16 Best Restaurants in The Saronic Gulf Islands, 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.

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.

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.

At the back of the Anargyreos and Korgialenios School, overlooking Kaiki beach and the waters beyond, sits this lovely pine-shaded café. Named after the John Fowles classic (Fowles was a teacher at the school back in the day), the Magus Art Cafe is set in the school's beautiful gardens. The coffee is good, the snacks decent, and the cocktails satisfactory but these consumables are merely a secondary reason to spend a few magical hours here.

Tables sit right in the sand, a few feet from the waterline, and platters of grilled octopus, sardines, and ouzo-friendly mezedes land fast and fresh. Owner Pavlos and his wife Lia open from breakfast till midnight; come early for coffee and loukoumades (doughnuts), stay late for moonlit seafood at prices locals praise as old-school Aegina.

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.

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.

This family-run taverna, a father-to-son legacy, hides behind a stone-walled garden on a nameless back lane in town. Charismatic Dimitris moonlights as a fisherman, so whatever he nets at dawn lands sizzling on the grill by dusk. Enjoy sea-bream and red mullet, graze on classic mezedes—silky fava, vineleaf dolmades, and crisp kolokithokeftedes (courgette fritters) dusted with mint. Take note the house wines go down very easily.

On the main drag by the waterfront you'll come across Remvi café. Enjoy some of the best coffee to be had in town, and why not try one of their lovely pancakes or waffles, to sweeten the deal? They also serve beautifully plated snacks.

The owners of this spot are as unapologetic about the bad pun in their name as they are about the supertasty souvlaki they dish out. Order traditional gyro or souvlaki wrapped in a lightly grilled pita bread, to eat in or take out. They even cater to vegetarians, with haloumi, fresh summer veggies, or mushrooms wrapped in pita bread.

Fast food all over Greece usually consists of souvlaki or gyro wrapped in a pita and that is available at Tenekdakia, but this spot also has the added draw of being in a superb harbor-front location. The pork gyro is crispy yet juicy and the pita is also stuffed full with fries, onion, tomato, and cooling tzatziki. By the way, if you're missing spicy heat (rarely found in Greek food) make sure to ask for a generous sprinkling of tongue tingling hot red pepper.

On the main road behind the port, the location is the only minor drawback of this traditional Greek taverna. But balancing this out, you can also dine in the pretty courtyard at the back (if you find a table). The seafood platter is something to write home about and includes a couple of ultrafresh fried fish. The menu is extensive, usually not a good sign, but everything is not only delectable but also lovingly presented.

Christina and Manolis, the former owners, have now passed the baton to their son Constantinos, who has modernized the homestyle Greek dishes served here, in his traditional old Hydriot house with stone floors and wooden ceilings, where time seems to have been standing still since the 1950s. If it's available, try the fresh fish that is prepared to perfection. Rooftop tables sit beneath a vine-draped pergola and vanish quickly, so aim for dinner before 9 pm.

This delightful patisserie-cum-coffee shop in Dapia serves fresh cakes, chocolates, and the quintessentially Greek island almond macaroons.