Hydra – the car-free, time-stopped Saronic island that has long captivated artists, writers, filmmakers and the international set – is having a fresh moment this year, not least as the backdrop for the filming of The Riders starring Brad Pitt. But the real reason to arrive has always been the same: the light, the stone, the sea, and the table.
With minimal natural resources of its own, Hydra has historically sourced its ingredients from the neighbouring Peloponnese, while its waters have supplied the rest. The island’s cuisine is defined by seafood – red mullets on toast, wine-braised octopus, stuffed squid, cuttlefish with ink pilaf, fish soup – alongside Arvanitiko gogges pasta, hortopita, and snail stew. In cooler months, arnaki kapamas (lamb with cinnamon and cloves) and roast meat with quinces take over, while the island’s almond sweets, scented with flower water and shaped like small pears, remain an enduring signature.
In recent years, the island’s beloved old-guard tavernas have been joined by a new wave of more polished restaurants. What follows are our most seasoned picks – places where the ingredients are fresh, the cooking is honest, and every table comes with a view worth staying for.
01
Tassia’s Tavern
Set on the seafront at Bellevalia Hydra, since 2005, this taverna began as the family kitchen of Tassia Rampia and has since become one of Hydra’s most comfortable places to linger over food and wine. The day here opens with breakfast on a shaded terrace above Plakes Beach – island honey, soft cheeses, homemade pastries – before shifting into a seasonal lunch-and-dinner menu built around the day’s catch, grilled meats, fresh salads, and traditional meze, all served with refinement. After dark, the setting turns low-lit and the bar pours citrus- and herb-driven cocktails alongside Greek wines well into the night. It’s home-style cooking, elevated just enough, and unmistakably Hydra.
Vlychos, Bellevalia
02
Téchnē
Set inside a restored nineteenth-century boat factory above Avlaki, this upscale restaurant combines an interior dining room with a sea-facing terrace, a short walk from the harbor. The kitchen works seasonally, drawing on Greek and Mediterranean traditions, with technical training evident in the plating and balance of flavors. Dishes often include seafood pasta, lamb, and vegetarian starters, along with mains that rely on strong raw materials rather than heavy sauces: arancini moussaka, crispy calamari with sweet chilli dressing, lamb rump, and Black Angus striploin. The cocktail list nods to Hydra’s literary past, while the wine selection favors Greek producers. Service is structured and paced around dinner reservations.
Avlaki Beach
03
Omilos
“We used to jump off the rocks of the Omilos ast dawn, after long nights of partying!” an old American writer who had lived in Hydra in the ’60s told me. Today the yacht club is more fancy restaurant than launching pad for a fresh awakening. Perched on high rocks at the harbor’s entrance, today the chic waterfront restaurant has lunch and dinner menus that reflect modern Mediterranean cooking with Greek sourcing: raw fish preparations, structured salads, seafood pasta with sophisticated sauces, grilled fish, and composed meat dishes. The deconstructed Greek salad remains a reference point. In summer, the dining service transitions into late-night bar activity. Reservations are advisable in high season.
Spilia
04
Oraia Hydra
Set directly on the harbor promenade, ideal for people- and boat-watching over home-style cooking, this long-running, high-end taverna maintains a broad Greek and Mediterranean menu. The chef prepares classics such as hearty beef stews and baked dishes alongside fresh fish, ceviche-style plates, and seasonal salads. Seating runs parallel to the harbor traffic, with closely arranged tables and consistent service flow. The wine list includes Greek labels suited to seafood.
Hydra Harbor
05
Douskos Xeri Elia
Famous for being one of Leonard Cohen’s dining spots, this place goes back generations, located in the central square above the harbor. The historic taverna continues to serve traditional Greek cooking beneath old trees, with a sumptuous menu centered on moussaka, kleftiko baked in paper, juicy keftedes, daily casseroles, and fresh fish when available. This is the place where combining an endless stream of wine that goes down too easy, a musician with a guitar (on low-profile holiday after releasing his new record), and a bunch of friends old and new can lead to all-night singing, eating and closing the place down.
Hydra Town
06
Psaropoula
Situated on an elevated terrace above the port, this place serves a full dinner menu designed around the freshest seafood like steamed mussels and fried squid and wholesoe home-style Greek cooking (ask for Ms Toula’s signature dishes), as well as contemporary Mediterranean/Italian dishes like tortiglioni with pork fillet and mushrooms, sometimes with a modern twist. Expect grilled fish, stuffed vine leaves, moussaka, pastitsio with thick, creamy bechamel, and crispy, refreshing salads. I loved the eggplant rolls with feta cheese. The layout resembles a private veranda, with white walls and compact table spacing.
Hydra Town
07
Kodylenia’s
Overlooking Kamini harbor, this waterfront taverna operates as both lunch stop and evening dining address. The chefs focus on seafood: grilled squid, shrimp in tomato sauce, whole fish by weight, and composed salads, alongside standard Greek meat dishes. A shaded terrace wraps around the building, facing fishing boats and anchored water taxis. Evening service carries a slower pace than midday traffic.
Kamini Harbor
08
To Pefkaki
Situated on the road toward Kamini, this scenically shaded and comfortingly informal taverna facing out to the glittering water is the ideal stop after swimming or coastal walks – and post meal I have often enjoyed lying on the rocks below for an idyllic snooze laced with ozonic sea air. The menu is always pleasing, with traditional Greek dishes and wonderfully fresh ingredients that feel like a real treat – sea samphire salad, if you’re lucky to find it, is one of my favourites. The grilled fish, juicy tomatoes, grilled sardines doused in lemon, garden-picked salads, and well-cooked stews are perfect for a shared lunch.
Kamini Road
09
Lefterakis
Located at Mandraki Bay near organized beach facilities and the Mandraki Beach Hotel, this friendly taverna inspires an all-day plan of swimming at the ‘other side’ of the island (reachable by water taxi in minutes or on foot in around half an hour), frosty beer, and flavorsome traditional dishes. I was delighted by the simplicity and singular freshness and lightness of the Imam eggplant topped with creamy feta and fresh tomato, the steamed mussels and grilled fish. The kitchen prepares meat cooked several ways, fresh locally-caught fish, modern-style and customary salads, and traditionally-cooked dishes suitable for families and groups arriving by boat taxi. Seating is simple and oriented toward the shoreline.
Mandraki Bay
10
To Piato
A family-run harbor-facing restaurant covering lunch through dinner with a broad, multi-category menu. Seafood, grilled meats, pasta dishes, salads, and traditional Greek mains coexist, making it suitable for mixed groups with varied preferences. The kitchen is structured to handle steady volume, and tables along the promenade turn over quickly during peak hours. Busy, buzzy but always maintaining a quality standard in its flavors and ideas, this place is naned The Plate because its walls are lined with plates painted by patrons – many of them A’list celebrities like actors, singers and fashion designers who have dined there. Not everyone gets a go, but the experience is worth anticipating.
Hydra Harbor
11
Il Casta
An Italian-owned restaurant on Tombazi Street with a sheltered courtyard layout, ideal for a quiet date or an escape from Greek fare. Pasta is made in-house, including filled ravioli and gnocchetti paired with seasonal vegetables and seafood. The menu reflects southern Italian technique while incorporating Greek ingredients, inclkudingn fresh seafood, and fish ceviche. Seating capacity is moderate, and peak-season evenings require advance booking.
Tompazi Street, Hydra Town
12
Plakostroto
A courtyard restaurant just off the harbor, open from breakfast time through late evening. Morning service is sumptuous, including several egg dishes – from scrambled to Benedict – yogurt, pastries, pancakes, healthy modern porridges with quinoa or polenta and coffee. Later hours shift to Mediterranean plates, from burgers and club sandwich to salads, grilled fish or meat, ceviches and vegan options. Tables are arranged beneath greenery in a stone-paved yard that buffers harbor traffic, offering calm and meditative recovery from the night before. The kitchen handles a wide menu efficiently, making it practical for mixed groups and extended daytime stays.
Miaouli Street
13
Marina Traditional Tavern
A Vlychos institution operating since the early 1960s, positioned above the cove where sea taxis dock, so yes, very scenic. The menu centers on grilled and fried fish, octopus, seasonal greens, salads, and home-made desserts such as syrupy orange pie and walnut cake. Lunchtime sees the highest turnover, particularly from swimmers arriving by boat.
Vlychos
14
Mikra Agglia
A terrace and interior dining space near the central square, offering plated Mediterranean dishes that reinterpret familiar Greek ingredients in a more contemporary and sophisticated restaurant style. The menu includes sea bream with greens, octopus-based pasta, flavorsome pasta dishes, and composed starters. The wine list is Greek-focused and service is paced for dinner.
Hydra Town
15
Kryfo Limani ‘Kapetan Andreas’
A small seasonal courtyard taverna with limited seating capacity. Tables are arranged beneath citrus trees in a pretty enclosed garden space, creating a peaceful dining area away from the harbor’s action. The kitchen focuses on traditional Greek island cooking: grilled fish by weight, octopus, fish soup depending on the catch, and slow-cooked seafood dishes. Due to its size, reservations are strongly advised in July and August.
Tompazi 8, Hydra Town
16
Caprice
An established Italian restaurant operating near the harbor in a quieter side street, with consistent summer presence over several decades. The sizable menu includes a broad variety of dishes, from fresh or dry pasta dishes and thin-crust pizza baked to order, to hot dishes like chicken fillet or pork escalope with blueberry sauce, carpaccio, and classic antipasti, accompanied by a quality mixed Italian-Greek wine list. It remains one of the island’s most reliable Italian dining options.
Hydra Town
17
Sunset
Positioned along the ramparts near the harbor entrance, this waterfront restaurant is oriented toward late-day dining, and as its name suggests is the perfect place from where to take in a glorious sunset view over the sea. The kitchen focuses primarily on seafood: delicious fish soup, fresh oysters, shellfish platters, carpaccio, and grilled whole fish sold by weight, making it ideal for a seafood feast, although you’ll also find plenty of meat dishes like lamb rack, ribeye black angus and chicken tagliata. Tables closest to the water offer direct sunset views, though wind conditions can affect seating comfort on certain evenings.
Spilia
