Il Ponte Restaurant Bar — Restaurant in Municipality of Rhodes

You must try this restaurant!!! It’s great for seafood but EVERYTHING is delicious!!

We’re not normally ones for all inclusive holidays as we like to sample local options whenever possible and upon arriving at our nearby hotel, we immediately started looking for a great local restaurant. Maps are great but you never know until you see!

Well!!

We took a walk earlier in the day to judge the distance - easy and flat walk. And also to see how needed a reservation was.

Despite not seeing during service, the open restaurant looked incredibly clean and well maintained. A lot of effort had been taken with the surrounding frontages & the well manicured & uplit areas have lots of stomata growing like rosemary, lavender and basil. Parking if needed.

The menu was clearly visible from the outside - great as we could see drinks we actually would normally buy (variety of nice wines and champagnes etc.) The staff were really welcoming and keen to answer any questions we might have had - and very fluent in English too even for weird allergy queries. Easily made a reservation for later that evening.

When we arrived, the team could not do enough for us despite it not being a ‘special occasion’ and the other guests.m they were busy with. There’s a great display chiller with lots of fresh catch of the day and they cheerfully explained the options and how it could be served. They were so accommodating!!

We were incredibly keen to try honest local food as well as things we knew we’d like.

We over ordered but ate every morsel! The starters were incredible and we now have a new love for a dish called Pitaroudia - heavenly textures and flavours. Think of an expertly crafted Bhaji if you’re English but infinitely better - delightfully crispy on the outside and a squishy but clean inside with rich flavours of diced courgette, feta, chick peas, carrots, tomatoes, onions, corn, garlic and served with local honey as a drizzle and or dip. WOW!!!

And ask ‘Nic’, (his Dad started the restaurant in the early 90’s) for the background on where the local tradition of this dish came from - it really made our evening being informed on what we were eating and how much love goes into everything. And we’ve not even touched on the souvlaki (that was a main that we asked for as a starter so we could try), the fab grilled octopus, and GRANDMA’S recipe hummus. My god I want this stuff available on tap!! Literally THE BEST I HAVE EVER EATEN. And that’s only the starters we asked for!

For mains we ordered a catch of the day red snapper, which we ate between 2. We also ordered potatoes which were like a boiled then slightly softly sauté with dressing, delicious.

Nic asked us to trust him with how the fish was seasoned etc and he did not disappoint.

Beautiful bottle of Sauvignon, international liquors very reasonably priced international large bottled beers. Honestly, there is so much more we want to try so we’re going back again.

If you’re staying at Mitsis Resort & Spa, turn right as you walk out of the back of the hotel as if heading to the beach and simply walk down that road instead of the onto the beach. Il Ponte is the shining white welcoming beacon at the end of the hotel suites. You won’t regret it.

Thank you for having us...

Understanding of service about zero!!!! When we came to restaurant after say hi the owner already asked us if we come only to drink so we can’t sit at the table we chose and we needed to guarantee him that we will order food too,the restaurant was empty!! We where totally shocked ,it was first time in my life that in restaurant owner so rude , and instead offering me best table ,set me conditions. Then we sit and ordered bottle of wine and cheese,and waiter 10 minutes told us stories about their rules. And from feedback of owner I also understand that he is a big lier,because we didn’t speak with him about any money!!! And people like him ruin good name of Greece! But for our luck it’s only one bad experience in...

I read all the glowing reviews and thought ‘surely it can’t be THAT good?’ because it seemed too good to be true, especially as it was conveniently a few minutes walk from our hotel.

Well, it is that good and perhaps even better. Each and every member of staff was gracious and incredibly warm and friendly. The setting is quiet, overlooking the sea, bright and airy. And the food was so fresh and perfectly prepared. We had the hummus, filo feta and honey, and the seafood platter and everything exceeded expectations. Even the white wine we had was incredible.

I would come back to Rhodes just to eat here again. If you are considering it and reading the reviews like I was- just go! You will...