We return to Greek cuisine each time with longing and great joy; most often when we are on Greek soil, but it has also happened elsewhere (however, nowhere do the greek dishes seem as tasty as those prepared 'in their mother's home').
Greek food is one of the reasons we love Greece so much.
Down at the base of Grammou street, where our accommodation (Greek House Hotel) is located, lies Alcano, described on Google as a "fast food restaurant."
Indeed, it has good references, but we wanted serious greek food, not fast food. So, we expanded our search area a bit and came across Taverna Karanasou, located right where the town's main beach begins, named after it.
In fact, there's also a small fishing port there, as we would see for ourselves. Karanasou also has a good rating (4.4 out of over 500 reviews).
We arrived in a few minutes, the distance is not big (but in Neos Marmaras one climbs up and down; not to be scared, don't be afraid). The tavern welcomed us with an indoor area we walked through (no one was there, just 2-3 employees) and then with a terrace set on 2 levels, the last one right on the edge of the sea.
Obviously, that's where we headed, taking one of the tables covered with checkered textile cloths and the typical Greek paper absorbent ones. The furniture was wooden, the simplest design possible, the floor was sandy, and the improvised umbrellas were made of some dried palm leaves. The strong point was, of course, the sea.
We were given menus that are absolutely typical for tourist areas in Greece: some sheets inserted into protective sleeves, printed in several languages. The offer is also the usual one, we didn't want anything else: appetizers, fish and seafood, salads, traditional greek food dishes, desserts, and beverages.
We chose tzatziki (4 euros), I'm crazy about it, it seems refreshing and goes well with anything: french fries, meat, fish. Then, moussaka and stifado (both 8.5 euros per serving). For drinks, we each had an Alfa beer (4.5 euros; interestingly, all varieties were priced the same).
The service was quick, the food was good, the beer cold, and the view was priceless. I don't have the receipt anymore (I usually take pictures, but I forget sometimes), I don't know if the bread or the french fries that accompanied both servings were included in the price or not. The point is, it was cheap anyway. I wholeheartedly recommend it!
That same evening, we stopped for a drink on the promenade at Nostos, a greek restaurant cocktail bar, as Google describes it, which also gives it quite a bit of credit (4.4 out of over 600 reviews).
The atmosphere is very cool, the music good, and you can sit at regular tables (I think they also have food), but we chose some sofas & tables with a view of the sea and sunset. We each had a small beer, more as a pretext to linger around. We stayed for about half an hour and then continued our walk.
The next day we dedicated to the beach in the town, meaning it was a day for relaxation. When we got hungry, we eyed the closest tavern across the street and approached it. It's called Blue Maris and it also has rooms for rent. Google rates it 4.5/400.
The terrace stretches out in front of the location, under the shade of trees whose leaves were already beginning to rust. If it weren't for them, you wouldn't even say it was the end of September, so warm and beautiful it was!... White-painted wooden furniture, blue cloths, white tablecloths.
The terrace was empty, I don't know if there were 3-4 tables occupied. The toilet was clean and perfectly equipped – inside, of course.
The menu includes the usual Greek items. We chose bread (4 euros), greek gyro (6 euros), a Greek salad (8 euros), a portion of grilled octopus (13 euros), and a fillet of sea bass (13 euros).
The waiter didn't ask us if we wanted side dishes, we thought they were included with our greek gyro, but they weren't. Luckily, we had the bread. However, the food was nicely presented and, of course, fresh and delicious. If we had had some potatoes or some rice, it would have been perfect! We drank half a liter of white wine together (6 euros).
Somewhat more expensive than elsewhere, it's true that fish is more expensive than moussaka a staple in Greek cuisine dishes. And the bread, my God, 4 euros! Anyway, next time I think I would choose another tavern.
The following evening, we stopped at Roma Pizza, right in front of the port. The main building is across the road that runs through the town, but it has 2 terraces (one of which is a suspended terrace, closed at that time) on the sea side. Obviously, we chose a table there.
We weren't very hungry, having indulged in enjoying the Greek cuisine quite well at lunch. We chose a small sweet chili pizza (6.9 euros) and a portion of pork gyros on a plate (6 euros) and shared them, diving further into the world of Greek food recipes.
The food was tasty, like any fast food (every now and then we indulge ourselves...). I remember we socialized with some kittens and enjoyed the view of the port lit up with evening lights.
We wanted to spend our last dinner in a special, memorable place. Our shortlist included Ta Kymata (at the end of the promenade), Origano, and Okyalos Sea, each offering a unique take on Greece traditional dishes.
We chose the latter, based on it being the closest to us. Otherwise, all had good ratings and beautiful sea views.
We were led up some stairs to the upper terrace. This one – a chic restaurant, not much in the way of decorations, but tasteful. Armchair-like chairs, with cushions for seat and back, pads for plates, Himalayan salt, mosaic pepper grinder; things that accentuated the ambiance of a Greek dinner dishes setting. The menu – a fold-out on 3 small pages and another one for drinks.
We first chose drinks, half a liter of white wine (7 euros) and a large bottle of water (2.5 euros). For appetizers, we had tomato meatballs (7.5 euros), which I had heard about for the first time on a Greek food website and tasted for the first (and until then, last) time 2 years ago in Kefalonia.
Wonderful! They go perfectly with tzatziki (5 euros), of course. We were also suggested some toasted bread and we accepted; we would find it on the bill, but at a decent price (1 euro). For the main course, we opted for seafood risotto with fennel and lime (17 euros) and octopus with pea puree (16 euros), dishes that showcased the Greek cuisine dishes in every bite.
Everything was very, very good, truly memorable! Well, we were only filled with the appetizers, but we went ahead with the rest and did well.
The fennel was noticeable, and a delicate hint of lime peel – a combination I wouldn't have thought of, and the octopus came with a very flavorful red sauce (I think it was with wine). A delight! In fact, several delights!
We received dessert on the house, some brownie-like pastries. Initially, we said we couldn't possibly eat more, but somehow we found room for them too...
The Okyalos Sea experience was great, worth every penny of the 57 euros we ended up spending. No regrets at all.
All in all, we ate well, as we always do with the Greek brethren. Neos Marmaras is a picturesque place, rich in dining options for all budgets. Generally, with a fair price/quality ratio.
We also ate in other places during our travels through Sithonia, I initially thought to include those stories in the same article, but I think it's better separate.
After all, there might be people looking for information about Sarti or Nikiti and not care about the eateries in Neos Marmaras because they won't be going there. So, I'll tell those stories separately.
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