Lesbos Restaurants: Where to Eat, Ouzo & Mezedes
Lesbos serves ouzo and mezedes as its signature meal, and Plomari is the town that made the drink famous. This guide covers where to eat around the island, from the harbour fish tavernas of Molyvos and Skala Kallonis to grill houses and beach tavernas at Vatera, Skala Eressos and Nyfida.
- Signature
- Ouzo & mezedes
- Ouzo town
- Plomari
- Best fish
- Molyvos harbour
- Local wine
- Limnos house wine
Where to eat on Lesbos
The signature meal on Lesbos is ouzo with mezedes, the small plates that the island's distillers made famous. Plomari is the ouzo capital of Greece, and cafeneions across the island serve the drink with grilled meat, fresh fish and vegetable dishes. The best fish tavernas sit on the harbours, and the sardines of Kalloni bay and the island's own olive oil appear on most menus. The sections below set out tried tavernas by area, from Molyvos in the north to Vatera in the south.
Molyvos: The Captains Table
The Captains Table in the harbour of Molyvos is widely held to be one of the best restaurants on Lesbos. Melinda, Australian by birth but a lifelong resident of Greece, and her husband Theo run it, cooking in the morning and serving in the evening with a team of helpers. The restaurant stands a metre from the fishing boats, and a sea breeze cools it on hot evenings. It serves a wide range of fresh fish, a captain's platter for one or two, and evening specials that can run to Thai, curry and Italian dishes. The house wine is good.
Skala Kallonis: Akti
The Akti Restaurant sits on the central square of Skala Kallonis, overlooking the harbour, with comfortable seats and friendly service. It serves large breakfasts of eggs, bacon, vegetables, bread, cake and orange juice, along with pizzas, snacks, coffees and cocktails. Prices are reasonable apart from the pricier cappuccino. It is an easy, welcoming place in the tourist centre of the Bay of Kalloni.
Vatera: Kozanitis
The Kozanitis Restaurant and Grill House stands on the beach at Vatera; when you enter the village, turn left and drive a couple of hundred metres along the shore. It serves a house wine from Limnos and a menu of grilled chicken, black beans, Greek salads, fresh fish and many other dishes. The service is friendly and personal. It is a good place for a long dinner where you order a spread of small plates.
Skala Eressos: Soulatso
The Soulatso Restaurant is one of the tavernas on the beach at Skala Eressos, towards the end near the church on the rocks. It serves chicken, grilled meat, fish and many appetizers, including courgette balls, tomato balls, fava, tzatziki and grilled peppers. The house wine comes in a jug. It suits a relaxed meal in the quiet western bay where Sappho was born.
Nyfida: Iotis
The Iotis Restaurant sits on the beach at Nyfida, west of Polichnitos, with swallows flying in and out. Guests choose from display cases of fish, salads, cheese balls and courgette balls, and the service is fast even when it is busy. The bread is fresh, the tzatziki good and the setting lovely, and everything is kept cooled and covered. It is a clean, well-run stop on the southern coast.
Plomari & ouzo
Plomari is the ouzo capital of Greece, with several ouzo factories and an ouzo museum, and it is the place to try the drink at its source. The main dining area gathers around the large plane tree across the bridge over the Sedountas river, where cafeneions and tavernas serve ouzo with mezedes. The town keeps the feel of a working port rather than a resort. It is covered in the Lesbos villages guide.
Mytilene
Mytilene, the capital, has the widest choice of eating on the island, from harbour tavernas to cafes among its neo-classical streets. As the port for ferries and the hub of the bus network, it is where many visitors start and end a trip, and its market supplies much of the island. Its restaurants, shops and museums are covered in the Lesbos villages guide.