RESTAURANTS

We offer you a yearly overview of the restaurants and sweet shops that we think are worth considering. There are obvioulsy more we have visited and were not satisfied or have not visited at all. Our rating is subjective, considering menu choices, originality, freshness, service, price and overall experience.

Word of Advice on Ordering Fish: When you go buy fish at any Greek provincial taverna/restaurant, you should go to the kitchen, -they will lead you to the fridge- to choose your fish. Have your fish weighed (to a gram!)  then and there and agree their weight (=price) with the restaurateur, write down on your order the weight (in grams) & NUMBER of fish. Haggle the rounding up with the manager (eg if it is 630, write 600). An old trick is snap the tails off the fish BEFORE they cooked so you now they are «yours» and were not switched during cooking. Make sure you get the right number of fish when they arrive at your table.

PEESES

EXOHIKO MARGARITA’S

On the main road, leave the Bay, going left, after Peesses beach, in middle of valley. TO EXOHIKO is your typical greek tavern: Greek cuisine, some from the pot, some from the oven and lots of grilled local meats or souvlaki. Margarita herself stands out as a personality but also for the good basic Greek food with Kean fresh bio products and vegetarian dishes. Only issue that quality lately is a bit hit and miss: sometimes the food is excellent (eg rooster with pasta her specialty) and some times a total disaster! Service has improved vastly with new kind staff and overall has gotten to be more expensive lately. With reserved caution, overall recommended.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: **

CHRISTOFOROS - PEESES BEACH

CHRISTOFOROS

Christofors has undegone a butterfly transformation this year (2023): from an ugly worm to a beautiful butterfly. Since the change of management, the combination of a prime beach-front location, excellent service and great food paint a recipe of success (in yellow color now!). We are fans of the fish-soup but anything you try, is great.  Only complaint, that for dinner many menu items were not available... (Aug 23) Highly recommended, reservation may be necessary in peak season. Is overall pricey, but worth it for sure.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ****

KOUNDOUROS

PORTO KOUNDOUROS RESTAURANT

Up-scale taverna in the beach bar complex offering a selection of various salads, fish, and tavern items. If you are on the beach chairs you can also order sandwiches and light lunch items. Is overall pricey, some on the grill, a lot of fried food and pre-frozen items. Convenient but far from quality or value-for-money. Good for a drink at all hours!

Our rating: 2/5
Price: ***

KOUNDOURAKI ROCK

Unfortunately no food at the Rock this year (23)! Still nice beach to hang out.

Our rating:
Price:

ZERAT RESTAURANT

"Fine dining" restaurant in the new ANAMAR boutique hotel. Expensive and not worth it by popular opinion. Tries to serve Greek nouvelle cuisine but somewhere fails in the greater picture. Ambiance and view are nice but does not justify the 3-digit bill at the end.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: *****

THE MAIN TOWN, HORA

PIATSA

One of the "blue chip" restaurants on Kea, good quality food year round, if you can find a table. As you enter the town of Ioulis (Chora) through the arch, on your immediate left you will see the Piatsa . Owned by Yannis and Evangelia, this small corner eaterie serves a great assortment of carefully prepared Greek cuisine dishes at very decent prices, making a favourite among the locals. Does not take reservations so arrive early on weekends or…wait for one of the few tables outside on the picturesque piazza. Definitely value-for-money with lots of local ambiance and good home cooking.

Our rating: 4.5/5
Price: **

TO STEKI

It is Kea’s less-known gem. It is a family-run restaurant in the middle of the beautiful Ioulis, next to the St Dimitri church. Mom Ritsa cooks, Dad and socialite son Yiannis serve, cannot get more…homey. Great, real, HOME-MADE cuisine with a very tasty, originally Greek menu, good local fresh materials. My favourites are the aubergine wraps with minced meat and the rabbit in beer sauce. Some times slow service when busy but the very polite Yiannis, a joy. Due to popularity, portions have grown lately smaller and more expensive so it misses the 5/5 mark by a sliver but that is no reason not to go. If the walk up (down is easy) does not deter you, recommended whole-heartedly. You may have to wait a bit for a table on busy weekends.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

KYLIX

In the Chora, to your left on the way up, nearly across from Museum. More of a wine bar than restaurant , offering a variety of small and larger dishes. Overall expensive though the food is nice. Terrace has nice view.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ****

Taverna tou Gianni

The big tavern on the main square, across from the impressive neoclassical town hall. One of Kea's oldest establishments, family-run, a typical Greek tavern offering some pot dishes, a lot of grilled meat, gets crowded in the summer. Decent food but not exceptional, some dishes stand out more than others. Service can be very slow when busy.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

Paparounas

Main square to the right from Town Hall. A newcomer offering nice Greek cuisine, some dishes exceptional. Worth trying. Finding seating may be challenging on busy days.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

The Panorama Sweet Shop

(past the main town hall square 80m)

You have a sweet tooth? You want to have a relaxing cup of Greek coffee with some nice oriental delights? Panorama is THE place. They make their own oriental sweets (baklava, kataifi, ravani, ekmek, etc) and many more. Their terrace offers sweeping Aegean and sunset views so get there early before sunset to get a seat. Music can be a bit loud and annoying at times.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: **

UPPER HORA

To Spiti sti Hora

Much advertised, supposedly gourmet “nouvelle Greek cuisine" bespoke restaurant and bar, offering an impressive view of Hora and the Aegean. However, overall we found it severely over-priced, portions are tiny, at prices like those of a 1-2 star Michelin restaurant, less the taste, service  and quality. Service is from slow to erratic for the genre. Worth to go for a drink during sunset and no more. Treck to Steki from there and skip dinner there: too much hype, too little substance.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: *****

KORISSIA-THE PORT AREA

Rolando's Restaurant

The larger than life Rolando and his wife Chryssa serve specialties from the island and from the island of Corfu where he comes from. Fish, Meats, Specialties or simply nicely grilled fair: fantastic food, real Greek hospitality! Whole-heartedly recommended, one of the best on the island.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

Lagoudera

Lagoudera (Rudder) is located across from where the ferries stop, in a you-cannot-miss neoclassical yellow building. Lagoudera features and array of Greek, including many local dishes. Do not miss the eggplant in red sauce with local cheese! Also many items on the grill. Nice location to people watch!

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

NISOS

In the location of now, not suprisingly no defunct MAGAZES, a new (2023) restaurant has opend with a new name and new team of dynamic owners commited to bring new tastes to the island behind it. We have not tried it to give you a rating but rumor has it it is good, give us your opinion on it!

Our rating: unrated
Price: unrated

To Steki tou Stroggyli

Small tavern up in the port, you have to really look for the sign to take you up the small cobblestone back street to find it.  Food is decent, nothing to write hoem about, nice for the view. You have better choices in the port.

Our rating: 2.5/5
Price: ***

Gyrismata

Hey!, every Greek town has to have a souvlaki/gyro joint and this is the best one in Kea. If you yearn for the “Greek hamburger’, the little shop next to the green supermarket is nice, clean, offers fast service, all at a decent price. The beach seating is an experience in itslef, child friendly, let the kids, loose! Owners are wonderful, young and sweet. Value-for-money Greek “street food”.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: **

Jimmy’s Korissos

I do not know about you, but I have a sweet tooth! Jimmy’s is part of the islands’ history as the first and still one of the best coffee and sweet shops (and people watching corners). Though it makes excellent waffles, ice cream, profiterol, etc, my favorite are its traditional stronghold: the oriental baklava, kadaifi, ravani or galaktopoureko. Let the syrup ooze!

Our rating: 4/5
Price: **

FOTIMARI

Philippos Grill & Tavern

Phillippos is one of Kea's blue chip restaurants, open year round. With anew building and extended menu, it offers agreat view of the port area plus many Greek delicacies on the grill or spit, the succulent piglet being what they are famous for but also many other grilled local meats. Not stellar but very decent and service is good (except for peak hours).

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

VOURKARI

Aristos

Among the numerous restaurants Vourkari offer, Aristos may be the most famous not in Vourkari, on the whole island. The small fish tavern where VIPs from the Mediterranean stopped with their yachts to dine in the 80s and 90s rose to fame much outside Kea. However, the original owner Aristos got fed up with it and sold it many years ago and the new owners though they like the reputation, do not have the same business attitude. Among some fresh fish, they also serve dubiously conspicuous “fresh” (frozen) fish or shell fish, charged for a fortune. Avoid the in-fashion supposedly “Kean” (frozen) lobster-spaghetti for 2 at EUR 125 a pop. Unless you are sold on spending 200-300 EUR on a meal just to see and be seen, you have better choices.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: *****

SERIOS

Seirios is another fish tavern in Vourkari. We have not tried yet

Our rating: n/a
Price: n/a

Vourkarion

Vourkarion from a fancy souvlaki place, has joined its Vourkari sibblings as a fancy fish tavern. Popular opinion has it that though pricey, it is one of the best fish taverns on the island. We have not tried yet. 2023 has it changin onwers and management anew. For btter or worse, you tell us! Very pricey it is though

Our rating: n/a
Price: n/a

JUST PAST VOURKARI

Ennea Kores Fish Restaurant

Leave the yacht marina behind you and head towards Otzias, when you reach the Otzias junction, instead of a right, continue straight towards the little Agia Irene church, as opposed to taking the right to Otzias – SECOND restaurant to your right. Elegant atmosphere, on the water, wide choice of food, specializing in fish and shell fish, clams & oysters. On expensive side but the only one that serves guaranteed really fresh sea food including –when in season- oysters, shrimp and lobsters. Service let’s a bit to be desired some times. Good bottled fine wine list.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ****

H STROFH TOU MIMH or H KALLI

Once upon-a-time the blue white little restaurant was one of the best fish eating taverns on the island, when Mimis would catch or buy the fresh fish off the boats of Vourkari. Now it has definitely taken the wrong turn towards more expensive tablecloths, crystal glassware or candles and less investment in quality of food and service, frozen fish served as fresh, scams in fish weighing, etc, abound. Now it is catering more to the nouveau riches or stuck-nowhere-else-to eat yacht folk that read the “excellent” reviews in print or social media. Though the location on the beach with the candles may tempt you, heed the Sirens and pass and go 30 m down the street to 9 KORES, see above, a much better value-for-money.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: ****

OTZIAS

Anna’s Tavern

(on the way up to Kastriani)

Definitely stands out as on of the top 3 value-for-money, blue-chip eating places in Kea. Open year-round, it serves delicious meat and fish dishes and vegetables too. Excellent Greek cuisine that includes rarities like saligaria (escargots/snails in red sauce). Fish are decently priced and always fresh. A MUST during your visit.

Our rating: 5/5
Price: *** (**** for fish meals)

Otzias tavern on the beach

Very nice restaurant with quiet a few choices, on the more gourmet side. Good choice due to its proximity to the beach, order also fresh fish in advance, they will custom make them very nicely.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

SPATHI

KAIKAS

Tavern on the Beach Great Day Trip.

Organized beach and tavern with all the basic fare, you will find something to feed the kids (souvlakia & fries!) and to quench your thirst (cold beer on tab).

Our rating: 2/5
Price: ***

GYRISTH

To Perasma ston Gyristh

On of the best, most value-for-money restaurants on the island! Despite its humble surroundings and need to travel a bit, and lack of any amazing sea view, George the chef and his family prepare Greek cuisine dishes with a twist, to perfection, with local products and served in a Michelin restaurant presentation, the one dish is better than the other! A family run restaurant, the children serving, service lets a bit to be desired –some dishes took a while to get to our table- but well worth the wait! Only objection the lack of new menu items or seasonal dishes, gets boring after a visit or two as menu is limited.. Do not leave Kea if you do not try it! Worth the drive.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

ELLINIKA

KARTHEA

(Simon’s old Tavern)

Since Nektarions, Antoni’s brother from ANNA’s Vourkari took it over from Simon, the tavern has seen an amazing transformation in quality of food served. The spacious tavern (that can also host weddings and events) with the large terrace offers an array of local dishes and typical Greek cuisine foods, all well prepared and nicely served. One of the best eating-out choices if you are in the south of the island. Nice and cool on hot summer days up in Ellinika. Beware of the Greek live music on certain summer weekends, if not to your taste.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

POULARAKIA

The cute little restaurant next to the mini market on the main square, if you want to hang out with the locals, this is the place. Cute small coffee shop/tavern in the evening serving limited meze and some dishes for...unlimited drinking.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: **