11 Best Restaurants in The Saronic Gulf Islands, Greece

Ask a local to name the best restaurant in Aegina, and the response is invariably Vatzoulias. In summer the garden is a pleasant oasis, scented with jasmine and honeysuckle; in winter, nestle inside the cozy dining room to dine on expertly prepared taverna classics. Eggplant in garlic sauce or zucchini croquettes are can't-go-wrong starters. Continue with a dish such as veal in red sauce; thick, juicy grilled pork chops; or moussaka, oven-baked eggplant and potatoes with ground meat enlivened with cinnamon and a wonderfully fluffy béchamel. In winter try the hare stew. A 10-minute walk from Aegina Town center gets you to this rustic taverna where only dinner is served, and only on four evenings a week, usually Wednesday and weekends.

Seafood is the word at this famed taverna run by Antonis and his sons, and the octopus grilled in front of the establishment lures bathers and other visitors who tuck into options ranging from teeny fried smelt to enormous lobsters. People-watching is as much of a draw as the food, since the tables afford a view of all the comings and goings of the harbor's small boats as well as some sleek yachts. Other than splurging on the bouillabaisse here (expect to pay around €50 euros per kilo for sole, mullet, grouper—you name it), most dishes here, such as the veal and onions or briam ("vegetables in the oven") rarely exceed €12.

This seafront taverna, the oldest and most established one in Ayia Marina, has been here since 1950, when Kyriakos Haldaios brought out a gas stove and started frying fish and fries under the pine trees for local sunbathers. Today, it is owned by his grandson, also named Kyriakos, and offers traditional Greek specialties like moussaka, the famous dish of layered eggplant and ground meat, and plenty of fresh fish, especially gilthead and sea bass. In the summer these are served in the spacious veranda overlooking the crystal-blue waters.

Since 1945 O Skotadis has been serving a large selection of mezedes for starters and mostly fresh fish mains (a good option is the fried katsoula fish, cleaver wrasse), usually to be accompanied by ouzo, the classic Greek anise drink. See if you can snag a table (reservations are best) on the second-floor terrace with its panoramic view of Aegina's harbor. Don't forget to try the large fresh salad with caper leaves.

For a light bite, try this harborside ouzeri restaurant, a hangout for locals as well as tourists, where warm yellow walls are decorated with stencils. Except for the 30 varieties of ouzo, everything is homemade, including palate-pleasing Vouta Vouta (Dip Dip), a dish of shrimp and spicy sauce, and the real don't-miss dishes: custom omelets for breakfast and baked apple in cognac. Reservations are recommended in the evening during the summer months.