462 Best Restaurants in Greece

This esteemed seafood restaurant first opened here in 1924, and it's aged well. Athenians flock year-round to share a seafood platter and bottle of white wine or feast on tongue fillets stuffed with fresh shrimp, or appetizers of scorpion-fish croquettes. There's meat on the menu, too, but most opt for the fresh grilled fish that is brought daily from Kalimnos, Patmos, and the Leros islands. Oysters and prawns are also a specialty. But it's not just the food that attracts locals to this family-run restaurant: there are also elegant wood-beamed ceilings (the ceiling is partly retractable, so on a good night you can dine under the stars) and a superb view of the coast. Reservations are essential during weekends.

For more than 30 years Mr. Vassilis has run this friendly place, where you can discover how Greek grandmothers cooked before the comforts of electricity were introduced to Epirus. The gastra is basically a large clay or iron container placed on a fire with hot coals scattered on the iron lid over the pot. Your meal (of lamb, chicken, or goat) roasts very slowly in its own juices, resulting in tender, juicy meat with a crispy outer skin. Even though the location is rather charmless, the great food has local diners coming in droves.

For nearly 50 years sunset dinners have been a specialty with views over the island and harbor from the large, wide veranda of this yellow-and-green-dressed charmer. Leave the fish dishes down in the harbor, up here the emphasis is on hearty meat—grilled lamb chops are nicely spiced, lamb is slow-roasted in earthenware pots, sausages are piquant and punchy, and the salads enormous and fresh.

The most popular hangout in town serves homemade ice cream by day and cocktails by night in the cool, blue-cushioned interior and pebbled courtyard as well as on the rooftop terrace of a sea captain's house.

There is nothing glitzy about George's, but it is a piece of Glyfada history. What started out as a butcher's shop in 1951 has expanded over the decades, prompted by regulars from the old U.S Air Force base before it shut. Back then this area was dubbed "Burger City," and little has changed. Steaks and biftekia (thick, grilled, hamburger-like patties of ground beef and pork served without a bun) still hit the plate with regularity. The service is fast, so don't be disappointed if all the tables are taken; there's a continuous stream of diners coming and going. You get value for your money here.

Meals at this simple taverna, as popular with locals as it is with tourists, are served in a high-ceilinged, whitewashed dining room; or, on their terrace partially shaded by a grape arbor, which affords wonderful views over the sea and surrounding hills. Fish is a specialty, and simply prepared mezedes such as roasted peppers topped with feta cheese and fried zucchini are a great start to a meal here. The atmosphere is laid back and casual, but the food is exemplary.

One of the island's longest-established and most famous fish restaurants, whose catch is pulled daily from the family boats. The choice varies each day according to the season, but the friendly staff will show you what's available and guide your choice. For a light meze, opt for their special marinated anchovies and delicious clams. Christo's famous bianco (fish stewed with oil, lemon and garlic), and pastitsada, are real favorites here.

Tucked away in a garden tangled up in stunning flowering vines, this fairly new family-run restaurant (whose location really lives up to its "secret garden" name) serves up food cooked by mom in the kitchen, with her two sons running the show out front. Dishes feature fresh, locally sourced ingredients and are paired with a thoughtfully curated wine list, with unusual picks. The kleftiko (slow-cooked lamb in parchment paper) is a showstopper.

Dimitris and Koula Kapris's beachfront taverna is popular both with sun worshippers on Agia Anna Beach and locals from Chora, who come here year-round to get away and sometimes to dance until the late hours, often to live music. The daily-changing menu is extensive and the fresh fish comes from the caïques that pull up at the dock right in front every morning.

This pastry shop and bakery is the local go-to for anything traditional and sweet. It's known for Tinian specialties such as almond paste candies called psarakia tinou, and cheesecake bites made with Tinian cheese called gliko tiropitaki tsibiti. You’ll find yourself walking away with little gift boxes filled with your favorites, but before you go try their homemade ice cream.

A 10-minute walk east of the evening bustle on the main waterfront leads to this waterside gem. The accomplished Haritomeni has a lofty terrace with spectacular views over the bay. Like most places on the island, either eat early or book ahead as it fills up fast later on. The menu is decent value, with typical Greek mezedes dishes—calamari, fried saganaki cheese, papoutsakia (stuffed eggplant)—all crafted with skill and propping up meatier grilled fare.

An open kitchen where the chefs practice their alchemy connects directly to the tables in the small dining room and on the pavement outside. A Cretan bistro, it draws influences from the great culinary tradition of the island and Asia Minor where the family of the chef hail from. Hearty cured fish and meats are a specialty—lamb prosciutto, beef pastrami, apaki (smoked pork), and piquant sausages are all prepared from free-range animals—and they are presented as modern dishes with artistry and finesse.

Bright, multicolor decor sets this apart from your average grill shop as does the freshest of food. Family-run, the owners take a real pride in their establishment. Superclean, superfriendly, and all at superprices. Perfect for a just-off-the ferry souvlaki as well as for dinner.

Fronted by beautiful Agios Ioannis Beach, Hippie Fish is one of the liveliest on-the-beach restaurants—an institution since the 1970s, it has continuously updated and moved with the times, but it will always be famous for making the big screen as the 1989 setting for the movie Shirley Valentine, about a dissatisfied housewife "finding herself" on Mykonos. Now offering dining on the beach with the waves underfoot, visitors can re-create their own cinematic experience.

The Corola family, originally from Naples, welcome you to dine in a traditional Hydriot courtyard and entertain your palate with traditional southern Italian cooking made with the finest ingredients Hydra has to offer. All the pasta is made fresh on the premises in the morning by chef Pietro and his brother, and they turn out exquisite dishes such as succulent salmon caviar gnocchi, saffron shrimp spaghetti, and ravioli ragù. The tuna tartare or octopus carpaccio give off the right tones for a Greek island affair. Desserts are no let down either!

If the thought of another Greek salad fills you with dread, turn to this exotic offering on a headland near Cavo Paradiso. Very popular, Indian Palace is a breezy take on Indian classics with great beach views. Fragrant and delicately spiced, the dishes from the tandoor oven are authentic and are best taken with a lassi or Indian beer as the sun sets over Paradise.

In a modern wood-and-glass conservatory overlooking the Koules, this Heraklion institution serves some of the best fish in town, with the waves only a stone's throw away. Ask a local for a recommendation and they will invariably mention Ippokambos. Family-run with an unflustered spirit, the dishes are simple and well executed, the house white perfectly acceptable, and the portions generous. It takes skill and confidence in your raw materials to present food so honestly.

Part grocery store, part taverna, this step back in time is the real deal for homecooked dishes. Matsata, a Folegandros specialty of handmade pasta with meat sauce and traditional soutoto cheese, is the star. Utterly charming and special, it feels like dining in somebody's living room.

This harbor-front institution has something for everyone. It opens early with espresso, fresh juices, and breakfast, rolls through brunch, lunch, and snacks, then slides into easy dinner plates, sunset drinks, and late-night cocktails. Tea drinkers aren’t forgotten, with loose-leaf blends brewed properly.

Lovely spot in the center of the pedestrianized zone of Monastiraki. The sandwiches have top ingredients, the snacks are carefully prepared, the juices are freshly squeezed, and the coffee is artisanal.

Situated on Skiathos's stylish run of seafront restaurants, Kahlua draws in diners thanks to its distinctly bohemian feel, ample open-air seating, and ambient mood lighting. Reserve ahead for a spot by the seafront, where you'll have the best views of bobbing boats and sunsets. The Greek menu features plenty of exciting salads with fruity twists, but it's most-loved for its fresh seafood.

No Greek experience is complete without a quick gyro pita on the hoof. And if that's what you're after pop into Kai Kremmidi for the best of that ilk on Hydra. Also try the tasty lahmacun, an Arabic-style mini pizza topped with spiced ground meat and a squeeze of lemon. It's located a couple of blocks up from the harbor.

Run by the Paros Kite Pro Center and EuroDivers crew, this is the best place to recuperate after a session on the waves. Great omelets and breakfasts are offered along with pizza, burgers, pasta dishes, and fresh juices. Indulge in retail therapy at the sister surf shop next door.

An ever-popular ouzeri and grill on shady Thassou Street in the Old Town is an almost mandatory stop while shopping along adjoining Ermou Street. Fresh grilled baby calamari and lightly fried courgette flowers stuffed with cheese are among many enticing bites that accompany the generous selection of ouzo. Some evenings local musicians come and play rembetiko (Greek folk music), which makes the ouzo taste even better.

In the quaint seaside village of Petra, this pretty garden restaurant set amid potted plants and vine-matted pergolas specializes in grilled meats. The usual gyros and souvlaki are offered but it serves traditional Greek favorites, too—lamb chops, kebabs with yogurt, and a wide selection of local cheeses. Family-owned and freshly spruced up, it's a popular spot for the locals who sit down to chit-chat over coffee throughout the day.

A cute little breakfast and brunch spot just up from Syntagma Square. Organic produce and homemade jams and cakes make this a great little find, though it's so tiny that it can only cater to a few people. Get there early—it shuts at 2 pm.

In a picturesque position next to the sunken ancient city of Olous, and the later canal from where it takes its name, Kanali serves elegant Greek seafood staples. Wooden furniture and an old stone building dressed with white furniture and ship lanterns lend it a shabby-chic air that could grace the seasides of Mykonos or Santorini. Fish is the main event, often simply grilled and always impeccably sourced. It may be little more than a beach shack dressed up in Gucci but the kitchen really delivers—a humble lunch here of salad, sardines, and a glass of wine can be a sublime experience, a world away from the nearby resort offerings.

Housed in a cool, airy building with modern and traditional touches, this lively example of a neo-taverna serves mama's cooking but infused with Gazi's creative energy. Regional specialties, great barrel wine served in lovely carafes, and a familial atmosphere make dining here a pleasure. Warning: when the neutral-tone interior gets busy, it gets almost psychedelically loud. Thankfully, there are outside tables on the street where you can dine in good weather.

Right on Lake Voulismeni, Karnagio is a riot of multicolor tables, shouted orders, and running waiters. Proud of their local products, the grill is the center of attention here with a wide selection of meat and fish. Salads and a meze selection top up the offerings and the outdoor square is a fun, lively place to spend a couple of hours. Be prepared to wait at busy times, though the staff hand out glasses of wine to queueing customers.

The friendly welcome of owner Petros is just the appetizer for a traditional Greek taverna where much of the produce served comes from the owner's personal farm. Gaze out from the pretty terrace over olive and lemon groves to the coast below as great juicy hunks of pork and fine stews arrive with thick wedges of potato, crispy at the tips. A post-prandial wander among its serene grounds is well advised.