad, Kostaes. A Gyros at 1.90 Euros provides a satisfying lunch with a Greek salad and a fresh orange juice. The food here is straightforward and tasty and when you go the second time you are welcomed like family. More importantly it is scrupulously clean. The family also run the highly recommended Mayflower Apartments in Tigaki.

http://www.mayflower.gr/en/index.html


Hamman nightclub at beginning of Bar Street

There is a “bar street” by the Agora with late night delights including a night club in an original Turkish Hamman. More satisfying though is to head up to Haluvazia, the atmospheric Ottoman Old Town. Off the pedestrianised narrow main street (Apelou Ifestou) you can see the sturdy Ottoman homes and courtyards which survived the 1933 earthquake. Following this street you come to a cross roads where you find on one side the Old Town Café and on the other side Kantouni Bar.


Kantouni Bar


Old Town Café

The café is run by the much travelled and amusing Alex who plays excellent lounge music whilst selling the best Frappe on the island – essential fuel on a warm day beneath the canopy of bougainvillea. The bar on the other side is run by Georgiou and his Mohitos are the real deal! It is a good place to hang out and if you turn up the second time you are greeted as an old friend and free nibbles and drinks are normal hospitality. Both of these establishments being at a cross road are great for people watching and with the shady setting and laid back atmosphere you may well find that you linger longer than you expect. In the evening they are both lively but satisfying venues with a balanced mixture of Greeks and Xenos!




Olives marinated in honey


Elia


Slow Food from Elia

Across from the café is Olive (Elia in Greek) at 27. Apelou Ifestou, a traditional Greek Restauraunt affiliated to the Slow Food movement which specialises in authentic local dishes and local produce and which I cannot recommend too highly. At the end of the meal you will be presented with their coup de theatre, a saucer of Olives! When you eat them you will react strangely for these are sweet olives marinated in honey and taste surprisingly delicious. Indeed they are so popular and unique that Elia now sells them in jars to take away. The menu is best described as Greek home cooking with many Dodecanese specialities and a quixotic menu which features headings such as “Barley Juices” (Beers), Vineyard Juices (Wines), Boiler extracts (Teas & Coffees). The emphasis is on quality fresh ingredients with exceptional artisan wines and cheeses in particular. A great place for lunch or dinner and the antidotes to the tourist “bolognaise and cheeps” include specialities such as "pastourma", "gardoumpa" , "frygadelia", "tsigarides" , "spetsofai" and "kavoyrdisto." Don’t worry if this means nothing, just ask the helpful staff. As well as the cool stone restaurant there is a lovely and restful canopied garden at the rear.




Anatolian Hamman

Continuing in the same direction you can make a detour west of Platia Dhiagoras to Nikita Nissiriou to the Anatolian Hamman. During the Ottoman Period this was the residence of a local pasha whose descendants emigrated to Izmir in 1950; The small Turkish bath inside (the Hamman of the name) functioned as the neighbourhood spa until 1970 or so after which the premises operated as a brothel (legal in Greece) before falling into complete disrepair. It has now been restored (since 1992) with the original cedar floors and painted ceilings and has a lovely Arabic style garden at the back and is a stylish restaurant. I complimented the waitress that the excellent Arabic style hummus – the Chef came out and it turned out he was Coptic from Alexandria hence the authentic feel to the food. As if the good authentic Greek / Alexandrine food and the resonance of the Anatolian Haman wasn’t enough the garden overlooks part of the extensive Western Roman archaeological remains.

Kos at one time had a large Turkish minority but with the tensions over Cyprus, many have left the island. About 50 Muslim families remain on Kos and they mostly reside in Platani along with a Greek minority. Everyone seems to get along just fine but the good news is the Turkish restaurants that await visitors.


Platani - Kermetes

At Platani on the way to Asklepion there are still Turkish villages with the restaurants reputed to have the best food on the island. Also on the way to Platani you can see the old Jewish and Muslim cemeteries side by side. Platani’s older domestic architecture is similar to styles in Crete from where some of the village’s inhabitants came between 1898 and 1913. There is a working Ottoman fountain near the crossroads and several excellent Turkish tavernas; Arap, Asklipios, Sherif and Gin’s Palace.

They all offer Anatolian-style mezedhes and kebabs and enjoy a reputation, including among the Greeks, as the best eateries on the island. We dined at Arap where all the vegetables are grown on the owners land and the meats sourced on the island. We enjoyed an excellent meal with our Greek friends who are regulars here. I expressed my surprise to Mr. Arap that the menu included a pork chop but he said there was not necessarily a strict interpretation on this before saying he had to earn a living! The food here is a mix of Greek and Turkish and the spirit of this unpretentious family restaurant is contagious. Whatever you order from the extensive menu, it's impossible for you to choose wrongly. Although there are many meat dishes, vegetarians will have a feast. The roasted red peppers stuffed with feta and the zucchini flowers stuffed with rice are splendid, as is the bourekakia (a kind of fried pastry roll stuffed with cheese). Afterward, you can walk across the street for the best homemade ice cream on Kos.




Arap

All of the restaurants here are good with the patrons’ mainly Greek locals who appreciate the quality of the Turkish cuisine as well as the distinct atmosphere of this place which until 1964 was most commonly known as Kermetes (Germe in Turkish). The Turkish community had its own primary school but in the wake of the Cyprus crises of that year the village was given a Greek name and education provided in Greek only.

There are many good hotels on Kos but as elsewhere in Greece there are downmarket package holiday dumps which advertise “Coronation Street” on Sky TV and Heinz beans at breakfast! I’m not really sure why you need to come to Greece for either! There are many excellent large hotels and self contained resorts. We stay on the Psalidi side of Kos Town by the coast which is quieter by the marina and with a cycle path into Kos Town (approx 1 km) which is well used by the mainly Dutch and German visitors. Our place of choice on numerous visits has been the excellent Continental Palace Hotel which is set by the marina back from the road in 2 acres of well tended gardens and with a large 50 m swimming pool.

This is basically a 1960’s precast concrete hotel with two wings joined by the reception area. What sets it apart is the proprietorial instincts of the Greek owner, the demanding standards (including cleanliness and maintenance) set by omnipresent manager Nick and the exceptionally hardworking and committed staff. The location and facilities are not bad either!


Irene, a Greek Goddess on reception

When we first arrived there we were greeted by friendly receptionists who showed us to our rooms. There were lifts to help us cart our luggage to our rooms and people were always happy to help. The grounds and the pool were stunning and it was also very clean, the latter factor not an afterthought in Greek hotels. Several visits later we regard the staff (a mixture of Greek and expats including German and Swedish) as old friends. It is invidious to mention names but Irene on reception is an absolute star, worth her weight in gold. She is not just the most helpful individual you will meet at a hotel reception and a font of reliable knowledge and advice but she is also one of the most genuine people you could come across.


Entrance to Continental Palace


Bar

We had maid service everyday and they were very friendly and helpful and also the same for the bar staff. The pool was cleaned daily. The balcony views were stunning as they overlooked the sea and our balcony stared across at Bodrum and the Turkish coast just three miles away reminding us that this is the closest point between Europe and Asia. The restaurant was clean and spacious and there is a very generous buffet of freshly prepared foods each evening. There are a selection of cold starters and salads, fresh breads and soup and at least 6 hot courses which generally include a roast meet a stew / casserole, a fish dish, pasta and vegetarian dish. The deserts are home made with some excellent home baking. On Friday night there is a very good barbeque by the pool. Yannis the restaurant manager is always on hand at breakfast and dinner and even when we have arrived at an unearthly hour dinner is kept for you. I have read some carping remarks about the food elsewhere which I don’t understand as with many Continental visitors the hotel caters for all tastes and the food offer is both fresh and generous. The professional chefs are scrupulous in ensuring the buffet is fully stocked and not a speck of food or a utensil which is dropped on the floor by customers will be left there for seconds – here as elsewhere in the Continental Palace a high standard is maintained.


Swimming Pool

One valid criticism is that the price of wines and drinks are too high – for instance a half litre bottle of retsina is 7.50 Euros here and 1.80 Euros in a supermarket. Bar prices are similarly high and not justified in the case of cocktails which are not of good quality as they use plastic tasting pre-mixes and your six euro Mohitos will not have fresh mint. Of course the way the pound has gone ALL euro prices seem bad value. The margins the hotel operates on with the tour operators must be tight (a week in August half board was £242 per person sharing on Hotels.com) so the drinks are their profit margin and they do provide very good FREE entertainment 4/5 nights a week so this obviously finance those evenings.

One other criticism is the cack internet access with no free wireless broadband (like budget chains such as Ibis and Travelodge provide) and one machine with a Greek provider using a voucher system which never works. If Nick the manager went into the excellent 24 hour internet cafe in Kos Town he would see them making a fortune from young kids using the games and realise they are badly missing a trick. Also they should realise that this is not a luxury for visitors but the way they keep in touch, upload holiday photos, do their banking, payments, etc;

There is a garden bar which should be a lovely relaxing haven to take in the marina and the views of the Turkish Coast and the passing parade of ships. However this is virtually empty from one end of the day to the next. The reason? Why the time warp barman who we named Disco Duck. Whilst he is a noted mandolin player on the island he is stuck in a personal Saturday Night Fever and feels what visitors require is loud blaring 70’s disco music. For the customers on the other hand this is generally their idea of Hell, hence the empty bar which should by rights be busy. Disco Duck is too busy jiving to notice this is the last thing customers want! It is high time Nick the Manager ensured Disco Duck is humanely put down and Greece and not Grease is the word!

But these are niggles and the Continental Palace is a great base in a great location and set in beautifully maintained fragrant gardens within a gentle and uplifting seaside stroll of the centre of Kos Town. The vista as we walk into town over the beautiful stretch of water the short distance to the Turkish Coast and the Bodrum peninsular never fails to both calm and inspire. But what stands out in this hotel is the pride in looking after the customer by a great staff under Greek management and ownership. For an insight into the difference you can stop in the hotel grounds at the small private church which is open in the mornings for visitors and is dedicated to the saint whose icon is painted on the outside Agios Gerasimos, Patron of Kephalonia. The owners’ father is called Gerasimos and he built this beautiful little church in his honour. It is a haven for a few minutes reflection within the large haven of the Continental Palace Hotel. This was our third stay at this property and frankly we wouldn’t stay anywhere else on Kos.




Church of Agios Gerasimos

Contacts;

Ideal Snack Bar and Grill
2, 25th Maritou St., 85300 Kos, Greece, Tel. +30 22420 22142

Elia Traditional Restaurant
Apellou 27 - 85300 Kos, Greece, Tel. +30-22420 22133
http://www.elia-kos.gr

Arap Taverna
Platanos-Kermetes - 85300 Kos, Greece, Tel. +30 22420 28422

Continental Palace Hotel
G. Papadreou St. - 85300 Kos, Greece, Tel. +30 22420 22737, 22915
http://www.continentalpalace.com/

See also;

Kos Town

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/08/kos-town.html

Muslim Kos

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/07/muslim-kos.html

Jewish Kos

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/06/jewish-kos.html


Sunset over Pserimos and Kalymnos seen from Aghios Nektarios on Kos