Avli restaurant — Restaurant in Municipality of Kos

Unfortunately on this occasion I experienced a poor version of what is usually described on these reviews for Avli. I went based on a few recommendations and was let down.

The setting of the restaurant is undeniably beautiful, the courtyard is lit well enough that you can see it all but it's dim enough to have a nice gas candle lit meal. Very nice touches and this is where the 2 stars does come from.

Where it was lacking stars is it's service and it's food.

Starting with the food me and my partner had a starter each and ordered a bottle of local wine. The wine was beautiful but the young girl who served us to start with said they didn't have one bottle we chose as it's the end of the season which is understandable, but then followed it up with 'ill get you this other if not as it's basically the same'.. this wasn't very reassuring but thankfully it was a beautiful bottle of wine.

Going onto the starters they were nice, the time of which to order and receive the food was not. I have plenty of patience when it comes to meals as I've done plenty of time myself in the hospitality sector, but there was no consistency to this place.

After the starters is where it truly went downhill, looking forward to our main courses we waited just shy of 50 minutes until the main meals came, which I don't mind at all if the quality makes up for it... However on this occasion it didn't. The lamb I had was slightly overcooked and the sauce was tasty but very overseasoned to compensate for the lack of taste of the lamb. It felt rushed how it had been cooked. The vegetables it came with however were massively undercooked leaving them hard and undesirable. My partner had (forgive me I cannot remember the name) the beef in a wine sauce surrounded by the Greek rice-like pasta. The sauce was okay, again overcompensating for the beef which was very poor. It had been overcooked massively leaving it hard and rubbery and not nice to eat. This was mostly left.

Now what let this place down was when, again after ages our plates were cleared and we would have ordered desserts, a waiter who seemed to be the owner came over and asked what was wrong with it and told us to be honest, we gave an honest answer and he replied 'yes because it's a big piece of meat you get'... Poor response followed by him walking off and not offering a dessert menu or anything. I managed to ask another waiter for the bill which after 15 minutes I still hadn't gotten, then I managed to ask the owner waiter for it which he brought. This was after what felt like being ignored because they couldn't handle any criticism and failed to ever apologize. I got the bill, no mention of the meal(s) or anything. Paid up and off I went with zero goodbye or thank you unlike other people visiting that evening.

A true quality restaurant would at least take criticism even without offering to rectify the problem. Unfortunately Avli could not do this and for this I doubt I'll be returning on a future holiday which I personally feel is a shame as they had many chances to amend this and help.

Pros: Nice atmosphere Wide selection of wines

Cons: Service from one waitress was sharp and abrupt Service from the rest was unfortunately let down due to lack of will of taking criticism Food quality a massive let down contrary to reviews read prior to visit.

Hope you can take these points on board and make it better for a potential future visit if there...

Disappointed! We've been to this restaurant several times as regular visitors to Kardamena. Yes, we know you can queue for ages even if you've booked and no-one even comes to say "they'll be with you soon" but the food is usually worth it.

Not on this occasion!

Firstly we were put on a table in the middle of the courtyard that was one of the long tables essentially with our bit of the table separated by a small gap. We might as well have joined the Greek family next to us! This wouldn't have been a problem unless the owner kept coming into this little gap to do shots, laugh and joke with this family. So we are sat there literally with someones backside in our face! He was oblivious, unlike the man who took their payment who excused himself took their card payment quickly and by moving out of the way as soon as he could.

Eventually our food order was taken and we asked for drinks too as no-one had taken a drinks order.... Pretty basic.

My starter arrived and we waited and waited and had to ask twice for my husband's starter as that didn't arrive, all the time mine was going cold. It arrived and I can say the food was delicious, the cheese croquettes I think would have been better warm not cold as they had started to go a bit claggy!

We waited for a good while and the mains arrived separately but not too long of a wait for both. My husbands chicken souvlaki was delicious and the taste of the sauce of my juvetsi was lovely. The meat however was inedible it was tough, dry and fatty and pretty disgusting. (The resident cat turned her nose up at it when I gave her a piece!) I've had juvetsi in so many little traditional tavernas and it has been amazing. The meat is slow cooked, falls apart and melts in the mouth, this was far from that.

No-one asked us if we wanted anymore drinks and the quickest thing all night was getting the bill!

Will we return? Probably not, there's better food in Kardamena and the whole evening felt chaotic, unorganised and maybe that the kitchen weren't coping well. Less tables, food cooked better and not made to feel like you were on a treadmill of customers would be lovely....

During our first day of our stay in Kos, we made our way to Avli, a place highly recommended online before our trip. It was a must-visit on our list, and I must admit, it exceeded all our expectations.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a lovely girl who promptly showed us to our table. Right at the entrance, we had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Panos, who despite the busy time, took a moment to chat with us and recommend some dishes. This personal touch gave us a warm welcome and set the tone for a delightful dining experience.

As for the food—let me tell you, it was phenomenal. Every single dish we tried was incredibly delicious. The flavors were so enticing that we kept eating even after we felt full. The cuisine at Avli is truly remarkable, showcasing the best of what Kos has to offer.

The service was incredibly fast and attentive. The staff made sure we were well taken care of from start to finish, enhancing our overall dining experience. In fact, we were so impressed that we returned on the night before we left Kos, just to experience another date night at Avli.

One of the highlights of our visits was taking Panos' recommendations. Every dish he suggested was absolutely delicious, proving his expertise and passion for the restaurant's cuisine. If you dine here, definitely ask for Panos' advice you won't regret it.

Avli's ambiance, combined with the gracious hospitality and outstanding food, made our dining experience truly memorable. I can't wait to return and taste the rest of the delicious cuisine offered here. If you find yourself in Kos, a visit to Avli is a must. Highly recommended for anyone looking to indulge in exceptional food and enjoy a warm, welcoming atmosphere. We will...