The best restaurants Ionian Islands

Among the plusses: the very pleasant welcome, a fabulous breakfast and above all the location in the mountains. The tavern attracts all Leukade so much its cuisine is delicious! Installed on a terrace from where you will have a magnificent view of the green mountains of the surroundings, you will taste a feta cheese puff pastry wrapped in honey, a lamb brochette cooked with small tomatoes and potatoes, a lentil salad, moussaka... Even the desserts are sublime: the orange cake, in particular.

The plus of this tavern: its pretty courtyard filled with flowers in a stone house, a haven of peace in the middle of summer! The dishes are quite classic, with grilled dishes, Greek cooked dishes such as moussaka, fried squid, beef dumplings? On weekends and some summer evenings, a musician comes to sing traditional island tunes. A change of scenery!

On the spot, the service is remarkable. Let the waiters guide you if you have any doubts. Or, as we did, let them choose for you what you like!

Overlooking the coast, this restaurant boasts a large terrace with an impressive view of Kefalonia. As well as the setting, the food is excellent and the establishment is even open in winter, as the owner cooks game to perfection! In summer, you can enjoy fried calamari and fresh fish, as well as beef in red wine, baked lamb, moussaka... Perhaps you'll try an excellent and hearty wild boar with golden potatoes from the oven. The house wine is also very good.

This small tavern is located in a charming alleyway. In a small alley, it surprises by the presentation of the dishes, which is rare in Greece, and the quality of the products. You will find refined and out of the ordinary dishes: eggplant gratin with feta cheese, tuna risotto, lentils cooked with ginger, tomatoes stuffed with couscous? The gavros and squid are fresh and fried by the minute. Good value for money. And, as a bonus, the staff is very welcoming and friendly.

All the scents of the island are here on the plate! Near Milos Beach, an address with generous portions and low prices. Lentils, zucchini dumplings or grilled swordfish are all delicious. All the classics are offered under this adorable little pergola with lush vegetation. And at the end of the meal, fresh fruit or watermelon is offered to you. The best! Perfect service, friendly, and above all a fine and traditional cuisine with delicate aromas. A good address.

You'll be welcomed like royalty in this tavern. The tasty dishes are prepared using only local produce. Pasta with shellfish, eggplant stuffed with minced meat, beef meatballs with red sauce are all must-tries. For fish lovers, try the island's specialty, Savoro, a cod-like white fish cooked with grapes, rosemary and garlic. And there's a great selection of beers and wines to accompany the feast...

An excellent address with a small veranda in a quiet street. In an alley in the old town, this family tavern offers typical Corfiote dishes: the cod Bianco, cooked with small vegetables and lemon, is sumptuous! Moussaka, grilled dishes, vegetables cooked in olive oil in the oven, there is something for everyone and the locals love the place even out of season! You must try the traditional dishes as well as the house wine. As for the decor, the kitchen is open and the setting simple and pleasant.

Typical Greek dishes, with a good quick service and a beautiful view. What more could you ask for? We enjoyed this great restaurant facing the sea, perhaps one of the best places on the island to eat fish. Small fried red mullet, grilled sea bream with vegetables, spaghetti cooked with lobster, everything is divine! Octopus and squid grilled to the top, perfect Greek salads, generous ouzo... Otherwise, the homemade white wine, by the kilo, is the perfect accompaniment to the meal. In season, you might just have to think about reserving a table.

A small yellow neoclassical house on the romantic harbour of Frikes. This restaurant offers a sophisticated cuisine, which brilliantly revisits the classics of Greek cuisine. The savoro, a traditional fish dish from Ithaca, is a must and goes perfectly with the Gentilini white wine. Shrimps cooked with ouzo, beetroot salad, kritharoto (with a kind of small rice shaped pasta) with mushrooms are other options on the menu. A gastronomic address in a real little corner of paradise!

What could be better than eating delicious shellfish in front of the sea? O Molos is a typical address with wooden tables with blue checkered tablecloths. Philippe will be happy to advise you on the dishes of the day, his mother Eleni is in the kitchen and she won't fail to surprise you. Shrimps marinated in ouzo, spaghetti in squid ink, squid served with couscous, octopus carpaccio... everything is mastered to perfection, the cooking, the seasoning, the service, the presentation! In short, a delicious address!

Incredible food, generous and delicious portions and a very friendly atmosphere. It is a simple tavern in the middle of a beautiful garden. The mother simmers the ready-made meals, the father takes care of the grilling and roasting, and the son is in the dining room. The house speciality is the rooster stuffed in the oven. Wine is by the kilo. Every Wednesday, traditional Greek singers come to make a performance that is worth it. Book then, because the place is quickly taken over. Ideal for an authentic Greek evening

Its name, which remains enigmatic, means "Kostas' brother". We appreciate this traditional and family tavern with a beautiful garden, in the middle of which stands a superb rotunda. It will seduce meat lovers with its tasty appetizers, vegetable dumplings, meats in sauce (rooster in red sauce and beef in white wine) or its delicious local cheese... In short, the food is good, the prices are moderate and the quality of the ingredients is very good! A very nice place with helpful staff and a very tasty menu.

A traditional tavern with old photos and posters on the wall where the regulars like to meet in the evening. This is a popular (and noisy) family tavern: workers and families meet all year round. What an atmosphere! The home-cooked dishes are delicious: saganaki with local cheese, courgette dumplings, moussaka, baked lamb with potatoes, veal with lemon and rosemary, stuffed rabbit... Wine by the kilo from the owner's barrels. Live music every day in summer and from Thursday to Saturday in winter.

Probably the most "social" restaurant in Zakynthos, it often serves as a setting for weddings. It is located in the "aristocratic" district of the city: very beautiful outdoor spaces with a view of the Ionian Sea and an idyllic setting in the evenings, with pianist on site. Pork specialities with red peppers and whole mushrooms, risottos and stuffed boiled potatoes, or the exceptional stuffed rooster from Zakynthos... All meat and products come from the owners' farm located in the heights of the island.

Watch out, celebrity in the kitchen! Founded in 1972, this restaurant was the first to open its doors in Fiskardo, but above all it is a family restaurant, owned by Tassia Dendrinou, an internationally renowned chef and Greek author of cookery books, and her brother Polychronis Dendrinos. The fame of the place is also due today to the celebrities who sit at its tables! In spite of this jet-set side, it nevertheless serves very honest seasonal dishes, fish and appetizers with softly iodized flavours

You'll definitely stop by. In a small marina, this restaurant serves fresh fish, roasted or grilled meats and tasty cooked dishes. In the small bay of the beautiful Kioni, it is undoubtedly the best place in the area. Incidentally, it is also very convenient and complete, open in the morning for breakfast. You will certainly come back for lunch afterwards, for one of its grills, its delicious cooked dishes, its fresh fish or its traditional "bakalaria", a local cod speciality prepared here with rice.

This is a simple tavern near the port where the boats are moored. A good value for the cooked dishes: try the meatballs stuffed with herbs, but also the chicken with cheese, tomatoes and chilli, deliciously roasted in the oven. And of course, fresh fish! In short, a simple tavern near where the boats are moored and a safe solution for quality cooked food. Try also the roasted chicken with cheese, tomato and pepper, or the spaghetti with lobster (if they are on the menu when you go there).

Charming little establishment located on the coastal road, right next to the sea. On the menu, among other things, cheese balls with nice pieces of feta and fresh chilli, an excellent baked lamb, stuffed minced steak and meatballs. A rather classic menu but with nice flavours, without pretension, for a pleasant lunch by the water. If you haven't tasted a kleftiko from Koxili, you don't (yet) know the cuisine of Ithaca! And the service is pleasant, with a large number of Greeks among the regulars, which says a lot.

In this bay, you will be served traditional dishes by the sea. This fish tavern serves excellent spaghetti with langoustines, fresh fish, squid and grilled octopus. Perhaps one of the best addresses on the island. In any case, the service is good, with many different dishes on the menu. You will find all the Greek classics and daily specials. The plates are tasty and the portions are generous. Another sure sign is that there seem to be a lot of locals and regulars.

Very bucolic place under a pergola and a giant olive tree. In a marvellous courtyard, near the port, where freshness is at the rendezvous, even during the great heat, one can enjoy langoustines, crabs and good fish in abundance. For carnivores, lemon pork and barbecued chicken fillets are also to be enjoyed. Homemade desserts are particularly good. Quick service, even when it's full. In the end, the dishes are very correct, with generous portions, but not given .

A very nice restaurant, which immediately makes you think of Italy. In the heart of the old town, an Italian chef and his Corfiote wife serve authentic Italian cuisine, inexpensive and quite rich (linguini with seafood, rigatoni in sauce, bruschetta with fresh tomatoes). Some antipasti can be enough as main courses as they are served copiously. Even the salads have enough to keep you going! With the added bonus of a fine wine list and delicious desserts such as the chocolate tart, not to be missed!

Gourmets will meet at Agni, a small bay between Nissaki and Kalami. This very pretty tavern at the water's edge welcomes you with its well laid tables and a professional, quick and efficient welcome. The octopus salad with vinegar, in particular, is a delight. The dishes are refined, like the chicken stuffed with spinach and feta cheese or the lamb in sauce. This family restaurant (since 1851!) is still run by Aphrodite and Harilos. Theodoros, their son, goes fishing while Eleni, their daughter, also works in the kitchen.

Often crowded in summer, this family-run tavern is well aware of its assets! It sits on the edge of a tiny cove, on a pleasant promontory by the sea, next to a lovely little beach. It's an excellent, charming waterfront location. The menu is well-stocked, even if portions are sometimes considered small. Agatha and Lakis offer pleasant home cooking. Corfiote specialties (stuffed eggplant, lemon pork, etc.), souvlakis (kebabs) for the kids. We'll be back anyway!

Classic tavern with tables in a beautiful square among the pine trees. Located in the beautiful square of the village of Potamos, it offers an excellent variety of local dishes. If you have the opportunity, it is absolutely necessary to taste the dish of wild goat with lemon. Or try for example the ibex in red sauce or oil and oregano. Or the coastal salad... In short, excellent cuisine from chef Dimitri Panaretou and an addition that doesn't hurt too much in the end. A very nice address to discover.

Here you'll find fresh fish caught by the restaurant itself, as well as seafood and classic Greek dishes. Try our homemade kaltsouni (pies with herbs and fresh cheese) or psarokaltsouni (with cheese and fish). In the kitchen, Kostas and Kostas revisit traditional recipes every day, often over a wood fire, and try out original, contemporary creations. Organic olive oil and local cheeses. Be careful before ordering, as portions are often generous!

Yefuri is a restaurant that is out of the ordinary and one of the best tables on the island. In summer, it is absolutely necessary to reserve a table as the place is so successful! Greek dishes are revisited here in the style of chefs: salad with nuts and orange, sea bass with basmati rice, vegetarian moussaka, baked potatoes cooked with rosemary... The must: Sunday brunch, succulent. The atmosphere in Yefuri is also magical: small illuminated garlands in the evening and relaxing music, a few evenings a week live musicians.

At the end of the port, after the tourist shops. From the terrace of this tavern, the view on the bay and on Ithaca is extraordinary. Fresh and home-made products, the speciality is fish and shellfish but there is something for everyone! The feet in the water, you can also have a drink or breakfast. The place is beautiful with a fast service and very friendly staff. There are also a few rooms for rent here from €60. Great value for money for insiders only in season, but always ask.

A hidden treasure of Argostoli? In any case, it is a restaurant with a beautiful terrace overlooking the sea. Cephalonian specialities and the possibility to choose in the kitchen, a sign of quality. Pastissio (pasta millefeuille with minced meat and béchamel sauce), cheese puffs covered with honey and sesame, small pasta cooked with octopus, baked chicken with potatoes, everything is excellent! Succulent meat pie and rocket salad with parmesan very fresh. Very good service and an honest bill.

A popular address for the youth of Corfu who appreciate its original decoration with old photos of Greek films. A little away from the hustle and bustle, in a quiet alley, it is a simple restaurant, without fuss, with a very good cuisine. Around an ouzo and mezze, the atmosphere is friendly and the welcome is pleasant. On the menu: potatoes cooked in honey, herbs cooked with a home-made tomato sauce, oxtail, grilled mushrooms, the dishes are varied and original! Very good value for money.

On the beach of Aghios Ioannis, from morning to evening the establishment serves coffees, dishes, aperitifs and mezzedes. Bolognese spaghetti, fried squid and succulent salads at low prices. A friendly welcome.

Just outside Skala, this restaurant with a view of the sea is worth a visit. The speciality of the house is fish and shrimps, either cooked or grilled. But for vegetarians, the baked eggplant, zucchini balls and salads are excellent. A real traditional cuisine with fresh ingredients. Homemade pies, traditional recipes from Kefalonia, and fruit and vegetables in short circuits make its reputation. By the way, the house wine is also delicious! Garden and beautiful terrace.

Perfect for sunset, without the tourist crowds... Magnificent setting with sea view. The cuisine is refined and the portions generous. The fish soup, shrimp lasagna, lentil dumplings leave a memorable taste in your mouth. Tourists and Greeks alike appreciate the place and we understand them! Sometimes it will take a few minutes for a table to open up, but it is worth it for the terrace overlooking the valley. Upstairs, another terrace is better sheltered from the noise.

A family tavern run by Christos and Spyros, twin brothers, and their parents. The food is fresh and excellent: pork with honey and orange, meat pie, salad with 14 ingredients from the garden, traditional tzatziki... As a bonus, the setting is captivating with a splendid view from the terrace. The view is extraordinary at sunset. We also like the decoration, rather original. The presentation of the menu on school notebooks and handwritten, in particular, is deliciously regressive!

Good, simple, authentic... but you know it. It is quickly full and the place can see a lot of people in the evening and on weekends. Facing the sea and Ithaca, the small tables with checked tablecloths are waiting for you to taste fish and shellfish! The pink tuna cooked to perfection and the sea bass cooked with small vegetables in the oven are exceptional. The sea bream is absolutely delicious, simply prepared with its vegetable garnish. A very good place in Sami, popular with the locals. Affordable and still authentic.

An excellent address to remember and to share. The "canteen" of Zakynthos lives up to its name: all the locals come for lunch, winter and summer alike! The dishes change all the time: lasagne with minced meat, beef in red sauce, fava (chickpea purée), baked vegetables, there is something for everyone! There are no menus written in English (a sign of authenticity), although they are written on a slate inside in Greek. Ask to take a look in the kitchen or have a look at the neighbouring tables!

A mainly meat restaurant: grilled meat, beef in sauce, pork cooked with mushrooms... We tested it and we didn't regret it. Here, the cuisine is tasty and rather surprising. The squid stuffed with feta cheese and tomatoes (for example) is to fall for. The products and the meat come from the island, very green in winter, where breeding is widespread. The portions are very generous and the prices are correct! You will find a very warm welcome and a staff of good advice and also always at your service.

If you're spending a day in Assos, try to go there for lunch. You won't be disappointed! Right on the water, on the picturesque harbour of Assos, this family-run restaurant offers fine Kefalonia cuisine and a very good local wine. The food is really excellent. Grilled fish, squid, shrimp, spaghetti with shellfish and mussel risotto are among the carefully prepared choices at this restaurant. The deserts are also homemade and tasty! The restaurant has a beautiful view, even though it can get crowded.

An excellent restaurant with a refreshing garden and helpful staff. Grilled tuna, spaghetti with shrimps, fish soup, grilled squid, seafood is the main attraction of this tavern. But vegetarian dishes are also available. Overall perfect, especially with children, as the cuisine is good, pleasant and the setting is still rather pleasant. The service is perhaps just a little slow. But hey, on holiday, you get over that brief annoyance when the quality arrives on the plate.

Leaving or going to Navagio beach, you will come across this magnificent restaurant, well situated for a stop for a coffee or lunch after having been to see the promontory with the view of the Bay of the Shipwreck or after visiting the surrounding monasteries. Barbecues, typical Greek dishes such as moussaka or beef in red sauce, and homemade pizzas are offered. The staff is very friendly and the prices are very correct. The little extra: some fruit from the garden is offered at the end of the meal.

Intimate setting on the ground floor of an old house in the centre of Corfu, in a quiet alley. The name of the tavern means "wine and flavours", and it is therefore recommended to match a spirit or wine with different mezzedes. On the menu: octopus salad, fried zucchini, spinach puffs, tzatziki... But you can also have more "robust" traditional Greek dishes: moussaka or meatballs with tomato sauce. In summer, the small establishment is quickly crowded, so it's better to book!

At first sight, this tavern doesn't look like much on the side of the road in the village of Peroulades. But Eleni and Nikos will surprise you! After a sunset at Cape Drastis, stop for a very pleasant dinner in this family restaurant with terrace and quality dishes. Rare in Greece: it has its own vegetable garden! The dishes are prepared to perfection: beef with small onions, grilled fish, fried vegetables, baked lamb... If you stay in Sidari, it is better to go a few kilometers and come to eat here, a sure value!

Unlike its neighbours, the Foros tavern is always full of people. It is easy to understand why. In a picturesque setting, in a stone house, under a pergola, you will taste a quality Corfiote cuisine. Pastitsada (beef cooked with fresh pasta), briam (vegetables simmered in a pan with olive oil, onions and tomatoes), lamb baked in lemon sauce... We love it! We just recommend you to bring a little wool in the evening, because the village is 400 meters high and it can be chilly!

An authentic Greek tavern in the village of Keri, for a very good dinner, with a great view and a wide variety of traditional dishes. You will find here mainly grilled meat dishes on the menu but also salads, carbonara pasta, saganaki (fried cheese)... The real plus of this address: the view. From the terrace of the tavern, you can see the sunset falling into the Ionian Sea! If you go there for a dinner with a view at the end of the day, you will live here a really unique moment.

Follow the crowd: the place, popular with the locals, is very family oriented. Near the beach of Kalamaki, there is a tavern that offers typical Greek dishes: grilled meat, baked lamb, Greek salad... Good quality local products at an affordable price! Ellie will give you a warm welcome. She is very proud of her restaurant and can be. She is caring, helpful and her food (moussaka, sutrakakia and other traditional Greek dishes) was delicious. She may also recommend her excellent lamb kleftiko.

A very good, typical, family-run restaurant in a very pretty square, with traditional, hearty dishes à la carte. In the shade of an old plane tree in the village of Karia, this tavern serves authentic cuisine with no fuss. The owner, Eleni, gives pride of place to local produce: coq au vin, lentil soup, pork with lemon sauce, papoutsakia (baked eggplant with minced meat and béchamel sauce)... Don't hesitate to stop off at this address, which really does leave you with fond culinary memories! And with top-notch service!

What a nice find! Facing the port of Lakka, this establishment is often crowded in summer. And the boats come here to refuel. The cuisine is simple but tasty: Greek salad, tzatziki, saganaki shrimps (cooked in a small earthenware pot with tomatoes and onions), grilled sardines, stuffed vine leaves, Greek salad, chicken with chips and meatballs. The portions are generous and the prices are very correct. Efficient service and excellent value for money before heading back on the road or a moment of idleness.

In front of the magnificent beach of Gardenos, the Bebis tavern serves excellent Greek cuisine at low prices, almost with its feet in the water. We enjoyed this very cozy restaurant with delicious and hearty Greek dishes. On the menu, you will find mostly grilled fish, usually in abundance, depending on the arrival of the day. Grilled octopus and fresh fish are prepared to perfection, but there are also traditional meat dishes like beef in red sauce. Downstairs, the beach and the view are magnificent. Remarkable welcome.

Denis' setting is romantic, facing the waves of the Ionian Sea. The cuisine is succulent and the presentation of the dishes is sought after. The establishment mainly offers dishes based on organic products: Imam Baildi (baked eggplants with onions and tomatoes), eggplant caviar, tzatziki, dolmadakia (vine leaves stuffed with rice)... But the house's specialities are seafood products: grilled swordfish, octopus and its bed of java (dried vegetable puree), bakalaopita (fish puff pastry), spaghetti with crustaceans.

Good welcome, and nice terrace with a superb view of the sea! In a soothing setting, facing the big blue sea, this authentic tavern in the small village of Ligia serves succulent Leucade cuisine. The fish is particularly well cooked. Don't miss the savouro, a speciality of the Ionian Islands, a white fish cooked with garlic, rosemary and white grapes. The spaghetti with octopus is melt-in-the-mouth, and the wine offered by the house goes perfectly with the dishes. Excellent value for money.

Here is a tavern that has managed to remain authentic despite the influx of tourists. Dolmadakia (stuffed vine leaves), lamb chops, beef in red sauce, spanakopita (spinach puff pastry)... On the menu here: traditional Greek dishes that are well cooked and reasonably priced. The dishes are clearly homemade, excellent, hearty and very affordable! At the end of the meal, a small dessert is offered, as everywhere in Greece outside the tourist corners! In short, go ahead with your eyes closed: you will normally be well received.