Clubbing, coffee mornings, dining out, eating in, local markets and supermarkets - all you need to know about food in Porto Heli.
- Eating out in Porto Heli.
- Drinking in Porto Heli.
- Self-catering in Porto Heli.
Porto Heli has a large variety of eating places and most have a menu displayed outside so that you can see what they offer. Families on a budget to gastronomic connoisseurs can find what they're looking for in Porto Heli. I've roughly grouped the various drinking/eating places and named a few, but some fit into more than one category and there are bound to be some I've missed.
- Cafeteria /Snack food - both from beach bars and various locations within the village, everything from fresh sandwiches to pizza to ice creams. Some places to try are: Costa Self Service, Zig Zag, Fresh, Panorama Pizza House and Artigiano.
- French Cuisine - located within Porto Heli, Rota is particularly well known for their fine French cuisine.
- Kafeneon - within Porto Heli and at least one in each surrounding village, the Kafeneon serve a variety of Greek dishes (mostly cold snacks) and are a bit like the neighborhood 'pub'. These are mostly identifiable by the octopus hanging out to dry outside.
- Ouzeri - mostly located along the sea front in the village and along the coastline, the Ouzeri serve ouzo and a series of 'Meze' snack dishes from salted herring or fried whitebait to boiled octopus with oregano and include dishes from modern Greek Cuisine which are quite delicious additions/twists to old favorites from all over Greece. A couple to try are: Alati kai Piperi / Salt & Pepper and En-Plo.
- Psistaria or Grill Restaurants - in Porto Heli serve grilled meat of all kinds and very few vegetable dishes except for seasonal salads. The ubiquitous gyro and very good roast pork are standard items on their menu. Worth checking out are: Morias, Costa Rica, Greek Kitchen and Alexandra's.
- Seafood Restaurants or Psarotavernas - in the village, along the coast and in some of the neighboring villages. These are a more pricey option but serve fresh caught fish according to weight and type. Fried red mullet are on the more expensive end but a thick grilled swordfish steak is nearly always available and more moderately priced. In the village is Papadias and a bit farther out we have: Hinitsa, Maistraki and Lepitsa.
- Traditional Greek Tavernas or Estiatria - in Porto Heli and in the neighboring villages offer a wide range of traditional Greek dishes such as moussaka or stuffed peppers and fresh, seasonal salads and vegetable dishes. Some of them are: Taverna-Cafe Rozos, Zorbas, Paradise, Arhontiko, Thraka, Ostria and Dolphins.
Being the mother of two young kids I've been out of the clubbing scene for a few years so those of you looking for a 'happening' nightlife will have to search it out for yourselves. Bars and clubs tend to come and go a bit so I haven't named any particular ones.
- Bars and Nightclubs - if there is an entertainer planned, there is usually a door fee which includes your first drink. If not they don't charge an entrance fee. Some are inside the village and as you get farther out we have open-air Nightclubs. The music is generally a mixture of Greek and Foreign music with more of one or the other depending on where you go.
- Bouzoukia - there are a few of these in the area. They open very late and always have a floorshow, Greek singers / entertainers in the main. They are always loud and generally expensive but have a fantastic atmosphere and the revelry goes on until the early hours. Go with some of your Greek friends if you want to have a really good time, it's a form of entertainment almost completely wasted on foreigners alone!
- Cafe Bars - these have seating inside and outside and serve snack food and ice creams along with soft drinks and spirits. There are plenty to choose from all along the quayside.
- Kafeneon and Ouzeri - the former are where the local men (mostly) gather to play cards, have a snack and a drink. The later are more family oriented with a range of 'Meze' dishes to be consumed in the mid-afternoon / early evening with a variety of ouzo and local wines.
We don't use optics here so the measures are usually fairly large. This is generally a good thing until the morning after, so you have been warned!
- For those of you who are self-catering or just want to eat in, Porto Heli has the full compliment of bakeries, butcheries, fishmongers, greengrocers and supermarkets with the best Feta cheese and olives being found in the deli section. Many of the supermarkets are open all day long (08.30 - 21.00) everyday during the season (15th June to 15th September) and maybe closed for a few hours at midday and on Sundays out of season.There is also an open air market in Ermioni on Thursday morning which makes for a good excursion / shopping trip. For tips on children's and food try my Kids Stuff page and for Greek Recipes check out Galley Slaves which are recipes prepared and cooked by people actually in Porto Heli for the series of that name.
- A word about retsina, the resin flavored wine of Greece. It can be any colour from pale beige to deep red and is usually pretty good when from a barrel but the bottled version can be less exciting. On the other hand, many of the Greek bottled wines are now very drinkable so worth trying out. My favorite is 'Amethystos' which means 'not drunk' and is the root for 'Amethyst', the stone of that name being worn around the neck apparently to ward off drunken spirits / aid recovery from a hangover!
