Best Places to Eat in Thimena, Greece

Eating on Thimena (Thymaina) is very different from dining on Greece’s larger tourist islands. There is no long restaurant strip and no reason to arrive with a list of ten places to try.

Instead, this tiny island in the Fourni archipelago has only a handful of places serving food, divided mainly between Thimena village and the small settlement of Keramidou.

That limited choice is part of the experience. Local seafood, simple cooked dishes and meze suit an island where fishing remains part of everyday life.

O Kottaras – Keramidou

If there is one place visitors should make a point of experiencing, it is O Kottaras in Keramidou.

The taverna sits beside the water beneath large tamarisk trees, making lunch here one of the pleasures of walking from Thimena village to Keramidou.

Local specialities associated with the restaurant include goat cooked in tomato sauce, fried calamari, aubergine saganaki, seafood meze and other home-style dishes.

Fresh fish and other seafood may depend on what is available, which is exactly what should be expected from a taverna in such a small fishing settlement.

The combination of the sheltered bay, beach and waterside tables makes Keramidou somewhere worth visiting for several hours rather than simply coming for a meal.

O KaraManolis – Thimena Village

O KaraManolis is an old-style kafeneio and snack bar in the main settlement and one of the places where the distinction between café, bar and simple restaurant becomes rather blurred.

It is known for straightforward meze such as fried calamari and atherina, the tiny fish commonly served fried in Greece.

On some days there may also be handmade souvlaki, while kakavia, the traditional Greek fisherman’s soup, is one of the dishes particularly associated with the kafeneio.

More importantly, KaraManolis is part of village life. It is the sort of place where local residents gather in the afternoon rather than a restaurant created specifically for tourists.

For visitors trying to understand Thimena rather than simply eat on it, that makes it particularly worthwhile.

O Kolokotiris – Near Thimena Harbour

A few steps above the harbour is the traditional kafeneio O Kolokotiris.

The emphasis here is again on drinks accompanied by simple meze rather than elaborate restaurant dining.

Two particularly distinctive local offerings are fried octopus and pickled wild rock samphire, or kritamo.

Sitting with an ouzo or cold beer and a few meze near the harbour is probably closer to the natural rhythm of Thimena than searching for a conventional three-course dinner.

Thimena Beach Canteen

The canteen at Thimena Beach provides another informal option close to the main settlement.

During the summer it functions throughout the day, beginning with coffee, snacks and ice cream for people using the beach.

Later it becomes more of an informal café-bar and food stop, with seafood and meat meze, savoury and sweet crepes and drinks.

It is particularly useful when you want something casual without organising the day around a restaurant meal.

What Should You Eat in Thimena?

Seafood is the obvious starting point.

Thimena belongs to the Fourni archipelago, where fishing has long been central to the local economy and identity. Rather than arriving determined to order one particular fish, ask what is actually available.

Other foods worth looking for include:

• fresh fish and calamari
• octopus
• atherina and other small fried fish
• kakavia fish soup
• local goat
• aubergine saganaki
• seafood meze
• wild kritamo

Simple cooked dishes may be just as worthwhile as seafood, particularly when they are prepared in the traditional home-style manner.

Eating in Keramidou or Thimena Village?

If you’re staying in Thimena village, its kafeneia and beach canteen are the most convenient choices.

Keramidou is worth making a destination in its own right. Walk there, swim at the beach and have lunch beside the bay before returning to Thimena.

The walk between the settlements takes roughly 20 minutes, so there is little reason to regard the two dining areas as separate parts of the island.

Don’t Expect Big-Island Dining

Thimena is not somewhere to choose because of its restaurant scene.

The limited number of establishments is one of the consequences of visiting an island with such a small permanent population.

Menus, opening periods and availability can change according to season and demand. Outside the main summer period in particular, it is sensible to ask locally what is operating rather than relying on fixed online opening hours.

Anyone with strict dietary requirements should also plan ahead. A tiny fishing island cannot necessarily provide the range of alternatives found in larger Greek destinations.

Is Thimena Worth Visiting for the Food?

Not as a standalone gastronomic destination — but food contributes considerably to the experience of staying here.

A seafood lunch beneath the tamarisks at Keramidou, meze at a traditional village kafeneio or something simple beside the harbour fits naturally into a day spent walking and swimming.

Thimena’s dining appeal is ultimately the same as the island itself: small-scale, local and uncomplicated.

Explore More of Thimena

• Things to Do in Thimena
• Best Beaches in Thimena
• Best Places to Stay in Thimena