What to eat Ionian Islands? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Lunch is around 2pm, and dinner rarely before 9 or 10pm. But it's not uncommon for an establishment to also serve coffee and snacks from 9am. In summer, restaurateurs and owners of taverns and ouzeries in the most popular tourist areas know they have to keep up with the season, so they are open every day, from morning to night, in continuous service. On average, service lasts 15 hours, sometimes longer, and often closes with the last customer... In Athens and on the islands, some of the more upscale restaurants are only open for dinner in the evening, or have the luxury of closing for one or two days during the week. On the islands, most establishments close between the end of October and Easter. But others - and this is often a guarantee of quality - remain open all year round to satisfy their local clientele.

With inflation, restaurant prices have risen slightly. But while restaurants(estiatório) are slightly more expensive than tavernas or ouzeries, eating out is still affordable in Greece and the islands. Unless you go to a trendy or very chic restaurant (in Corfu, for example...), you should expect to pay around 20 euros per person for a full meal, including a carafe of local wine or raki/ouzo. There is one exception: fresh fish, sold by the kilo, is always expensive. To avoid unpleasant surprises at checkout time, choose your fish in the kitchen and ask the price before ordering, as the bill quickly rises. In taverns, dessert (slices of watermelon, plate of halva, cake...) is often offered. Despite the crisis, the Greeks have not abandoned this pleasant tradition. But don't take it for granted: in the most touristy places, you can always wait!

Some taverns and restaurants charge a supplement of around €1 for cutlery and bread, which is not always offered. Water in a carafe is free, but in some of the more upscale restaurants, you'll often be served a bottle of mineral water as standard. It's not a huge charge, but it's worth knowing before you dispute the bill! Finally, when paying, always bring cash, as credit cards are not accepted everywhere. And leave a tip of around 10%.

Service can take a long time: there's no need to get worked up, but plan ahead and don't wait until you're starving to sit down, especially with children. Also note: dishes arrive as they are being prepared, so don't expect to eat an appetizer first, then a main course. Arriving dishes are shared, and diners often pick from the same dish. Another sign of hospitality: a small dessert or glass of liqueur is often offered at the end of the meal. But in Greece, you'll never be pressured to leave the table or recommend that you do so once your meal is over. Unless you ask for the bill, you'll be left to enjoy your meal, without necessarily clearing the table. And if there are lots of leftovers on the table and you're renting, don't hesitate to ask for a "paqueto" (a "doggy bag") to prolong the experience at home..

Greek cuisine is generous and easy to share. In taverns, avoid ordering one dish per person in the French way. And if you go to a restaurant with Greeks, pay the bill or have the meal offered to you, but avoid counting up what everyone has eaten to pay only for your share. This is not a common practice, if not downright impolite. And don't forget: if you're celebrating a birthday or anniversary at a restaurant during your stay, it's up to you to invite guests, not the other way around!

Children are king in Greece. The good thing is that they're welcome everywhere and made to feel at home. Here, there's no separation between generations, no attempt to silence noisy children or force them to sit still. Children are invited to sit at the adults' table and run their own show (often with a cell phone), without trying to contain themselves or the adults. The result is a joyous - sometimes noisy! - hubbub. And in the evening, when dinner drags on, they can play in the streets until well after midnight, while their parents quietly finish their ouzo.

The law against smoking in public spaces has been in place since 2008, but has never been enforced. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the new Conservative Prime Minister elected in July 2019, has promised that the law will now be enforced. Since his election, fines have been introduced to make both establishments and customers pay for non-compliance. It's clear that smokers are now spontaneously taking to the terraces.

Let's just say that, as everywhere else, the best food is rarely found in establishments with a waiter at the entrance or a menu in ten languages...

They're not often advertised (or reliable), but it's not unusual for an establishment to open for breakfast and close late into the night... In tourist areas, bar and café owners have to cover the summer season in order to survive all year round: they are therefore open every day, from morning to night, and their opening hours depend on how busy they are. Some night bars only open from 6pm-7pm and stay open until the early hours. Some traditional kafeneio open early in the morning and again around 6pm, but close a few hours after lunch. But most of the time, these places are open continuously: in summer, waiters simply wait for the last customer to leave before closing. This flexibility can be extended out of season, especially at weekends, in establishments that remain open. In Greece, you'll never be pressured to leave an establishment, or recommended to leave, once you've finished your drink. Unless you ask for the bill, you'll be left to enjoy it, without necessarily clearing the table. But don't be fooled: if you see that you're the last to leave and the waiters are exhausted, it may be time to vacate your seat!

Drinking coffee is an institution in Greece: you can stay for hours with a freddo or a frappé for just a few euros, without having to reorder. But be warned: coffees aren't cheap. At €4 for a frappé, it's not hard to see why some customers linger...

As far as the law is concerned, there is no legal age for consuming alcohol in private in Greece. To drink and consume alcohol in a café or public place, you have to be 18, but this law is not widely enforced, and no one will ask for ID when a young person orders a glass of alcohol.

The traditional café, the kafeneio, is often the heart of local life on the islands. More precisely, it's often the heart of public life, and therefore of men's lives... Indeed, women still live largely within the home, while the men gather at the café to twiddle their thumbs and remake the world, firmly ensconced in their armchairs... The kafeneio opens early in the morning, where people come for their first coffee to see the village as it slowly wakes up. Sometimes it stays open for lunch, but usually closes between noon and 5pm for siesta time. It reopens at 6pm for a last cup of coffee or a game of tavli at the end of the day. Later, it transforms into an ouzerie, where people drink ouzo, beer and raki while sharing small dishes, mezzedes, against a backdrop of rebetiko, the popular Greek music par excellence.

Children are welcome everywhere, accompanied by their parents. As in restaurants, they are welcome. Children are kings in Greece, and their noise level is very well tolerated!

Fine weather and outdoor cafés limit the problem in summer. Since the anti-smoking law in public spaces was enacted in 2008, some bad habits have slowly dissipated. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the new Conservative Prime Minister elected in July 2019, has promised that the law will be enforced from now on. Since his election, fines have been introduced to charge both establishments and customers who fail to comply with the law.

Nothing to report, except that it's best to avoid establishments that need reelers. It's often a bad omen!