Food & Cuisine in Kefalonia
Food info sections | Eating locally
The restaurant scene in Kefalonia gives you a wide range of eateries to choose from. Traditional Greek, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Western, tavernas, souvlaki bars and grills - all you need to do is decide which one suits your palate and pocket and choose accordingly. The quality of food varies from place to place. So choose going by how well maintained the place looks and what the crowd is like. If it is authentic local fare that you are looking for, eat where the locals do. Of course you could also read upon reviews posted on the net. The only drawback is that the reviews might not be exhaustive and you may miss out on some real good food. The best bet would be to go window shop first and then decide.
Kefalonia promises travellers a unique gastronomic experience, with fresh ingredients and mouth watering flavours!
Reading though our Kefalonia Restaurant Guide you will find that when it comes to food and cuisine, Kefalonia has a lot to offer. End your Kefalonia shopping day at one of the Kefalonia's restaurants, enjoying a mezze and wine while watching the sun setting, signalling the end to another perfect day. The Greece Restaurant Guide gives more information regarding food and cuisine in Greece.
Food & Cuisine in Kefalonia
Eating out in Kefalonia in true Greek style means that you look at the experience as a whole, of which food is just a small part. Friends and family are a compulsory part of an eating out experience here. In Kefalonian restaurants it is common to see large tables of family and friends ordering an endless stream of ‘mezzes', the Greek version of starters. The main courses also match up in quantity.
Kefalonia food and cuisine
Abundant rainfall has made Kefalonia a very fertile area. Agricultural produce like various vegetables and fruits, olives, wine, olive oil and cheeses of different varieties are an essential part of Kefalonian diet. In fact Kefalonian cuisine has lots in common with those of the Mediterranean and Ionian. Items like fishes, meat, vegetables and fruits are used in all of these cuisines. The only difference comes in the final presentation of local dishes and typical local flavours.
To savour unique local dishes head straight for sea side tavernas. Wash down you meal with the local wines to get the full local flavour. Dishes worth special mention are Kreatopita (meat pie), which is made using rice and lamb, and aliada, typical Greek style mashed potatoes. The meal can be ended in true local style with mandoles, a dessert that has generous portions of caramel and almonds.
A few popular local specialities are:
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Feta cheese
Ewe's milk and goat's milk are used to make the famous feta cheese, so popular that it is referred to as Greek cheese as well.
Kefalonian pies
These are a trademark Kefalonian dish and taste absolutely divine. These pies have a crisp home made crust and are filled with vegetables like leek and spinach, rice, and meat like octopus and cod.
Bourbourelia
Plenty of beans seasoned with salt and pepper and a generous helping of olive oil go onto the making of Bourbourelia, a typical Greek soup.
Aliada
Garlic, mashed potatoes and boiled octopus are used to make this popular local dish.
Strapatsada
This is an egg based dish deep fried in olive oil, which uses lot of tomatoes and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Riganada
Simple but scrumptious Riganada consists of wholesome slices of bread slices served grilled or otherwise, flavoured with oregano and olive oil.
Fish
Those fond of fish might be a trifle disappointed as most of the fish based dishes are made from frozen fish. Fresh fish dishes are limited and you may just get sardines and white bait. Fresh fish, which is sold in kilos, costs about £35 to £50, with the price differing as per the quality and variety of the fish. A few restaurants in Kefalonia might offer fresh tuna, red and grey snapper, sea bream, cod, sea bass and even lobster. The shortage of fresh fish is due to overfishing in the island waters by foreign trawlers. It is said that in the old days the area was so teeming with fish that fish would jump into boats. Some restaurants use the excuse of shortage of fish to charge exorbitant rates for their fish based dishes.
If you are very particular about fresh fish you could try your hand at cooking it yourself. You can buy fresh fish from the boats that line up in Argostoli everyday. Small Keflonian tavernas like the one at Ayia Kiriaki serve inexpensive fish dishes made using their own catch.
Good fish dishes can be savoured at Lithero, located just above the harbour on Lourdata beach. You can also take a walk to one end of the harbour road to the Paradise Beach in Ayia Efimia for some fresh and tasty fish dishes.
Meat
Meat is an essential part of traditional Greek cuisine. Expect to find lamb on almost every menu. The next in popularity is chicken - roasted or charcoal grilled. Pork and beef are next on the list, with veal following closely. The best way to sample meat in Greek cuisine is to have the Kefalonian meat pie, which is available almost everywhere.
Those with a taste for exotic dishes can look for rabbit or goat meat. Game bird dishes can also be sampled at a few restaurants in Kefalonia.
Since the Euro was introduced, eating out in Greece has become expensive. A meal consisting of a lamb dish, a chicken dish, a salad and a couple of local favourites can set you back by as much as 25 Euros.
Nightlife in Kefalonia
Those looking for some will find quite a few options in Kefalonia. Argostoli, a few villages and many of the summer resorts have modern music bars, discos, pubs and the like. Younger age groups prefer to hang out at fast food restaurants, cafes, snack bars and pastry shops.
