Samos Restaurants: The Best Tavernas and Cafes on Samos

Antonis Tavern in Chora is superb - one of the best tavernas the writer has ever visited, a 10 out of 10. It stands just after the fork in the road in Chora, coming from Pythagorion towards Pirgos (third street on the right). The sweet owner-cook cooks the stars from the heaven; you can order from the menu or just let them bring small dishes. Highlights across two visits included a leek quiche, a secret egg dish, delicious tzatziki, tasty salads, scrumptious chicken, green peppers stuffed with feta, fried chickpea balls, grilled hamburgers and even a finger-licking octopus salad. Antonis takes the order and brings the food, speaks a little English and is very modest and friendly. It is praised by the "Guide du Routard" and mentioned in the Dutch ANWB guidebook.

Note: Sinadisi has been sold to another owner, so the verdict below is no longer up to date. It was run by Dutch Emmie and her husband Jorgos at the entrance of the village coming from Pythagorio, just before the fork on the right. The sign looked like a pizzeria and the pizza was really great - especially the "Pizza Calzone Vesuvio", a double-folded stuffed pizza - but there was much more on the menu: Mexican chicken, Bekri meze (pork in tomato-cheese sauce), the best saganaki the writer has eaten, a great tzatziki and tuna salad, with fun and excellent service. With Antonis, one of the two highlights of the holiday. Our verdict at the time: superb, one of the best tavernas we ever visited - a 10 out of 10 (no longer valid).

Orange, at the start of the main street from the promenade opposite the taxi stand in Pythagorion, serves very good coffee and cappuccino and the most delicious ice cream you could wish for - a 9 out of 10. It is hard to walk past without buying an ice cream, and the service is very friendly. Only in the Chora of Naxos has the writer found a better ice cream shop.

Dolphin Café in the harbour of Pythagorion serves ice cream, Illy coffee, omelettes, breakfasts and cocktails - a 6,5 out of 10. The cappuccino (3 euro in 2007) comes with whipped cream but no glass of water, the service is friendly, the omelette is good, but breakfast bread is toasted rather than fresh and there is no butter.

Zante Café in the harbour of Pythagorion serves different coffees and a variety of cake - a 7,5 out of 10 instead of an initial 8, because of the toilet. The cappuccino is good, a big cup with steamed milk, and the ice is delicious; the man serving on the terrace is very friendly, but the toilet refused to flush and did not make a clean impression.

Corner Café in Pythagorion does breakfasts, fruit salads, omelettes and lunch snacks - an 8 out of 10. The cappuccino comes with steamed milk and a heart on top, and the English breakfast is exactly as it should be: toast, sausages, bacon, fried eggs, white beans in tomato sauce, fried tomatoes and plenty of butter. There is no orange juice, and the bread is toast rather than fresh.

Ambrosia in the harbour of Pythagorion - the writer's favourite here back in 1997 - is maybe the best restaurant in the harbour, an 8,5 out of 10. On this visit the crab salad came tastefully decorated (though with surimi sticks), the fries were crispy and tasty, the pita gyros cheap and delicious, and the zucchini balls drew no complaints. A good restaurant with a long menu.

Café bar Ostria in the harbour of Pythagorion sells sandwiches, breakfast, ice cream, coffee and drinks - a 7 out of 10. The English breakfast is bacon and eggs, the cappuccino comes with whipped cream on request and a big glass of fresh orange juice, but the wait was long even though we were the only guests.

Robinson is a small snackbar on the main street leading from the harbour of Pythagorion, serving fast food - gyros, pitas, chips and burgers with a can of coke or a bottle of water - a 7 out of 10. It is cheap, fast and not bad at all, with a few chairs and tables out front.

Summertime in the port of Pythagorion serves breakfast, coffee and cocktails - an 8,5 out of 10, better than the others nearby. The coffee is good, we got some very nice little pastries with it, the people are friendly and the toilets clean, with a little more on offer than the other breakfast places in the port.

Aigaio, on the water in the quieter village of Ireon next to Pythagorion, was good enough to return to - an 8 out of 10. The friendly owner Markos leaves a little bread on the floor for his sparrows; the tzatziki with carrot, cucumber and plenty of garlic is good, the white wine delicious and served in proper glasses, and the salad Aegean (ham, eggs, feta, olives, onion, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, cocktail sauce and fresh herbs) was ordered on both visits. The aubergines with garlic sauce, the saganaki and the chicken souvlaki were also good.

To Steki, on the harbourfront of Ireon near the small beach, has a menu with a little extra rather than the typical Greek one - an 8 out of 10. The bread comes with butter, herbs and tapenade, and we tried flogeres (cheese-and-bacon croquettes), aubergine slices with bacon in cream sauce, the spicy Mexico chicken and the lamb chops. The wine is very good and everything looks attractive, though the fries were soft.

Cohyli, on the south side of the Ireon harbourfront near the path to Papa Beach, has a beautiful large garden behind the hotel and the friendliest cook on the island, Christina - an 8,5 for the restaurant and a 10 for Christina. She is famous for her cheese saganaki, flamed at your table with a secret mixture, and the large, varied menu has plenty for everyone. A must for the hungry visitor of Ireon.

Stella in Balos serves Cypriot food a little different from the usual Greek, with spices and salads not seen elsewhere in Greece - an 8,5 out of 10, because you will always remember Stella. We had a Cypriot salad, tzatziki and pork with potatoes from the oven; the wine is okay, the bread home-made, the vegetables from their own garden, and the superfriendly hostess joins you for a chat.

Akrogiali is one of only two restaurants in Balos, on the water at the start of the village, with a terrace at the sea under a tamarisk tree - a 7 out of 10. It is not expensive and serves salads, plenty of appetizers, souvlaki, burgers, fish and shrimps. The cappuccino is big and strong with cream and cinnamon; the tzatziki is a bit thin with carrot, cucumber and lots of garlic, the Greek salad mostly sweet tomatoes, and the zucchini balls a touch sticky.

Akrogiali on the road through Kampos Marathokampos / Votsalakia has a large, beautiful menu (also in Dutch, shaped like a wooden seashell) - a 7 out of 10, with a 9 for the coffee. The English breakfast (7 euro in 2007) comes with a good Lavazza coffee on request, but there is toast instead of fresh bread, no orange juice, and the wait for the rest is long.

Balcony to the Aegean, at the beach of Limnionas, serves international breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, fish and grilled dishes - a 7,5 out of 10. The chef salad comes with ham, egg, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and cocktail sauce, the lamb is soft and good, and the moussaka is wonderful with a little parmesan and rice. The fries, crispy at lunch, went soggy by evening; the music is nice and the waiter Babis (later replaced by another friendly waiter) very kind.

Seapark in Limnionas is a nice spot for breakfast, lunch or an evening cocktail, with brightly painted, well-decorated tables - a 7 out of 10, with a plus for the waiter. There are various breakfasts, pancakes, fruit juices and coffee; the pancake was very nice and the people friendly, though the cappuccino comes with a glass of water but is nescafé in disguise, and the music (Enigma, sometimes Bob Marley) can be too loud. The waiter Panagiotis is something special.

Galini, on the right as you drive into Limnionas, serves pizzas, appetizers and many vegetarian and grilled dishes - an 8 out of 10. We had good shrimp saganaki, a pizza special Galini (too thick with too much crust) and tomato croquettes; the house wine could be better. Two years on it proved pretty good, with large chicken souvlaki and fresh fish, and its cheese pie is said to be special.

Epi Oyzion, just around the corner from the beach of Limnionas towards the End of the World, overlooks the sea up a flight of steps - an 8 out of 10. The zucchini balls and tzatziki were fine and the rosé very good, though the Greek salad and saganaki were only reasonable and the fries soft. Two years later the food was surprisingly good compared with some other places in the village. The waiter Alex was very nice.

Limnionas Taverna, on the beach to the left as you walk towards the sea, is - for the writer - by far the best restaurant inside the village of Limnionas, a 7,5 out of 10. It is large and often quiet in the evenings simply because people do not know it is there. The scordalia, freshly made spinach pie, chef's salad, moussaka and lamb chops were all very good, with a good local rosé, fresh bread and friendly service; two years later it was not quite as perfect, so try all the tavernas in the village and pick your own favourite.

The Taverna at the End of the World, a 2.5-kilometer walk along the coast from Limnionas with amazing views, is a 10 out of 10 for the experience alone. It is run by Andreas, one of the friendliest people you will meet in Greece, a bit crazy and full of stories, who measures cooking temperatures with a laser beam. The area is perfect for walking, with a secluded small beach nearby, and the host, the place, the views and the prices are all perfect - and cheap. A must when you visit this part of Samos.

Kostas Taverna in Drakei, in the west of Samos, was one of the best restaurants the writer visited on the island - an 8,5 out of 10. It sits by the main church, with steps up to a platform with a wonderful view of the sea. The friendly, helpful Katerina speaks several languages, and her husband Kostas cooks; the zucchini balls with a little parmesan are wonderful, the Greek salad has fresh thyme, and the bread and olive oil are home-made. A popular, busy place you would like to take home with you.

Stamna, beside the road in the ceramics village of Pirgos, does a lot of barbecuing (as the tablecloths, with a few ash holes, show) - a 7,5 out of 10. It is cheap (2 euro for a cappuccino in 2007) and the coffee tastes very good, with lots of whipped cream on top.

Iron Stone, a bar in the harbour of Ormos, serves only drinks, coffee and ice cream, no food - a 7,5 out of 10. The cappuccino (2,50 euro in 2007) comes in nice cups with a glass of iced water, tastes good and is served with whipped cream.

The Kerkis Bay Family Tavern, in front of the Kerkis Bay Hotel at the start of the boulevard as you enter Ormos, is an 8,5 out of 10 - it would have been a 9 if the food had come quicker. The chairs are comfortable and the toilets spotless; the cappuccino comes with whipped cream instead of hot milk (as the waitress warns), and the chicken salad and grilled chicken are large, cheap, very tasty and well presented. The food takes a while, but the friendly waitress makes you laugh while you wait.

The Votsalakia Café Bar at the beach of Votsalakia had an Illy sign outside but serves Lavazza, which is also good - a 7 out of 10. The cappuccino comes with a glass of water, nice and strong though it could be hotter, with a nice sea view and modern music.

Poquito, at the end of the beach of Kokkari, serves coffee, breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and omelettes - a 7 out of 10. The 7 euro breakfast (2007) has a boiled egg (laid five minutes before boiling), ham, cheese, fresh orange juice and coffee; only the toast instead of fresh bread lets it down, with a nice view of the bay and relaxed music.

Anemos, at the beach of Kokkari, serves salads, snacks, drinks and coffee - an 8 out of 10. The English breakfast (8 euro in 2007) was an omelette with ham and cheese garnished with tomatoes, fresh bread with butter and an orange juice, and the cappuccino came with whipped hot milk as it should.

Tavern Maria Alekos, on the attractive flower-filled square of Mili with its beautiful old trees, is a 7,5 out of 10. There is a limited menu chalked on a sign; we tried the "zorbena", an oven dish of potatoes, aubergine, bacon and cheese - tasty and filling - with fresh bread and fine tzatziki. The cappuccino is a plain nescafé with milk, as you would expect in a village barely touched by tourism, but Maria is friendly and the spot is peaceful.

Aiolos, at the west entrance of the small northern village of Agios Konstantinos beside a pebble beach, is a 7,5 out of 10. We had stuffed hamburgers, tzatziki and pastitsio served with toasted garlic bread; most produce comes from their own garden, the menus are hand-written, the service kind and the prices cheap. The fries were nearly, but not quite, crunchy.

The Posidonio Café, in the middle of the small pebble beaches of Posidonio in the south-east of Samos, is not recommended - a 5 out of 10, because coffee can be difficult. Our cappuccino tasted more like boiled milk with a coffee bean in it, came with no glass of water and was expensive compared with other places; neither of us finished it.

The El Greco Snackbar at Psili Ammos Beach is a simple, tourist-focused place with reasonable prices - a 7 out of 10. The menu runs to salads, omelettes, fish, spaghetti, grilled meat and chicken, souvlaki and dishes for two; the white wine has some taste, the bread is fresh in one piece, the tzatziki good and the meat tender if a little greasy. The Greek salad is standard and the fries, as almost everywhere, not crunchy.

To Remetzo, on the waterfront of Karlovassi near the port and the beach, is an 8 out of 10. We ordered chicken in sauce with fries and a Greek salad; the chicken tastes very good and the service is very friendly.

Zefiros, not far from the harbour of Karlovassi, has comfortable seats and normal prices - a 7,5 out of 10. The cappuccinos take a while to arrive but taste good, served with a glass of cold water and ice.

The Potami Café sits close to the beach on the road towards the Seitani beaches, with a nice view over the bay. We only had drinks here, at the start of two rainy days, so there is no food verdict.

The Samos Music Café, in front of the ferry departure point in Vathi and part of the Samos Hotel, is the writer's stop while waiting for a ferry - an 8 out of 10. It serves good Illy coffee with a cold glass of water, plus small snacks and sandwiches including a club sandwich; the tip is the warm apple pie with ice cream and whipped cream. Nice chairs, nice views and not expensive.