462 Best Restaurants in Greece

Restaurants, including this multiple-award-winning Michelin-starred gem of Neoclassical design and inventive Mediterranean cuisine, are the reason Metaxourgeio's profile is on the rise. As soon as you arrive in the beautiful garden, lit with fairy lights and scattered with creative decor details, you'll want to stay for hours; the winter dining area indoors is very elegant, too, if less uplifting. Chef Gikas Xenakis's cooking is a serious candidate for notoriety, with two tasting menus, "Earth & Sea" or "Garden & Nature," as well as a pescatarian menu and a vegetarian menu, with a choice of five or six dishes and an excellent wine pairing option. There is also an excellent wine pairing alongside a wide-ranging wine list. 

Though known for its seafood, the handsomely decorated old rooms, beautiful walled garden, and panoramic view from the roof terrace found here are equalling enchanting. Mussels in wine, scallops in vodka sauce, shrimp risotto in an ouzo sauce, as well as simply grilled fish fill the menu. A side dish might be sautéed squash with wild glistrida (purslane), grown in the restaurant's own gardens.

Popular among locals, this venerable Turkish-Greek joint has a catch-all menu that hits every comfort-food high note. Zucchini flowers filled with lip-smacking Greek cheese, aubergines bursting with meat, and filling pastitsio complement a vast choice of souvlakis and Turkish-style kebabs.

Confections oozing syrup, loukoumades, and a perfectly classic assortment of gelato flavors make a pit stop at this old-fashioned sweet shop a must in the late afternoon.

Crowning the Venetian Castle, the picture-perfect blue-and-white-painted restaurant—a converted barn—enjoys probably the most breathtaking views in Skopelos Town, overlooking the glittering Aegean and the Panagitsa Church below. Traditional Greek fare like baked aubergines, souvlaki, and stuffed peppers are on the menu, plus plenty of local liqueurs. Tap into a Greek vein with owner Giorgo Xithari, who, along with local musicians and friends, will strum up a storm after 9:30 pm on his bouzouki and sing rembetika, traditional Greek acoustic blues. Not all the seating benefits from great views, so book ahead to make sure.

With mouthwatering dishes inspired by cuisine from Asia Minor and Greece, and ingredients from both the land (seasonal vegetables and quality meats) and the sea (fresh shellfish and seafood), this is one of the top places in the area for a meal. The menu changes with the seasons, but luscious desserts such as the delicious profiteroles and homemade ice cream are a must-try year-round. Whether you visit during the hot months, when white tables with colorful mats are laid out along the pedestrianized Old Town street, or during winter, when tsipouro-sipping locals huddle over loaded platters, Ap’Allou can best be described as cozy, jovial, and a joy (with a gourmet twist) for the tastebuds.

Just outside of Kalambaka is the little village of Agios Dimitrios. On the main square sits Arados, the local taverna that has become a draw for many from farther afield. As you'd expect in this part of the world, meats are the mains, are local and are cooked to perfection on a wood fire that adds that extra bit of flavor. Mrs. Fola, who runs the taverna with her husband, hand-makes pies everyday and they too are cooked in a brick wood-fired oven. Everything seems to tastes that little bit better here. It could be because the free flowing, crisp local wine goes down a little too easily or dining under the venerable village chestnut tree in the small buzzy square triggers notions of what proper village eating is all about.

A canopy of grapevines hang aesthetically overhead at this family-run terraced taverna—a little clue that gives away the restaurant's dedication to serving regional Greek wines. Rustically clinging to the hilltop, it offers stupendous views across the island, making for a romantic meal in the old village.

A walled courtyard garden full of climbers and greenery, with well-spaced tables under the stars, is the setting for some similarly elegant and refined dishes. An imaginative and creative take on Aegean cuisine, the ingredients are local and traditional but are handled with a light touch with contemporary influences—this is very modern food. Presentation is a joy, befitting a chef who has worked in some of the finest European establishments. 

In an herb-filled multitier courtyard that leads to a barrel-vaulted dining room, some of the finest food for miles is skillfully prepared. Refined, distinguished dishes are its calling card; sophisticated but true to their traditional roots. Most remarkable is that the same high culinary and aesthetic standards have been maintained for nearly four decades. The focus is on the ingredients, the majority of them local and organic, artfully transformed into a cooking of rare elegance. Reservations are essential in season.

Romantic and rightly popular, Barriello has an enviable position with views of the sea and the village square. A 150-year-old mansion has been repurposed to good effect by charismatic owner Takis, where local ingredients, mostly grown on their own farm, are confidently presented. It's more fine dining than traditional taverna but the tastes are refined and recognizable and it is generally regarded as some of the best food on the island.

A native Patmian, Benetos Matthaiou, and his American wife, Susan, operate this lovely restaurant abutting a seaside garden that supplies the kitchen with fresh herbs and vegetables. These homegrown ingredients find their way into a selection of Mediterranean-style dishes that are influenced by the couple's travels and include house-cured anchovies, the island's freshest Greek salad, and juicy slow-roasted meats.

Celebrating Japanese grill culture, this buzzy place serves up a stream of little plates that make your taste buds dance. As one of visionary chef/restauranteur Ari Vezenes' numerous successful ventures in the city, it highlights very carefully sourced and thus limited-edition ingredients sourced from quality producers. You'll find dishes like beef nigiri (served with truffle mayo or wasabi) made from rare cuts, delicacies like chicken hearts or chicken skin skewers cooked in the open-fire kitchen, lamb chops with Japanese chimichuri and succulent beef gyoza, all to be washed down with refreshing drinks like the highball with Japanese whisky with tart green apple, lime and ginger or craft beer. Inside, vinyl records play and people eat and chat at the bar and high tables.

A cozy, family-run restaurant with an ambitious menu that reinvents classic Greek cooking, with dishes like prawn saganaki and seafood couscous. A "krassotiri" crème brûlée makes the most of the island's famous soft cheese, while mains offer an even more tender touch, with pork cheeks nestled atop a chickpea ragout stealing the show. Excellent value for such skilled, imaginative food.

After a decade, Buddha Bar is still some of the best beach dining on Mykonos, showing off its Greek-island incarnation as part of the renowned upscale chain known for world music, celebrity DJs and chefs, and inspired cocktails. A Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Peruvian-inspired menu may seem out of place in Greece, but the immaculately presented food is popular with the chic and well-heeled crowd who love the boho atmosphere.

This waterside favorite serves seafood that's grilled to perfection including the island's famous sardines, all caught locally. It's best to enjoy the fresh fish and seafood, garden-grown vegetables, and tantalizing homemade dips as small mezedes to be shared. Make a reservation or get there early as it fills up quickly. The family owners also rent upscale houses a short walk away. 

Housed in an 18th-century fortress at Mikro Kamini, Castello offers sophisticated Mediterranean dishes, including seafood, premium beef cuts, and signature carpaccio and tartare. Enjoy fine dining paired with magnificent sea views from terraces overlooking the beach.

High in the White Mountains, lambs and goats roam free on the family farm, while on lower pastures in Sfakia, vegetables are tended to. These top-notch ingredients are transformed in the wood oven that dominates the dining room in this backstreet beauty. Moussaka is as fat as an airport paperback but with more action, Mizithra cheese comes with home-baked bread, and those lamb and goats are cooked tsigariasto—slowly in a clay pot. Authentic, this is the true traditional taste of Crete and where the locals come for a taste of home. Reservations recommended as there are often queues by early evening.

This beautifully designed patisserie offers a range of delicious bijou creations that look like works of art. Gorgeous and chic, they are the best sweet treats on the island and would not look out of place in a Parisian boutique. A breezy shaded terrace with views is a great place to take a break and indulge yourself.

If this is not the top patisserie-gelateria in Corfu, it's certainly among the very best. The store distributes its own brand of ice cream island-wide, and its cakes are made on the premises. They're best enjoyed, along with coffee, on the airy veranda or the roof terrace overlooking the magical view over Paleokastritsa and the west coast.

Everyone—not just sailors—will appreciate the spectacular location of this classy restaurant, tucked under the northern wall of the Venetian-era Old Fortress beside the yacht club harbor. The food is Greek but offers elevated twists on traditional favorites, using pickled, smoked, and cured ingredients to beautiful-tasting effect. Dishes from all over Greece include Santorini-style fava dip and a salad featuring local nouboulo ham (aka, Corfiot "prosciutto").

Talented pastry chef Lefteris Kokonas makes a point of only making small batches of his delicious creations, thus ensuring everything in his display cases is as fresh as possible. The 10-minute walk from the beachfront is well rewarded—this is patisserie as an art form.

The life-size black-and-white cow outside tells you that you have arrived at the best ice cream shop on the island. Made from Syros milk by an Italian ice-cream maker, funky flavors exist alongside the classics.

In Thessaloniki's new thrust of innovative gastronomy, this hot spot is the tip of the spear. It is notable that chef/co-owner Manolis Papoutsaki served an apprenticeship at the three-Michelin-starred Frantzénin in Stockholm. As a result, dining here is a full throttle Greek degustation experience that blows away the constraints of tradition and will have you sampling Greek ingredients in a new and unexpected way. Expect to share five to six dishes between two people—the wait staff will gladly help you navigate the 25 plate menu, or alternatively splurge for the a la carte "Chef's Prayer" for a rapturous experience.

Finer dining in Olympia town is reserved for a handful of eateries clustered near the entrance to the archeological site. Dimitra is arguably its most accomplished, with a pretty terrace surrounded by trees and a blend of Italian and Greek fare to savor. Dishes range from pork belly and various pastas to grilled mastelo cheese, and a decent wine list makes this one of the slicker spots in town. Service is slow though. 

Even weathered Athenians can't help but gasp at the vista from this restaurant, and the cuisine keeps the sense of awe going—so do the prices but if you're seeking a truly luxurious experience this restaurant is sure to provide it. Delicate as well as rich flavors, with a broad array of raw dishes like fish carpaccio or tartare and sushi rolls, Asian dishes like crispy duck with steamed pancakes, or Italian, like smoked burrata salad, asparagus risotto and mushroom ravioli, or linguine with lobster and black truffle, offer deep comfort and elegant delight. The cocktails are perfectly mixed, and the wine list is exciting.

Who wants some tasty Italian food with a view? This place does what it says on the tin—great pasta and pizza for all. Handmade on the premises every day, the dishes are authentic and use ingredients from the local area to great effect. A punky soundtrack and a funky cocktail list add to the happy aura in this hillside gem.

On a mountain perch above Chania is one of the most singular restaurants in the whole of Crete. A holistic approach is taken---this is farm-to-table eating but ramped up to the nth degree. Your meal is cooked in traditional clay pots that sit over the wood fire, as they have no electricity in the kitchen. Ingredients come from the family farm and they produce everything in-house, organically, of course---only the salt comes from the coast 20 km (12.4 miles) away. There is no menu, merely what is in season that day, but all tastes are catered for by the friendly staff. It's not fancy, nor is it fast, but it is honest and truly memorable as an experience of Cretan food and hospitality.