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While you can enjoy elegant and nouvelle dining in some of the finer restaurants of the Peloponnese's beauty spots, such as Nafplion and Monemvasia, one of the great pleasures of traveling in this region is enjoying a meal on a square or seaside terrace in a simple village. In fact, villages here were the source of such international favorites as avgolemono soup and lamb fricassee. There are several other local specialties to watch for: in the mountain villages near Tripoli, order stifado (beef with pearl onions), arni psito (lamb on the spit), kokoretsi (entrails on the spit), and thick, creamy yogurt. In Sparta, look for bardouniotiko (a local dish of chicken stuffed with cheese, olives, and walnuts), and, around Pylos, order fresh ocean fish (priced by the kilo). In the rest of Laconia, try loukaniko horiatiko (village sausage), and in the Mani ask for ham.
Vegetables are almost always locally grown and fresh in this region famous for its olives and olive oil as wells as figs, tomatoes, and other produce. Seafood is plentiful, though sometimes frozen—menus will usually indicate what's frozen and what's fresh (and frozen usually hails from beyond Greece). A fresh catch is usually available at seaside tavernas, and an octopus or two will usually be drying out front. Inland, many tavernas serve grilled pork from local farms, as well as chicken and roosters plucked that morning. As for wine, beyond those varelisio (from the barrel), there are great reds from the region around Nemea and a top light white from Mantinea. After dinner, try mavrodaphne, a heavy dessert wine, or dendoura, a clove liqueur, as a digestive. Dress is casual and reservations unnecessary, although you might be asked to wait for a table if you're dining with hoi polloi (the masses) at 9 pm or later.
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.
Labyrinthos is an old favorite of locals and visitors alike. This stone-walled setting, tucked away off the main drag, sets the perfect pace for a whistle-stop tour through some classic taverna fare, from katsikaki (goat in olive oil) to fried anchovies, and even recognizes the region's Slavic influence with a tasty pork schnitzel.
The late Mrs. Lela, once housekeeper for author Patrick Leigh Fermor, was famous for her simple, old-fashioned cooking using fragrant homemade olive oil and exceedingly fresh tomatoes and herbs. Her namesake taverna is an institution in these parts, and dinner beneath the trees on the seaside terrace of an oleander-covered stone house is a high point of a visit to the Mani. Chicken with rosemary, light moussaka, and fish soup are among Lela's dishes that her son Giorgos and his staff now prepare. Upstairs are simple but comfortable rooms with fine sea views looking out over the coast.
Kalavrita has far more to offer, dining-wise, than its seaside cousin. This peaceful spot, just south of the busy Kalavrita Square, has an outdoor space away from the crowds, beneath a shady tree. The menu is just as comforting, and the lamb shank is some of the tenderest meat you'll come across. Rustic favorites, from rooster to wild boar, bulk out a menu that doesn't disappoint.
Noulis sits on the very edge of the Old Town, stashed away like some treasured secret. It's a little pricier than the average taverna, but its small-plate menu is full of thrills. If chef Andrianos Andrianopoulos can't turn your dish into a flaming inferno in front of your eyes, he's not happy—order the cheese flambé and guard your eyebrows. More homely delights are found in the fried anchovies, punchy skordalia (garlic-potato dip), or the lamb shank with artichokes that arrives bathed in a citrus-heavy gravy that demands to be mopped up with bread. A welcome escape from the crowds of quayside or Staikopoulou Street.
While it lacks the pretty terrace setting of the other restaurants along Monemvasia's main street, Voltes more than makes up for it with culinary wit. In towns like this, where tourism is a given and few visitors eat anywhere twice, imagination can go out of the window, yet this is easily one of the most ambitious eateries in the area. It has clever takes on the staples of Greek mezedes, raising traditional cheese pies to new heights with a dash of sweet tomato jam, or spicing up local-style stir fry kototigania with ample chillies, tart molasses, and sweet caramelized onions.
Don't let the garish signs depicting the menu put you off: the far-ranging offerings are excellent. You can eat lightly—a gyro or pizza—but do venture into some of the more serious fare, especially such local dishes as the fish that's been oven-baked with onion, garlic, green peppers, and parsley. The house's barrel wine is a nice accompaniment to any meal.
This old-school café is a hit among locals, who come for the homemade karydopita (a deliciously syrupy local walnut cake). This is best washed down with a cup of traditional Greek coffee and preceded by a delicious zucchini pie.
Locals claim this is one of Sparta's best restaurants, but then again, most head out to village tavernas for a big meal and leave this place to the tour-bus crowd. Even so, the food is reliably good. The classic specialties include a fish dish made with garlic, wine, oil, and rusks; bardouniotiko (chicken cooked with cheese and olives); and, occasionally, sheep's heads cooked on a spit. The tree-shaded garden rounds out a perfect meal.
A traditional Greek grillhouse with a homespun country vibe (all stone walls and shotguns). The owner's mother is in the kitchen, dishing up hunks of wild boar, pork chops, and succulent legs of lamb, their juices seeping over sides of fries or tagliatelle. The menu forever changes depending on what's fresh that day and what's left, so it's best to arrive early or not at all.
For a lot of travelers a perfect day in Kardamyli includes a meal beneath the olive trees in the Elies garden, which stands directly across from the pebble beach that lines the coast here. A solid menu includes Greek classics, from grilled chops to gigantes (butter beans in a tomato sauce). It's comfort food, but made with skill and attention. And for those who find it hard to leave, 10 handsome apartments are also tucked away here in a cluster of stone cottages.
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.
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.
You'll feel as if you're dropping into someone's home for dinner: family photos of stern, mustachioed ancestors hang on the walls alongside local memorabilia, and the service is just as welcoming. In good weather, there are tables on the street outside and visiting cats can outnumber diners. A memorable meal makes the most of local ingredients—wild mountain greens, fresh red mullet, an addictive potato salad, and marinated octopus sprinkled with oregano.
"The only time this kitchen closes is if I'm sick," says Nikos Vile, who insists on cooking everything from mamboulas (a moussaka made with tomatoes) to maridakia (lightly fried whitebait) each day. You can sip an aperitif at the bar or hide out in the vine-covered courtyard.
A well-kept secret bandied around by expats and locals. This ebullient street-side café-ouzeri in the old town bustles of an evening under the shadow of the plane trees. Classic Greek dishes are given the care and delight they deserve by a pair of chefs who have never met a pork skin they didn't want to crisp to perfection, and driven by what's fresh from the market. Musicians often stop by to soundtrack the evening.
A location in the old town, near the lemony confection of Ypapanti church, makes this a serene spot to while away the evening. The restaurant was a popular local wine store dating back to the 1960s, and it is still run by the same family. Pick between seats on the street at the front for people-watching, or retire to the shaded patio at the rear, which is filled with fruit trees. The menu is a mix of Greek and Italian fare, though given a lighter touch than most places and with plenty of seasonal flair.
It's not hard to see why this humble restaurant, nestled among a slew of eateries and bars along Trion Navarchon, has found favor—particularly with visitors. It's crowd-pleasing Greek-Turkish menu is just ambitious enough to excite (think chicken stuffed with metsovone cheese; stewed pork and celery root puree) and its friendly owner emerges periodically to drown you in amuse-bouches in between courses. You walk away stuffed, your senses struggling to comprehend how you spent so little on so much.
This spot is the city's haven of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free lunches and brunches. Buddha and poke bowls, open-pesto mushroom burgers, vegan ramen, and (the real lure) a gooey range of free-form desserts make this a welcome break from the hot streets.
A pleasantly boho take on modern Greek and Italian fare. A huge bar dominates the interior, wrapped in stone and with a roof of upturned glasses, reminding you this is aperitivo country. The wine list is excellent, while the menu dishes up a steady barrage of juicy steaks and elaborate pastas that go a little further than most and make good use of local treats like the excellent smoked pork.
The best restaurants in Greece are often in small villages, and this appealing family-run taverna and inn set amid fields, a favorite among Olympians, is one such example. The poolside terrace is a lovely place to spend an afternoon or evening, though locals don't start arriving until 10 pm or so for dishes that include a delicious chicken with oregano, grilled lamb, and farm-fresh vegetables that appear in such deliciously simple preparations as baked eggplant with tomatoes and feta.
A simple, high-ceilinged room and terrace are the settings for the traditional meals hosted here in the oldest tavern in town. The kitchen uses only market-fresh vegetables and locally raised meat, which appear in simple and delicious ways. Try the baked zucchini, potatoes, and grilled lamb ribs. Dessert—ask for the honey cake—is usually on the house.
Charcoal-grilled meats are the specialty in this snug, high-ceilinged old room tucked away in the backstreets off the harbor. There's usually a slew of off-the-menu blackboard specials, which are worth scrutinizing and typically stray away from the more standard mezedes and moussakas that dot the regulars. The warm hospitality and accomplished cooking make this a steady favorite.
Many of the dishes that come to the table in this rustic taverna or on its flowery terrace are based on homegrown produce, so count on the freshest greens and succulent eggplant and zucchini appearing in moussaka and other traditional favorites. The stuffed grape leaves and stuffed zucchini flowers are excellent starters, and the lamb is grilled perfectly.
There isn't much choice in Diakofto as far as dining is concerned. A few fast-food places dot the main square, and this leafy psistaria (grill house) run by a hospitable Greek-Australian family and hidden off a street north of the center is the main attraction. Live traditional singing makes it popular with locals, while the food is steady taverna fare. Guests are often led into the kitchen where waitresses point to what's been made that day. Horta (boiled wild greens), sumptuous soutzoukakia (meatballs in tomato sauce) and stuffed zucchini are other reasons to enjoy a meal on the large, tree-covered terrace in warm months or in the cozy dining room in winter.
Olympians flock out to the little village of Floka, about 5 km (3 miles) west of town, at dinnertime to enjoy traditional fare in this country setting. Dining is in a homey room or on the summertime terrace with wide views across the landscape, and the specialties are the expertly grilled meats—try the piglet.
Kanoni is known for its fine breakfasts, served on a rooftop terrace that gazes down to the square's cannon and across the old battlements to sea. Choose from omelets, ham and eggs, or thick, creamy yogurt and honey, then come back at lunch or dinner for a nicely varied menu that offers some sumptuous seafood alongside old Greek standbys of moussaka, lamb kleftiko (a traditional slow-cooked marinated lamb dish), and stamna (beef stew). There's little innovation here, but the views and food are still mouthwatering.
