Compared to the island of Paxos, another Ionian island, Zakynthos has a lot less pasta on offer. Which I was extremely happy to discover. Although pasta is always welcome, in Greece I rather eat Greek salad and fresh seafood. Due to the Venetian occupation of the Ionian islands from the mid 14th to the late 18th century it is no wonder though that Italian dishes are part of their menu. Still, I was rather pleased to see less of it on Zakynthos.
Looking back most of the food was fantastic on Zakynthos. Especially at our favorite restaurant on Dafni beach, Porto Mela. The oven-warm, freshly baked bread which was served before each meal alone was worth the drive to this beach!
Porto Mela restaurant on Dafni Beach @Zakynthos
warm bread with tomato dip @Zakynthos
But of course the bread was only the beginning and Porto Mela spoiled with the best Greek food on the island.
Greek salad @Zakynthos
stuffed tomatoes with french fries @Zakynthos
grilled calamari @Zakynthos
grilled fish @Zakynthos
Another great restaurant was To Nisi in Agios Nikolaos. We only went there once since the beach in front was not to our liking but the food was fantastic!
To Nisi restaurant @Zakynthos
fabulous grilled calamari @Zakynthos
Last but not least was a small restaurant close to our apartments called Ammoudi Taverna. It was super busy most of the times and once we didn’t even get a table. Lots of locals are frequenting this place as well and we saw two weddings during our week here. So don’t miss it.
Moussaka @Zakynthos
Souvlaki @Zakynthos
a mix of starters @Zakynthos
And some recommendations on what else you should try while on the island. Never forget, each island has its own distinct cuisine and you would do well to try as much as possible. Yours, Pollybert
potato salad, hard cheese and octopus @Zakynthos
fried calamari and some kind of omelette @Zakynthos
red beets, greek salad and grilled vegetables @Zakynthos
a mix of starters @Zakynthos
Kalimera with yoghurt and orange juice @Zakynthos
