5 Best Restaurants in Greece

A stupendous, 15-course gastronomic journey based on the European, Middle Eastern, South American and Southeast Asian culinary endeavors of multi-awarded owner-chef Herve Ponzato awaits you. You'll arrive to a place that looks closed because all the windows are curtained. Entry is only accessible to dinner guests who punch in a code that's sent to their phone after booking. Inside, a slick chef's table with stools wraps around the action in the ultramodern kitchen, modern street-art inspired paintings hang on the wall and the lighting is low. The tasting menu is altered every season, with some standard classics always remaining, and is based on exotic (like foie gras and caviar) elements as well as local ingredients sourced from small producers around Greece. There are also tables around the bar and in a separate courtyard area that has an open roof during summer. One thing you can surely expect is to be delighted repeatedly, spending at least three hours on a memorable adventure in which every small gourmet dish is a beautiful surprise. The wine pairing (optional) offers some sublime tasting experiences.

Dine on the seafront veranda in movie-star style at the iconic Poseidonion Grand Hotel, where this award-winning restaurant serves local island dishes that have been inventively redefined. Many ingredients come straight from the hotel's own organic farm, harmoniously complementing the headlining fresh seafood. The renewed menu now centers on traditional Greek flavors with an elegant twist, with even gigantes giant beans in tomato sauce being transformed in a comforting yet more refined experience. The sommelier is happy to help you pair your dishes of choice with some of Greece's finest wines. All this overlooking Poseidonion Square and the Argo-Saronic gulf beyond. Reservations are essential. Next door is the trendy Palms Bar where they serve delicious cocktails and sushi.

Globe-trotting chef Fred Chesneau finally set down roots in Paros, bringing French-influenced dining to the island. A romantic flower-filled garden with white ironwork furniture is a pretty match for the weekly changing fixed menu that features the best locally sourced seasonal produce. Just 30 lucky diners each night get to experience a food journey that may take them from Paros to Paris via Bangkok and Tokyo.

Overlooking the famous infinity pool of the Grace Hotel, Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou brings his iconic Varoulko dishes to the island. The Aegean and all its bounties are the inspiration for the breathtaking dishes that truly express the exceptional ingredients. The food here revels in its Greekness, generous in color and flavor, matched to contemporary techniques and presentation.

Heartful, homemade, original and unpretentious cuisine made with love in a modern taverna ambience. Its menu, popular among students, couples, and groups of friends alike, includes saffron risotto; chicken marinated in orange juice, ginger and turmeric; green beans with garlic butter; and creamy cheese pie made with crispy angel-hair phyllo-pastry. Named after a character in a famous Manos Hatzidakis children’s song, the taverna has a playful spirit and sometimes becomes even livelier with improvisational Greek music performances.