273 Best Restaurants in Greece

The go-to taverna for the islanders, Tholos is nestled in the pine forest spilling down from the Temple of Aphaia on the road down to Agia Marina. The wonderful views through the trees down to the sea are complemented by the flavorsome rustic dishes served at this establishment. Meat grilled to your taste is the staple here. The veal in a rich herby tomato sauce with macaroni is another favorite, and most of the vegetables are either home-grown or locally sourced. Another reason to dine here is to take a welcome hiatus from the somewhat frenetic summer high-season energy that grips the rest of the island.

Don't leave Hydra without some traditional almond macaroons in your suitcase. The Tsagkaris family, led by octogenarian matriarch Anna Tsagkari, have been lovingly making them in their workshop for nearly a century.

One of the best brunch spots in Athens, this cosmopolitan space has won international awards for its coffee roastery and baristas. A beautifully restored Neoclassical building with an airy atrium and a large outdoor yard is the perfect place on pretty pedestrian Iraklidon Street to start the day’s expeditions in the shadow of the Acropolis. The coffee is famously good, roasted daily at their factory in Gazi, and available to take home for home brewing, but the bar mixes a fine cocktail, too.  

Enjoy a cappuccino and an Italian panini standing inside Cafe Da Capo, or if you have more time, watch the world go by at an outside table. This place is usually packed with trendsetters and stern policymakers.

There's nothing like excellent gelato to revive flailing, overheated spirits on a sunny day of touring the city. Le Greche serves fresh, artisanal gelato and other Italian desserts made with pure ingredients—the owner spent years of intensive study in Italy studying the art of authentic Italian gelato, cakes, and sorbets—and you can really taste the difference.

Opposite Avli, and part of the same stable, on one of Rethmynon's myriad pretty walkways, this is a modern reinvention of the classic Greek rakadiko—a place to eat small plates and drink raki. Don't assume the food is an afterthought to drinking, though, this is top-quality mezedes. Plates come thick and fast; it's food to be shared. Think imaginative Cretan tapas—sutzuki (spicy beef sausage), askolymbri (marinated hand-picked mountain greens), pastourma (crispy spiced pork cigar rolls), and hot feta with caramelized figs. It's relaxed dining, in a stylish setting reminiscent of an old grocery store, and perfect for a group of friends.

This historic waterfront café, family-run since 1958, is Aegina's go-to spot for pistachio specialties. Their counters overflow with traditional sweets like baklava and signature pistachio treats including fistikini marzipan balls and pistachio cheesecake. Enjoy harbor views from pavement tables while sipping their famous pistachio frappé.

Since 1922, three generations of the Roussos family have offered hospitality and fine food in this tiny blue-and-white taverna. Outside, tables overlook the caldera; inside, murals and artworks are by the owner. Traditional recipes and local ingredients are given room to shine and are presented well by the attentive staff. If you are lucky enough to get a reservation, the cozy atmosphere may well find you chatting with fellow diners who are just as pleased with their choice.

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.

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 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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

A 10-minute walk south of the center takes you across the river and into the suburbs, where you'll find this friendly, effortlessly retro neighborhood taverna. Inside, jazz music echoes the vintage ad posters for 1950s Greek cigarettes and long-gone liquors, while the menu is a treasure trove of hearty classics, from Spartan dishes like pork with olives and orange to the lightest of moussakas. It's great value and a peaceful break from the cramped plateia terraces.

The young trio of owners—Yiannis, Kostas, and Alexandros—energize this beach taverna just 30 meters (100 feet) from Vlichos Beach with friendly, attentive service. Traditional fare ranges from ntakos and lively salads to shrimp linguine, each pairing nicely with house wine or an ice-cold beer. All-white walls with cool-blue accents pop against cascades of pink bougainvillea, and at the rear you’ll find the Hydra Diving Center’s Vlichos base.

Descend into the rustic interior of this bakery and you will feel like you have stepped back in time; Gioras dates back to the 18th century and is the oldest working wood-fired bakery in the Cyclades. Take a couple of pies for the beach, or sit with a coffee and a slice of baklava and breathe in the history.

In-the-know locals will patiently queue here to get their fill of a fantastic, freshly made sandwich stuffed with deli ingredients of their choice. This small, family-run 1980s place is both vintage and progressive, and despite its huge fan base remains completely unpretentious. Choose among ingredients like cheeses, chutneys, cold cuts, pickled or marinated vegetables, and seafood to create the sandwich of your dreams, made with fresh artisanal bread. You can also buy fresh salads and freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices.

A finger of rock stretches into the sea on the edge of Chiona Beach with a handful of blue-check-clothed wooden tables. It's a magical location with kids diving into the clearest water nearby, and fishermen tying up to the jetty to unload a fresh catch. Those fish are grilled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon for you, along with a menu of traditional Cretan dishes. It's a simple proposition but one that few do as well as here. Choose a local Sitia wine from their list and snooze off the afternoon at the nearby beach.