Where To Eat RIGHT NOW In Volos & Pelion

Welcome to Pelion Culture’s Winter 2022-3 survey of the must-visit restaurants in Volos and Pelion.

The list features the most talked about restaurants in Volos and Pelion and are ranked according to a factor that is admittedly fluctuating: where do the locals line up to go? It may be just a brand new place that everybody in Volos wants to visit this season, a classic that continues to attract attention or a restaurant that featured on a popular website, magazine or TV show. Whatever the reason, these are the 10 hottest restaurants in Volos and Pelion RIGHT NOW:

1. Brighton Gastronomic Tavern (#1 last year)

In a city where the food scene is dominated by tsipouradika, Brighton proved that it's here to stay. Humble ingredients and seasonal vegetables are transformed in their open kitchen into colorful paintings on your plate.

2. Achilleion Foyer (new entry)

The most beautiful building of the Volos’ promenade has become a modern all-day restaurant. A variety of omelets and beautiful open-faced sandwiches are served for breakfast and brunch. Burgers, steaks, pasta dishes and delicious salads will fill you up at lunch or dinner. Make sure you save room for dessert!  

3. Avra (new entry)

Founded in 1883, only two years after the liberation of Volos from the Ottomans, Avra is a legend in its own right. Tucked away literally at the edge of the city, lays claim to being Volos’ oldest restaurant. Try souvlaki, grilled sardines, and spetzofai and enjoy the view to the harbor.

4. Lepi Tsipouro & Mezes (#3 last year)

Although located at the seafront amidst dozen other touristy tsipouro restaurants, Lepi stands out for the quality of its food and the professionalism of its staff. Reservations are not taken but the locals continue to line up for a table. Their fried anchovies fillets and smoked macharel will work your appetite for another promising round of drinks.

5. Kritsa Gastronomy Hotel (#6 last year)

Perhaps the most widely known restaurant in the Pelion peninsula continues to attract locals and travelers alike. The best pitas in the region with peppers, mushrooms, greens, or cheese are being prepared in the kitchen of this restaurant. Generous seasonal salads and a small variety of home-made like dishes offer to the guests an authentic Greek dining experience.

6. Playíos All Day Restaurant Bar (#2 last year)

This is the most fancy and upscale restaurant in town where the locals take their guests to treat them to a nice dinner. Nice cocktails, big tasty salads, half portions of dishes at half the price, and the smoothest tarama mouse as a welcome snack. Limited menu which has more or less remained the same for years.

7. Peronio (#9 last year)

An old house by the seafront of Agria next to Hotel Valis was transformed into an elegant restaurant with several seating options depending on the weather. The locals loved it and justly so as their dishes are tasty, reasonably priced and beautifully served in colorful ceramic plates.  

8. Mezen (#5 last year)

Although the service and in our opinion the food are not as good as they used to be, people continue gathering in the alleyway to get a table in this small tsipouro restaurant that won several food awards in the past and raised the gastronomic standards in Volos.

9. Salkimi (#7 last year)

A restaurant that pays tribute to the culinary tradition of the Greek refugees from Asia Minor who settled west of Volos in the 1920’s. Salkimi’s dishes and flavors are influenced from Asia Minor and it is even named after a plant from the same region. Hounkiar beyendi (eggplant puree with beef cooked in red sauce) but also local dishes such as tsitsiravla. Best time to visit is on a busy day like a Sunday for lunch to ensure that the menu is all freshly cooked.

10. Dryades Hotel Restaurant (#8 last year)

Off-the-beaten path, at Agios Lavrentios, Dryades is a restaurant that you will return to with your friends and family. Local ingredients, inspired dishes married with Pelion traditions, and slow cooked meats that melt in the mouth keep this restaurant steadily among the top ones of the region. The owners love what they do and it shows. From their grilled vegetables to their iconic boubari, every dish that will parade on your table is an unforgettable sensory experience.