Great quality local meat, fresh vegetables, local dairy, handmade pasta and traditional recipes create an authentic local gastronomy approach.

22

We’re in Arcadia, where a cluster of beautiful mountain villages make it an ideal destination for anyone seeking authentic experiences and getting to know the essence of a place. We explored the villages and present to you five stops for great food, beyond the ordinary, focused on authenticity.

Panagopoulos Tavern

Located in the square of the beautiful Nymfasia village, they serve dishes using local ingredients and following traditional recipes. It’s now run by the third generation and keeps bringing life to the village.

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We tried the tasty grilled meat, and enjoyed the fluffy beef patties, that, combined with the fresh salads, were the ideal meal. Here, you can try the tiropitari pie, a delicious, airy, fried cheese pie, the feta saganaki (traditional way of preparing a dish in a small frying pan using tomato sauce, often spicy – or grilled) in sesame crust served with honey, the salted pork with eggs, the sausages and the beef liver. Depending on the day you’ll also find various casserole dishes, like rooster with hilopites pasta, beef in tomato sauce, soups.

Nymfasia, tel.: 0030 2795022220

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To tsipouradiko tou Panteli

Strolling around the centre of Vytina, we came across To tsipouradiko tou Panteli, that is housed in a traditional stone building, and serves tasty food made using local ingredients. We tried local delicacies and really enjoyed the pork cooked in wine, the liver with the orange sauce, the seasonal green salad and the fresh meat.

Vytina, tel.: 0030 2795022683

Tsiahtai

Lagkadia is one of the most beautiful mountain villages in Arcadia, with its residents known for working stone better than anyone. We reached the village, and after a short stroll, went for dinner at Tsiahtai. Petros Kagioulis, the owner, explains that the name is a word from the craftsmen’s jargon, who created their own “language” to communicate on their travels, building houses around Greece. We sat by the fireplace and chose the wild greens salad and the restaurant’s trademark, stuffed pork tenderloin, that lived up to its reputation.

Lagkadia, tel.: 0030 6932331856

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Iosif tavern

It’s one of the oldest taverns in the area, located in Magouliana, the village at the highest altitude in all of the Peloponnese, that is now run by the family’s third generation. Good quality meat, masterfully grilled, season salads, casserole dishes like wild boar in tomato sauce served with pasta, roast lamb, as well as kontosouvli (large pork skewers over open fire)) and kokoretsi (traditional dish with intestines wrapped around offal). They make their own cheese, and source most of the meat from their farm. You must definitely try the tiropsomo (cheese bread)

Magouliana, tel. 0030 6944621973

Gerousia

A historic establishment in mountainous Arcadia, located in the main square of Stemnitsa, open since 1870. It’s called a traditional coffee shop and it has a welcoming, warm and approachable feel. Its name (Gerousia means Senate in Greek) comes from the historic Peloponnesian Senate that had its seat at the Zoodochou Pigi monastery in 1821. For the past 10 year, Akis Sarakiniotis runs the place, preserving the traditional feel of the place.

We tried the cheese omelette, the dakos salad with fresh tomato and feta cheese and a tasty twisted cheese pie. Gerousia also has a variety of desserts on the menu, including baklava, orange pie, galaktompoureko (Greek custard pie) and diples (traditional fried honey rolls).

Stemnitsa, tel.: 0030 6938594894

Read also:

Leading hotels in mountainous Arcadia region

5 villages in Arcadia, straight out of a fairy tale