In the heart of Lindos, below the ancient Acropolis, the restaurant Akres is dedicated to the reinterpretation of Greek cuisine. At the moment, it is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Greece. With a post-modern and very minimalist design approach, Akres brings the culinary tradition of the Dodecanese islands into the present: respectful, refined and modern. Lindos is one of the most beautiful places on Rhodes and the acropolis is definitely worth a visit (preferably in the early evening hours, when the large crowds of tourists are back in the hotels and on the cruise ships – then it is picturesquely quiet and deserted up here).
If the climb is too strenuous, the roof terrace at Akres offers a great view of the castle ruins. The restaurant’s ambitions are clear: the aim is to achieve internationally relevant awards. Michelin stars are not currently awarded outside of Athens – if that were to change, the restaurant would already be well equipped.
While we have experienced extremely friendly service in many restaurants on the island, the entire team at Akres shows that they are a few steps further, more professional and at the same time more relaxed. This begins as soon as we arrive in the dining room on the first floor: a glass of champagne is poured straight away, the first snack is served at the kitchen front and only then does the restaurant manager show us to our table on the roof terrace.
What is deeply rooted can be rethought: That is the credo of the chef and team. Here, treasures from the sea meet the rich harvest of the earth, combined with creative flavors and a fine stylistic signature. The dishes sometimes seem a little bold, but always remain in balance and are above all a very special exception to the countless tavernas and restaurants on the island, which have dedicated themselves to “classic” Greek cuisine of a somewhat more rustic style.
The town itself is in no way inferior to the culinary claim: Lindosa listed fishing village, once home to the philosopher Cleobulus, weaves history, beauty and atmosphere into an almost mythical setting. Akres knows how to capture these surroundings with tasteful aesthetics and genuine hospitality.
In addition to a few small snacks and à la carte options, there are also four tasting menus to choose from, including a vegetarian option, of course. On this evening, I opted for the Fauna menu, supplemented by an additional course to start.
Fish Ceviche “Marinato”, which I also chose for the menu, is a visually very appealing variation on ceviche. The acidity and spiciness are rather restrained, the fish is complemented by tomato seeds, crispy wheat, green pea puree, tarragon, mackerel caviar and a light yoghurt foam.
On the other side of the table, the choice fell on the purely vegetarian menu. It starts with a very crispy variation of the typical Rhodian pita filled with horta, a traditional salad made from gently cooked wild vegetables or cultivated leafy greens such as dandelion, chard or wild spinach. In Greece, it is usually served lukewarm or cold, seasoned with the best olive oil and fresh lemon juice, accompanied by roasted onions and a herb sauce.
The official start to the menu is a beef tartare “Giapraki”, a classic beef tartare with velouté made from vine leaves, a crispy rice wafer and 24-hour matured yoghurt. This is good, but falls short of the texturally comparable ceviche, which offers a much more exciting interplay of different components, more crunch and variety. The vine leaf velouté and the homemade yoghurt add nice local accents.
What impressed me the most, however, were the “Manites” mushrooms: a variation of wild mushrooms: “Koukoumaria”, chanterelles and “Pitia” on mushroom ragout and flavored soil. Perhaps the best pure “mushroom dish” that I have come across so far. On the one hand because of the extremely deep and intense umami note, and on the other hand because of the very elaborate ingredients. The supposed black truffle turns out to be a falafel, but made from mushrooms and fried in a black batter. The flavored earth is more like a ragout, with the mushrooms roasted very long and vigorously together with chopped walnuts. Insanely good!
The vegetarian menu is followed by Bostani, a very pretty plate with baked eggplant, lots of seasonal vegetables, tsipouro, miso, pine nuts and tomato.
The lamb “Kiapapi”, a lamb picanha with caramelized “xerohimisi” onions, potatoes with staka butter and cumin sauce is also very good and combines the classic intense Greek barbecue flavours.
“Melekouni” is an interpretation of the traditional Rhodian dessert with sesame, bitter almond, candied orange, hibiscus and pollen ice cream. Surprisingly good!
During the course of the evening, the people at Akres had noticed that there was something to celebrate at our table – a small, delicious cake slowly closes the evening, the sun has long since set and the castle surrounding the Acropolis is discreetly illuminated. In the restaurant, people are filming, taking photos and quickly posting one or two stories. It seems to be a particularly popular restaurant among content creators. You can’t blame them…
Akres, Lindos
www.akreslindos.com
