Barbouni — Restaurant in Municipality of Kos

Went for dinner and ended up feeling like Pablo Escobar on holiday — minus the drama, plus the scallops, and I’m still dreaming about them.

We booked a table here on our last night in Kos to celebrate our anniversary. We were seated in the beach area — close enough that we could have heard the waves doing their ASMR thing… if it weren’t for the music. It was really too loud, the kind of loud that makes you talk at full volume the entire time, and honestly, we ended up leaving earlier than we wanted just because it was getting exhausting.

Out of Italian courtesy (read: we don’t want to disturb others), we didn’t ask them to turn it down… but honestly, in a place where the service feels almost telepathic, someone should have noticed.

That’s where the missing star went.

The rest? Bellissimo. Fantastico. BRAVI.

We started with bread, olive oil, and olives — simple, perfect, already telling you “you are in for a good night.”

Next up were the first four grilled king scallops with herb butter. First bite: Mamma mia. A true awakening. We looked at each other like two people who just saw the Madonna in the kitchen. No, not the singer — the real one.

By the time the fried calamari arrived, I had already ordered another four scallops. Both rounds were perfect: seared just right, butter rich and aromatic, ideal for bread-dipping. My girlfriend is now officially in a committed relationship… with scallops.

But the calamari with mayo? Next-level. Crispy without being greasy, and you know that they’re damn fresh and perfectly cooked when you’re producing more saliva than a Neapolitan looking at a pizza straight out of the oven. AND I CAN TELL THAT BECAUSE I AM THAT NEAPOLITAN, UAGLIO' !

We then had tagliatelle with raw fish, a few clams, mussels, and a touch of lemon. Technically flawless — pasta cooked and emulsified so well some Italian restaurants should take notes. But the lemon was a bit of a diva: it came on stage, grabbed the mic, and didn’t let the seafood sing. Refreshing? Yes. Balanced? Not quite, probably a bit too much for me. A pity, because the craftsmanship was top-class.

After that came the grilled sea bass fillet, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The fish was ridiculously good — skin whisper-crisp, flesh delicate — the potato mash was too, maybe the vegetables were forgettable… but come on, nobody comes here for the broccoli.

To finish in style, we ordered dessert: profiteroles in a chocolate ganache-style cream, with fior di latte and vanilla gelato on the side. Cool, rich, perfect ending.

And just when we thought we were done, they poured us a small glass of what I’m pretty sure was a local sweet wine — classy “arrivederci” move.

Guys, what most amazed us was the service. It was flawless to the point of magic.

Pacing between courses was spot on, problems didn’t even have time to exist, and the staff’s attention to detail bordered on telepathic, spotting your needs before you even think of them. At one point, my girlfriend was reaching into the ice bucket to pour us more wine; a waiter spotted her mid-action and seamlessly took over with a smile.

But hey, the real test came at the end — and this is the real colpo di scena for me.

I half-jokingly asked the waiter, after I ordered the profiteroles, if he could somehow get us the dessert plus two cigarettes — we’d left ours at home; no pressure of course, but I promised that if he pulled it off, I’d make it worth his while.

A few minutes later, dessert landed on the table, flanked by an ashtray, a lighter, and two cigarettes, as if we’d ordered the “Mafia Boss Special.” That’s the moment I felt like Pablo Escobar on holiday.

My girlfriend toasted “ciao, Pablo,” and I swear the only thing missing was the NARCOS soundtrack in the background.

Final Verdict: Barbouni alone would be worth another trip to Kos. It is where Michelin-level technique meets genuine hospitality.

Book it, don’t leave it for your last night like we did… because trust me, you’ll want to come back.

This is not goodbye, but a nostalgic...

I normally do not write such a long review for a restaurant but we feel compelled to share our experience here. This restaurant unfortunately does not really care about its customers, it is clearly all about making as much money as possible during the busy tourist season. Profitability should be related to customer attention in a restaurant but this is not always the case for establishments based in holiday resort areas. Here on many occasions a customer only visits a restaurant once and the staff and the owner know this and they do not really care about customer experience.

We booked a table to celebrate our wedding anniversary on the restaurant web and we could only get it for 9.30pm. My husband felt this was a bit late so I rang in the afternoon asking about the possibility to move the booking to 8 or 8.30pm. I was told that we had been allocated on a table by the sea and we would lose it if we got to the restaurant earlier. When we got to the restaurant at the booking time, we were asked to wait at the bar having a drink while our table was getting ready but now, as opposed to what we had been told before, the table would not be by the sea.

They told us tables by the sea are allocated by booking order. Considering this process, I asked that if it was already known based on existing reservations, why we were not allowed to come at 8 or 8.30pm for a normal table instead, considering this was our preference. We could not get a satisfactory answer.

The restaurant menu is very pricey and the food is just ok. But the service is appalling which is a pity as the location, decoration, setting and atmosphere is nice in there.

When the waiter came to take our order he was completely disengaged and did not show any interest on making any recommendations despite we did ask for it. He only confirmed begrudgingly when asked that the sea bass in salt was farmed and not wild caught, so we did not order this in the end.

We ended up ordering way too much food, dishes/amounts completely inappropriate for a couple. In any other restaurant you would have been warned.

When the waiter came back after main courses we told him that we had clearly ordered too much as we left unfinished both of our main courses. He just answered “yeah…… what would you like for dessert?” We just looked to each other in surprise not knowing whether to laugh or be annoyed.

When the manager came with the bill and suggested a tip we told her that we felt that we had not got any valuable advice from the waiter and we had ordered incorrectly. She said that “next time you should ask” completely disregarding our comment. I had to retain her at the table to explain we were just passing this feedback. She gave us a cynical smile showing an absolute lack of care and...

During our recent visit to Kos, we had the pleasure of dining at Barbouni, and it truly became one of the highlights of our holiday. The restaurant itself is beautifully located, offering a delightful ambiance and with a beach-front setting that is completely unparalleled.

To start off with - the food was beyond amazing, some of the best sea food we have ever had (specifically the salt sea bass, the lobster and the seafood calamarata). What truly made our experience exceptional, however, was the incredible staff. Every member of the team was friendly, attentive, and dedicated to ensuring we had a memorable meal. However, special mention must go to Yanis, the sommelier (and potentially manager / head waiter). His expertise in wine and his warm, welcoming personality added a unique touch to our dining experience. Yanis took the time to recommend the perfect wine pairings for our meals and shared fascinating insights about the local varieties. His passion and knowledge truly shone through, making our evening unforgettable. Yanis didn’t just enhance our dining experience; he made our holiday. His hospitality and genuine care for his guests are unmatched. If you’re ever in Kos, a visit to Barbouni is a must. Make sure to ask for Yanis – you won’t be disappointed!

We never dine at places more than once on holiday, and we returned three times (out of four nights) to Barbouni because of how exceptional it is! That’s a testament to how incredible the entire experience was.

Thank you, Barbouni and especially Yanis, for an unforgettable dining experience. We can’t...