Nafplio Restaurants

The restaurant itself is right on the square with a nice outside patio in the town's main square. We chose a table for two on the patio. A gentleman approached and asked where we were from. When we said Toronto he asked if we knew the restaurant Parthenon as it was owned by a friend or an uncle. We confirmed and he then introduced himself as the owwer and said he would order some local fish and a nice Greek salad for us.

At first I thought it was a nice gesture, then as my wife mentioned she really did not want fish, he said it was already ordered? Sure enough within minutes two of the most unappetizing slabs of what appeared to be smoked or baked fish appeared accompanied by a lettuce salad with almost no tomato or onion. Since he had mentioned " Greek" salad we were a bit shocked.

The fish was too revolting to even try, there were a few dolmades which were acceptable but not outstanding,the accompanying lemon based sauce was bland. At this stage the gentleman was ignoring us so we washed the dolamades down with the white wine, left 10 euros and his stinky fish on the table and departed.

He clearly was trying to take advantage of tourists, perhaps to the delight of his local friends? It was certainly out of context with the normally friendly and accommodating people of Greece.

Favorite Dish: Stick to the wine I think the fish could cause digestive issues!!!

This street was just close to our hotel where we stayed in Nafplio. We were starving to get a fresh fish as we reached the sea. the street is consisted of one taverna following by another.
We were not amazed by the food there. It was not exactly fresh-fresh...and looked like a touristic trap...may be we were unlucky and didn't chose the right one on the street...

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I have never tried a gelato better than the one made by smiling Marcelo at this lovely ice-cream shop. I was blown away and kept coming back every day during my 4-days stay in Nafplio.

Prices are quite high, but it is well worth it:
3 scoops = 4.50 euro.
2 scoops = 3.50 euro.

Favorite Dish: Chocolate gelato!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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After trying a bunch of different places in the town, we kept coming back to this small restaurant located close to our hotel (Byron Hotel).
This hidden gem offers tasty and cheap cuisine with a friendly, fast service. Highly recommended.

Prices: Dinner costs anywhere from 15 to 40 euro.

Favorite Dish: Greek salad, stuffed wine leaves, fried mushrooms.

There are several nice restaurants facing the waterfront where they serve ice-cream, small meals and drinks. Sit under the umbrellas with a drink and watch the world go by. The prices are a little higher than the tavernas in the old town but this is a great place to unwind after a long walk around Nafplio.

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I found this restaurant while walking around in the old part of town. The Old Tavern or η παλαιά ταβέρνα is located in the alleys between medieval buildings close to Constitutional Square. This taverna is apparently more than 200 years old. The staff were very friendly and speak English very well.

I tried the Greek salad & grilled port with fries, and fried cheese. The food was good and came in large portions. You can either dine outside under the umbrellas or inside where there is air conditioning.

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After lunch, I wanted to have dessert and walked into the Antica Gelateria di Roma to get a nice cold gelato on the hot summers day. When I walked in the people there were friendly, especially this Italian (presumably the owner) who spoke Greek with an Italian accent. Quite funny!

There were lots of gelato to choose from including other desserts and coffee. I didn't realize until later that this gelateria received a 3-star rating by Frommers. The excerpt from the book is as below:

"What a wonderful addition to Nafplion! Marcello and Claudia Raffo make and sell delicious ice cream and ices. You can have anything from a banana split to a tiny cup with just a taste. Don't miss the hazelnut, lemon, mango, strawberry, chocolate -- well, you get the idea. If you tire of ice cream, you can always have a freshly made panini with tomato and mozzarella and finish off with a real espresso."

Favorite Dish: The cold gelato!

Savouras is situated at the waterfront of the Old Town and it is considered to be one of the oldest restaurants of Nafplio. It serves a great variety of fresh fish, seafood and salads. You should escort your meal-dinner with good local wine. It is well know to the locals, so on weekends it might be a little crowded.