One of things we love most about visiting Greece is indulging in its incredible cuisine. So when we starting planning our trip back to the Peloponnese region, we were so excited to try some new restaurants in Nafplio Greece! During our week-long stay, we ate at some of the best Nafplio restaurants around the old town. Here’s our guide to where to eat in Nafplio, the amazing Greek food we tried, and even some options if you’re taking a day trip.
Where to Eat in Nafplio Greece
We always love to taste the specialties of each destination during our travels. While you can find all the most popular Greek food such as Moussaka and Gyros, we made sure to also seek out more particular Peloponnese dishes at the Nafplio restaurants.
This famous seaside town boasts a wide variety of options for every budget. You’ll find fancy and upscale Greek restaurants in Nafplio, but also plenty of street food and international cuisine as well.
If you’re visiting on a Wednesday or Saturday, we also recommend stopping in at the local outdoor market. Here you can buy oranges, olives, spices, and spirits from the region. Read more about the best things to do in Nafplio Greece before your trip!
5 Best Nafplio Restaurants to Try
3SIXTY Grill Dining & Wine Bar
The first delicious meal we had was at 3SIXTY in the heart of old town. When we first entered the bar area, we were blown away by beautiful decor.
3SIXTY also doubles as a high-end hotel with rooms on the upstairs floor. We actually found out about this special Nafplio restaurant because it’s run by the same hotel group that hosted us during our trip. Be sure to check out the amazing Ilva Suites, which is located just a short walk from old town.
3SIXTY Grill Dining & Wine Bar specializes in premium meats, traditional Greek food, and fun international dishes. They also have a great wine selection from around the Peloponnese, and amazing cocktails!
We started out with a glass of rosé and a couple of tasty starters. As soon as the saganaki and veal carpaccio arrived, we knew we were in for a treat!
For our mains, we ordered a seafood spaghetti and hearty plate of moussaka. We finished our meal off with a chocolate mouse that tasted as good as it sounds.
3SIXTY was definitely the most upscale meal we had around Nafplio. This is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner, and we highly recommend it.
Pidalio Tavern
Just 5 minutes away from Nafplio’s old town sits one of the areas most renowned restaurants. Pidalio Tavern was a local recommendation that did not disappoint!
As we often do, we started off our lunch with fresh tzatziki. The fresh baked cornbread was perfect for dipping in this Greek specialty.
Something to know about eating out in Greece is that you can almost always get a local craft of wine for cheap. Even at most of the fancier restaurants, you won’t pay more than 5 euros for a 1/2 liter!
At this point, we were ready for some seafood. We noticed someone had ordered a mouthwatering squid plate when we walked in.
Well, that was an easy choice for us! This is a dish we always love to order when visiting the coastal towns of Greece. The massive calamari was stuffed with quinoa, raisons, vegetables, pine nuts, and a lemon vinaigrette.
We had also heard about a pasta dish specific to the Peloponnese called Tsouchti. It was made with a thick spaghetti-like pasta, local cheese, and cured meat.
Another great thing about the restaurants in Nafplio (and most of Greece) is they often have a complimentary dessert. Don’t be in a rush to grab your check and leave!
Stavropoulos Meat & Grill Nafplio
Some days we were so busy out exploring that we needed a quicker meal. This is when we came across one of the best restaurants in Nafplio Greece!
Stavropoulos is located right on the waterfront and is busy from open to close. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by spinning meats and the familiar smell of souvlaki from the grill.
This became our go-to gyro spot in town and we went back multiple times. The prices are very affordable, the portions are large, and the quality is great.
One dish you should definitely try here is the Giaourtlou Kebab. This is a traditional Greek dish where the beef kebabs are smothered in yogurt sauce. It comes with onion, tomatoes, potatoes, and pita bread underneath.
The chicken souvlaki with ladolemono sauce is always a good choice, too. This is a great Nafplio restaurant for a fast meal, especially if you’re traveling on a budget. Also, make sure to check out Il Porto next door if you’re in the mood for a pizza.
Kellari Nafplion Restaurant
We decided to head back down to the water for our last night in Nafplio. There is a row of restaurants one street back from the sea that have views out to the Bouztri Fortress.
It was honestly hard to pick one place, as they all looked like they were serving up some great food in Nafplio! We ended up settling on Kellari after being drawn in by the specials on their chalkboard menu.
Although it was a rather nice evening out, we chose to sit in their beautiful indoor dining area. We started off with a half liter craft of white wine and spicy feta cheese dip.
After that, we ordered one of our all-time favorite Greek pasta dishes that we had spotted on the menu outside. Giouvetsi is a creamy beef stew with orzo cooked in a traditional clay pot.
We first tried this one of a kind dish in the old town of Rhodes Greece, and have been hooked ever since. Of course, we had to get one more Moussaka, which was the ultimate exclamation point to our Nafplio food journey!
Kosmos Bakery
While not technically a sit down establishment, we couldn’t end this Nafplio restaurants list without mentioning Kosmos. We first spotted this bakery on our way into town and immediately pulled our car in for a look.
The massive shop has all kinds of Greek desserts, pastries, and cakes. It is not your traditional Greek cafe, with a more new and modern look.
However, after laying our eyes on the baked goods, we could tell they were preparing everything fresh daily. This was quite simply one of the best spinach pastries we’ve ever had!
It was tempting to dip into the desserts on our first visit, but we knew we’d be back again. The fredo espresso here will give you a nice kick to start your morning as well.
Well we’re on the topic of desserts… there’s one more place you won’t want to miss in Nafplio. Koustenis Ice Cream is the spot to be on a hot day for an Italian gelato!
More Restaurants to Try Near Nafplio Greece
Much of our visit was spent strolling through the colorful streets of old town, hiking (and boating) to the ancient fortresses, and admiring the many viewpoints.
With that said, we did have plenty of time for day trips with our vehicle. You’ll definitely want to consider renting a car for your visit like we did. It gave us the opportunity to visit the historic sites, nearby coastal towns, and have some amazing meals outside of the Nafplio Greece restaurants.
Here’s a few of our favorite things we ate while exploring the region. If you’re not already convinced, here are 10 reasons to book a trip to the Peloponnese as well!
Spilia
The day we drove to Argos and the Archaeological site of Mycenae was certainly magical. This is one of the oldest inhabited towns in Europe, and there is plenty of history to explore.
After experiencing ancient Mycenae, we drove up to the Larissa Castle. We’d been eyeing it for days across the bay from Nafplio, so we had to go up to get a better look.
Spilia was another local recommendation that we knew we had to try. Once we heard they had the best lamb around, we were all in!
Don’t be deterred if you visit in off-season. Spilia restaurant kind of feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere, but it definitely has the local vibes we’ve grown to love.
We walked into the large property and seemed to be the only tourists there. Our waiter told us the lamb and potatoes were the speciality of the day, which is just what we wanted to hear.
It came out hot and ready and tender meat fell right off the bone. What a treat! The potatoes were also cooked to perfection, and the generous portions were great to share.
Make sure to try some type of artichoke plate on your trip to the Peloponnese. After viewing fields and fields of artichokes on our drives, we were so happy to see it on the menu.
Akrogiali Restaurant
Some of our favorite days in Greece have been relaxing on the beaches and soaking in the sun. There’s almost ALWAYS a traditional taverna nearby where you can grab a bite to eat.
On the day we went to Tolo, we found just that! Akrogiali restaurant drew us in with their blue and white decor and seats directly in the sand.
We tried a local sauvignon blanc here that is quite popular in the Peloponnese. It was just what we needed after getting some sun and dipping in the clear Aegean Sea.
The Greek salad was a hit right away, coming with a massive block of feta, cucumbers, and tomatoes. We ordered lamb and potatoes here that were incredible. Still, the star of the show was definitely the octopus with split pea puree!
Tolo is a beautiful beach town to visit as a day trip from Nafplio. It’s just a 20 minute drive away, and the ideal spot for a seaside lunch.
Fish Restaurant Borelli
There are so many great beach towns near Nafplio to visit if you have a car. One day we drove the coast heading west and made our way back slowly, stopping at so many nice swimming spots.
When we first laid eyes on Vivari, we knew we needed to spend a couple of hours here! This picturesque little fishing town looks like it’s straight out of a postcard.
We did some kayaking here around the bay and relaxed on the beach before lunch. Even though it was early March in off-season, there were still a couple of restaurants open on the water.
Fish Restaurant Borelli is the type of taverna you dream about when thinking of Greek cuisine! It was tough to pick with so many choices on the menu, but we settled for the fresh tzatziki dip and fried zucchini chips to start.
For our main course, we dug into some fresh calamari that was caught that day. The owners are very nice and even gave us tips for more to see in the area. Definitely make a stop here if you’re heading to Vivari.
Have any questions on this article or want to share more of the best restaurants in Nafplio Greece? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
This experience was made possible as part of the My Peloponnese Vibe Initiative. As always, any opinions and recommendations remain our own.
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
