Spinalonga Island wasn’t always on the tourist radar but it’s now a must-see for any traveller visiting Elounda. The teardrop-shaped island was once home to a leper colony and is now a ghost town of ruins.
Luckily, there are plenty of great restaurants to choose from in this area. Here are the top 5 places to eat in Spinalonga:
1. Makris Restaurant
Makris Restaurant offers delicious seafood and steak dishes to guests who wish to experience a culinary adventure. Its menu combines classic Greek flavors with innovative twists to create an unforgettable dining experience. The restaurant also provides a variety of tasty desserts to enjoy after your meal. Its atmosphere is casual yet classy, making it a great place to celebrate a special occasion or to simply dine with friends and family.
This restaurant is known for its fresh seafood dishes, including lobster, crab, tuna, scallops, and shrimp. It also serves a variety of other meat and vegetable dishes, including baby back ribs, buffalo chicken tenders, quesadillas, and potato skins. Its dessert selection includes cheesecake, pies, and sundaes. It also serves beer, wine, and draft cocktails.
Customers have rated this restaurant highly, with many praising the quality of its food and service. The restaurant has a large and inviting interior with nautical accents, a relaxing atmosphere, and plenty of seating options. The staff is friendly and attentive, helping customers make the most of their dining experience.
Makris Lobster and Steak House is a family-owned restaurant that serves a wide variety of seafood, as well as steak and other meat dishes. The restaurant is located in Concord, New Hampshire. It also operates a retail outlet and offers delivery services. The restaurant offers a variety of appetizers, such as steamed mussels and clam chowder. Its entrees include lobster, crab, steak, and chicken. The restaurant is open daily for dinner, with lunch specials available during the week. The restaurant has a patio area that is ideal for outdoor dining during pleasant weather.
2. Yaosai Bar
This secluded property attracts a well-heeled crowd who prefer to eat out at the resort’s four restaurants and lounge by one of three pools or on the beach. Modern stylish suites and villas are scattered among lush gardens with breathtaking vistas of the UNESCO protected castle on Spinalonga Islet. A full-service spa offers a zen-like experience with treatments that fuse ancient Greek methods with the latest techniques.
The resort’s enviable position overlooking crystalline waters invites you to explore the pageantry of Crete’s vibrant culture. Take a short boat ride to visit Spinalonga, the former leper colony, or stroll around the traditional town of Plaka. The hotel offers a full range of dining and drinking options to suit any taste, including buffet breakfast and half board at Tholos, fine dining at Topos 1910 and the award-winning Zeen 1910, and Japanese-Peruvian cuisine at Frureo. The resort’s upmarket Blend Steakhouse also serves a unique interpretation of surf and turf with dishes that change from season to season.
Guests can also enjoy drinks and light meals at the Yaosai Bar on the edge of the pool, Domes Plaza Pool Bar and Breeze All Day Beach Lounge. For those who opt to stay in a Suite that includes Haute Living, there is a dedicated 24/7 members-only club where you can enjoy fresh juices, snacks and cocktails with views of the glimmering water and day-beds to recline on.
The elegant Tholos restaurant features a light elegant design and stunning sea views that are perfect for a relaxing morning or evening meal. You’ll find a wide selection of dishes on the menu, from authentic Greek to Mediterranean. The menu also includes a kids’ buffet, a vegetarian menu and themed buffets.
Topos is a seafront Greek seafood restaurant with an authentic tavern setting and spectacular vistas of Spinalonga. The food here is delicious and the ambiance is perfect for a romantic dinner date.
The elegant and intimate Topos is a fine-dining venue that serves up some of the best in local produce with dishes prepared by talented chefs. The Topos experience is enhanced by the dazzling views of the UNESCO heritage site of Spinalonga and the gulf of Mirabello.
3. Mesoyios Pool Bar
Located poolside, this all-day dining venue is the ideal spot to start your day with a rich breakfast buffet while for lunch choose from a wide selection of tastes. Whether you are looking for souvlakia, gyros or chicken you will find everything here to cater to your appetite!
Enjoy a refreshing drink under the shade of the palm trees and gaze at Spinalonga, the island that inspired Victoria Hislop’s book ‘The Island’. Whether you are on your own, with a friend or with the whole family, this one of a kind bar is the perfect place to relax and unwind.
The resort’s extensive gardens and orchard supply a wealth of fresh produce to its restaurants. This is reflected in the flavourful breakfasts at Yeronisos, with tables that groan under rainbows of fruit and towers of breads and pastries. At the al fresco Mesoyios, grilled seafood and seasonal Mediterranean vegetables are paired with crisp Cyprus vino and sweeping coastal views.
Guests can dine in any of Domes’ four restaurants at night, or treat themselves to some fine food back at their suite, villa or residence. There is also the opportunity to try different cuisines at the gastronomy festival and wine-tasting evenings.
In addition to the main buffet restaurant, Tholos, the hotel’s fusion restaurant, Mesoyios, offers a variety of dishes with a fresh approach to Greek and Mediterranean cooking using scrupulously selected local ingredients. Alternatively, Anthos Steak House serves gourmet signature menus from Michelin star chef Philippe Geneletti in a spectacular setting under the stars.
4. Kolokytha Beach Bar
Kolokytha Beach Bar is a beautiful venue offering drinks and snacks in a relaxing setting. Its menu has a variety of options including sandwiches, hamburgers, Greek salads and grilled meats. The bar also has a large selection of drinks including beer, wine and cocktails. Kolokytha Beach Bar is an excellent choice for those looking to enjoy a drink or snack while enjoying the view of Spinalonga.
The beach is located on the northern part of the island and offers visitors an unspoiled and tranquil setting away from the crowds. The crystal-clear waters are perfect for swimming and the tamarisk trees provide shade in the hot summer months. The beach is sometimes referred to as Agios Loukas Beach and it is accessible by a picturesque route from Elounda that leads past the old salt pans.
There are a number of things to do on Kolokytha Beach including swimming, snorkelling and walking. The calm waters make it a great place for swimmers of all ages, while the presence of tamarisk trees offers a variety of shaded spots for rest after a swim.
Snorkelling is another popular activity at the beach and the clear waters allow for an immersive underwater experience. Guests can explore the marine life at the beach and discover the intriguing rock formations beneath the water.
Other activities on offer include walking and sunbathing. The sand at the beach is soft and has a lovely pink hue and it is backed by tamarisk trees that offer plenty of privacy.
There are a number of accommodation options available in the area around Kolokytha Beach, including hotels and apartments. Many of these have amazing views of the sea and Spinalonga, with some offering direct access to the beach. The harbor front and backstreets of the town are good places to find reasonably priced rooms, studios and a few formal hotels.
There are several ways to get to Kolokytha Beach, including public transportation and car rental. The bus from Agios Nikolaos to Elounda passes by the beach, while the ferry boats that visit Spinalonga depart from the small port in front of the town.