We've just returned from a two week holiday to Rhodes and this was the third time staying and eating at Aroma Stegna. As always the accommodation was beautifully clean and bed sheets and bath towels were regularly changed (it seemed like every other day!). Since we first visited Nikolas has completed the building of a two bed roomed apartment, which would comfortably fit a family of four.
We ate at the restaurant and happily worked our way through the menu over ten of our 14 evenings (Rhodes Town, Archangelos and eating in for the other meals). Greek cuisine uses subtle herbs and spices such as rosemary, oregano, nutmeg and cinnamon. Nikolas and his mother work the kitchen, (with George (Niks father) front of house) where they prepare some interesting variations on the traditional dishes, adding sweet peppers and feta cheese to their Kleftico (lamb casserole). There are a number of dishes that are prepared (Homemade) but you need to ask which are fresh for the day as they are prepared in batches. One of our favourite ways to start a meal is with Nik's freshly baked bread, which is good with the Mezes (small dishes) of homemade tsatziki or home grown olives - yum - nothing better after a hard day on the beach!
This year our food highlight at Aroma was a genuine surprise because we really did not expect it to be so good. We pre-ordered moules marinieres, which Nik gets from the fishmonger in the morning when he does his rounds of the restaurants, and it was just a perfectly cooked bowel of mussels in a simple onion and garlic broth. The mussels were tender and went well with the salty broth and homemade bread. We had this with a young (2010) bottle of local white wine, which was again a pleasant surprise.
So it’s worth looking at the pre-order menu for the freshly produced food and don’t be afraid to ask Nik about any of the other meals they can prepare (I did see what looked like a fantastic dish of lobster being brought out for one customer who had ordered well in advance).
Next year (2012) may well be Nik's mothers last year of cooking for the restaurant, after some twelve years, and so you need to get there soon! I look forward to visiting Aroma again and cracking a smile out of Nik – he has the driest sense of humour and a heart of gold.