Pelion Restaurants: Where to Eat, Area by Area
Pelion serves its best food in the harbour tavernas of the coast and the family tavernas of the mountain squares, led by the seafood of the Pagasetic Gulf. Agria and Kala Nera line up seafood restaurants on the gulf, Afissos and Kato Gatzea cook by the water, and Agios Ioannis and Damouchari feed the east-coast beaches. Volos adds its tsipouradika. This guide sets out where to eat by area rather than ranking named restaurants. Hire a car to explore Pelion at your own pace, covered in our Pelion car hire guide.
- Seafood
- Agria & Kala Nera
- Harbour tavernas
- Afissos & Kato Gatzea
- Beach tavernas
- Agios Ioannis
- Tsipouradika
- Volos
Volos and the tsipouradika
Volos, the gateway town on the Pagasetic Gulf, is the eating capital of the region, known for its tsipouradika, the small eateries that serve a plate of meze with each glass of tsipouro. It is the best base for a long, mezes-led meal before heading out to the peninsula. The town and its own restaurants are covered in the Volos and Pelion guide.
The Pagasetic Gulf: Agria to Kala Nera
The sheltered west coast keeps the busiest run of seafood tavernas. Agria, 8 kilometres south of Volos, draws people from the city at weekends to its many seafood restaurants around the old port, and in summer its beachfront road closes to become a promenade of bars and tavernas. Kala Nera, 18 kilometres from Volos, lines up fish taverns and cafes a short walk from its long beach. Kato Gatzea keeps seafront tavernas along its tree-shaded boulevard, and Koropi adds tavernas that specialise in seafood behind Boufa beach.
Afissos, Lefokastro and the south-west
Afissos, 26 kilometres from Volos, is the prettiest place to eat on the gulf, with harbour tavernas that serve the morning's catch and a plane-tree square where you can eat in the shade beside a spring fountain. Lefokastro keeps three quiet tavernas by its beach, and Kalamos, Chorto and Milina in the far south keep small village tavernas by their harbours, with Chorto known for its sunsets. Argalasti, the inland market town, adds tavernas, a supermarket and a bakery for the surrounding villages.
Agios Ioannis, Damouchari and the east coast
The east coast feeds the Aegean beaches. Agios Ioannis, the main resort 45 kilometres from Volos, keeps a wide choice of tavernas, bars and mini markets behind its beach. Damouchari adds seafront tavernas by its natural harbour, a few steps from the beach. Platanias and Mikro keep small beach tavernas and cafes in the south-east, and Potistika has a beach bar and a couple of tavernas above its sandy beach.
The mountain villages
The stone villages up on Mount Pelion serve quieter, more traditional food than the coast. Mouresi and nearby Tsagarada keep family tavernas on cobbled squares shaded by very large old trees, and the higher villages add mountain views to the plate. This is the place for slow-cooked dishes and local produce away from the beach crowds, described alongside the villages in the Pelion peninsula guide.
