Best Places to Eat in Ithaca: Restaurants & Local Food
The best places to eat in Ithaca range from fish tavernas beside Vathy’s harbour to village restaurants exploring the island’s ingredients and cooking traditions.
Location is a useful starting point when planning meals. Vathy offers convenient options for visitors staying in the south, while Kioni and Frikes suit a waterfront lunch during a northern excursion. Stavros and Lefki provide alternatives away from the harbour tables.
Alongside familiar Greek dishes, look for Ithacan specialities such as chicken cooked using the traditional tserepa method and rovani, a local sweet made with rice and honey.
This guide brings together six restaurants across the island, with advice on choosing where to eat and what to ask before ordering.
Where to Eat in Ithaca at a Glance
| Restaurant | Location | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| O Batis | Vathy | Fish and seafood around the harbour |
| Ageri | Frikes | Modern Greek cooking beside the bay |
| Avra | Kioni | A Greek meal during a village visit |
| Myrtia | Stavros | Exploring Ithacan ingredients and food traditions |
| Kanenas | Stavros | Traditional Greek dishes and a varied menu |
| Dona Lefki | Lefki | Modern Greek cooking in a village setting |
Opening days and menus vary through the season. Confirm directly before making a special journey, particularly outside summer.
1. O Batis, Vathy
O Batis is a traditional fish taverna beside Vathy’s harbour. Its location makes it convenient for visitors staying in town or spending an evening around the waterfront.
Fish and seafood are the main reasons to consider it. Rather than arriving with a particular dish in mind, ask what is available and how the kitchen recommends preparing it.
Sharing starters before choosing fish or another main course provides flexibility, especially when availability changes from day to day.
The harbour setting also allows the meal to become part of a longer walk around Vathy rather than a separate excursion.
Best for: A seafood meal in Vathy.
Practical tip: Establish whether fish is priced by portion or weight, and confirm the approximate total before ordering.
2. Ageri, Frikes
Ageri is in Frikes, on the northern coast of Ithaca. The restaurant describes its cooking as modern Greek cuisine.
It is worth considering for visitors who want Greek flavours presented in a different style from a conventional taverna meal. The bayside location makes it a natural stop during an outing around northern Ithaca.
The restaurant publishes a menu and wine list, although visitors should check the current selection rather than rely on dishes mentioned in older reviews.
Ageri can be combined with time in Frikes, Stavros or Kioni. Choosing a meal near the day’s activities avoids an unnecessary return journey across the island.
Best for: Modern Greek food in a harbour setting.
Practical tip: Ask about seasonal dishes and reserve ahead when a particular dining time matters.
3. Avra, Kioni
Avra is a Greek restaurant in Kioni, one of Ithaca’s most attractive coastal villages.
Its main appeal for visitors is the opportunity to combine a meal with time exploring Kioni. A walk around the harbour followed by lunch or dinner makes a straightforward outing without needing a packed sightseeing schedule.
The menu should be checked on arrival, particularly for cooked dishes and daily specials. Visitors interested in local food can ask which ingredients or preparations come from Ithaca.
Avra also provides an option for travellers staying in the village who prefer to organise their evenings locally.
Best for: A Greek meal while visiting Kioni.
Practical tip: Confirm kitchen hours directly, especially early or late in the season.
4. Myrtia, Stavros
Myrtia is a restaurant in Stavros with an emphasis on Ithaca’s food heritage.
Its approach draws on island ingredients, traditional knowledge and cooking methods. The restaurant’s own account describes work with products such as myrtle, carob, capers and wild greens, alongside an interest in preserving local techniques.
This makes Myrtia particularly relevant for visitors who want to learn something about Ithacan cooking through a meal. The experience is best approached with curiosity about the current menu rather than a fixed expectation of particular dishes.
The business also offers cookery experiences. These should be arranged separately and confirmed in advance rather than assumed to be available during an ordinary restaurant visit.
Best for: Discovering the island’s ingredients and culinary traditions.
Practical tip: Ask what the kitchen is currently preparing and whether any special dishes require advance notice.
5. Kanenas, Stavros
Kanenas is a restaurant and taverna in Stavros serving traditional Greek food.
Its published information includes seafood and familiar Greek dishes, with ingredients sourced locally where possible. That wording is useful: it does not imply that every ingredient or fish comes from Ithaca.
The restaurant provides another option for visitors exploring the northern villages. It may suit groups who prefer a varied menu rather than a meal centred entirely on fish.
Ask about the day’s cooked dishes before deciding. Preparations requiring longer cooking may offer a different experience from selecting only grilled items.
Best for: A traditional Greek meal during a visit to Stavros.
Practical tip: Discuss portion sizes when sharing several starters and main dishes.
6. Dona Lefki, Lefki
Dona Lefki is in the village of Lefki and serves modern Greek cuisine.
It offers an alternative to eating beside the island’s main harbours. Visitors exploring northern Ithaca can consider it as part of a village outing rather than making every meal a waterfront stop.
The restaurant is also associated with sunset views. Guests for whom the outlook is important should ask about table placement when reserving, since a scenic location does not guarantee the same view from every seat.
Check the current menu and opening arrangements before travelling. Older menu photographs are useful for understanding a restaurant’s general style but should not be treated as a promise of available dishes or prices.
Best for: A village meal with modern Greek cooking.
Practical tip: Arrange the return transport before settling in for dinner and wine.
What Local Food Should You Try in Ithaca?
Chicken Tserepa
Chicken tserepa is one of Ithaca’s characteristic dishes.
The name refers to the traditional earthenware cooking cover and the method used to cook beneath it. Recipes vary, with preparations including chicken, potatoes and flavourings such as wine, lemon, tomato or herbs.
Because this is a particular cooking method, visitors should ask whether a restaurant actually prepares it and whether advance ordering is required. An ordinary chicken casserole should not automatically be described as tserepa.
Rovani
Rovani is an Ithacan sweet associated with rice, honey and oil.
It is worth asking about in restaurants, bakeries or shops selling local products. Availability may vary, so it is better treated as something to seek out than a dessert guaranteed on every menu.
Ionian Influences
Ithaca’s cooking shares influences with the wider Ionian Islands, including dishes whose names reflect Venetian connections.
Names such as savoro and sofigado may appear in discussions of the local repertoire. Visitors should ask how the kitchen prepares a dish rather than assume that recipes are identical across different islands.
Seasonal Ingredients
Herbs, greens, capers and olive oil contribute to the island’s cooking. Ask which seasonal ingredients feature in the day’s dishes.
Vegetable-based food is not necessarily vegan: pies, sauces and cooked dishes may contain cheese, eggs or meat stock.
Choosing Where to Eat
Vathy
Vathy is practical for visitors staying in southern Ithaca. Dinner can be combined with a harbour walk, reducing the need to drive after eating.
O Batis is an option when seafood is the priority.
Kioni and Frikes
These villages suit visitors who enjoy a meal near a small harbour.
Avra and Ageri offer different dining styles, so the choice can be based on the menu and the day’s route rather than the setting alone.
Stavros and Lefki
Myrtia, Kanenas and Dona Lefki provide reasons to consider village dining.
They work particularly well during a northern itinerary, with time allowed for exploring before the meal.
Practical Tips for Eating in Ithaca
- Check opening directly: Listings may remain online when a restaurant is closed for the season.
- Ask about local specialities: Some preparations require advance notice.
- Clarify seafood prices: Confirm portion size or weight before ordering.
- Reserve when necessary: This is useful for groups, particular tables and special dinners.
- Plan transport: Allow for winding roads and the return journey.
- Explain dietary needs: Ask about ingredients and preparation rather than relying only on dish names.
A varied stay might include seafood in Vathy, a meal beside a northern harbour and a village restaurant exploring Ithacan traditions.
