Due to only being one hour from Lavrio port, Kea is a popular destination for Athenians. The majority of the island is uninhabited and there are only a handful of villages. Compared to other islands there is not an abundance of good places to eat but here are some of my favourite places I ate whilst I was out here.
A few extra notes:
📝 The bay of Vourkari is amazing for sunset. There are a few restaurants on the seafront but they all have low Google ratings. We decided to hike out to the Lighthouse of Kea one evening which is definitely worth it.
📝 EORA Seaside Escape & Restaurant on Paralia Gialiskariou is a great spot on the beach for a coffee or cocktail.
📝Unlike a lot of other islands you neither receive a shot of raki nor a free desert with your meal.
📝 In terms of where to stay I was at Ydor Hotel & Spa. The rooms were nice and spacious and the pool had a great view overlooking the sea.
1. Steki
📍Ioulis. In Greece a lot of restaurants are called “To Steki Tou” something. “To Steki tou” means “the hangout of”. This is the first restaurant I’ve came across just called “Steki” with nothing after. No name. Nothing. You’ll find them up in the ancient village of Ioulis which is not an easy walk in the heat. The menu is small but has everything you’d want from a Greek taverna. We went for some gemista (stuffed peppers), rabbit & fries, fava, Greek salad and a local sausage. Everything was delicious and the views and service were great too.
2. Το Εξοχικό της Μαργαρίτας
📍Pisses. A massive plate of slow-cooked rooster in tomato sauce with bucatini and local cheese at road-side restaurant, Το Εξοχικό της Μαργαρίτας (Margatita’s Cottage), just outside a village called Pisses (💀) on Kea. The chicken was falling off the bone and really tasty. This dish is pretty common across Greece.
3. Filippas
📍Korrisias. Nobody does a pork chop like the Greeks. Super tender, crispy fat, lightly smoked from the charcoal grill, seasoned with salt, oregano and a squeeze of lemon – you can’t beat it. I went to Filippas just outside of the port town of Korissia on Kea for dinner. They have a good selection of grilled meat during the week but on weekends they also serve kontosouvli and kokoretsi on the spit too. The views are great but it’s best to get here around or just after sunset to avoid the heat. As well as the a large tomahawk pork chop I also got bifteki, horta and zucchini fitters. The zucchini fritters, although quite light in colour, tasted better than they looked. The pork bifteki were delicious too.
4. Kalophagadon
📍Ioulis. During the week they serve slow-cooked meat and veg dishes, as well as grilled meats. On weekends they also serve kontosouvli and kokoretsi. Bad timing as usual. I love the way the brown paper wrapped restaurant tables spill out into the village square. We went for goat in lemon sauce with fries, moussaka, gemista (stuffed veg), fried peppers & lotza (a local ham). I had to try lotza once before leaving but probably wouldn’t order it again – a little too smoky and dry in my opinion. The goat in lemon sauce was great but it could have been a little warmer. The gemista, moussaka and fried peppers were all winners. Overall the food was tasty but a little on the expensive side for what it is (most island restaurants are to be fair). One thing that I don’t like about Kea and Kythnos is they never bring you a free dessert or free shot of raki with your meal – something that is very common on a lot of other islands.
5. Nisos
📍Korrisias. You’ll find Nisos in the port of Coressia, right across the street from where you dismount from the ferry when you arrive on Kea. In my experience port restaurants are often a bit of a tourist trap, serving bad food at higher prices, but that’s not the case with Nisos. Coressia port in general is quite tranquil, especially in the evening, compared to some other ports. It’s a modern Greek restaurant with a focus on seafood. As well as the orzo we also got a grilled scorpion fish for around €35 with fries and some horta served with fresh tomato.
6. Paparounas
📍Ioulis. Seafood pasta for two at Paparounas up in the village of Ioulis in the centre of Kea. Shrimp, mussels and squid in an ouzo & tomato sauce. Despite being an island there aren’t a lot of fish restaurant Kea. We almost got turned away for lunch due to staff being up too late drinking the night before but they changed their mind last minute. Like most a lot of dishes in Kea, the portion size was massive, but it could have done with a few more shrimp in my opinion. Also due to the steep hills and high temperatures I’d advise only visiting Ioulis in the evening.
7. Το Καμπί (To Kampi)
📍Kampi. You’ll find this seafood restaurant overlooking the bay of Kampi. As mentioned before there are not many highly rated seafood restaurants on the island but this is one. Unfortunately when we went they only had very large fish available (two big for two people) so we just went for sardines instead. They serve Alfa beer with seasalt here which is worth a try too.
8. Ο Ξυλοφουρνος του Βασιλωνη
📍Korrisias. The Wood-Fired Oven of Vasilonisn in English. This appeared to be the most popular bakery in the port town of Korrisias. Expect all the Greek classics as well as freshly baked bread. My favourite item was the manindaropita (mushroom pie) which I ended up getting a few times.
James Dimitri 