Kea Restaurants: Where to Eat in Vourkari, Korissia & Ioulida
The yachting harbour of Vourkari holds most of the restaurants and nightlife on Kea, with more tavernas along the waterfront of Korissia and on the squares of the Chora. Kea has a small dining scene spread across three areas, plus beach tavernas at Otzias, Pisses and the coves. This guide points you to the right area for each kind of meal rather than a fixed list of names, since the island's tavernas open and change with the season. Hire a car to explore Kea at your own pace, covered in our Kea car hire guide.
- Nightlife hub
- Vourkari
- Ferry-side dining
- Korissia
- Slow meal
- Ioulida (Chora)
- Beach tavernas
- Otzias, Pisses
Vourkari harbour
Vourkari holds most of the restaurants and nightlife on Kea. The harbour village sits just north of Korissia on the sheltered side of the Bay of Agios Nikolaos, where a marina draws pleasure boats and yachts. Several restaurants and bars line the quay, and this is where the island's evenings gather. It suits a dinner by the water followed by a late drink.
Korissia waterfront
Korissia lines its waterfront with cafes, bars and tavernas by the ferry berth. As the island's port and main resort, it is the most convenient place to eat near your arrival or a beach day on the sandy town beach. The setting is relaxed and handy rather than a nightlife scene, which stays up the coast at Vourkari.
Ioulida (the Chora)
Ioulida keeps its restaurants and cafes on the small squares of the car-free Chora. Because cars stay on the edge of the town, you eat among the lanes and stairs of the old capital, away from traffic. It suits a slower meal or a coffee between visits to the Archaeological Museum, the castle and the Lion of Kea just outside the town.
Beach tavernas
Several of Kea's beaches have their own tavernas and cafes for a meal by the sea. Otzias, in the north, has a few tavernas at the edge of its long sandy beach. Pisses, in its green valley on the west coast, has some facilities and rooms. Koundouros keeps a number of tavernas among its sheltered coves, and Gialiskari has a beach bar on the sand. On the remote beaches such as Spathi, Xila and Orches there is little or nothing, so bring your own food and water, as set out in the Kea beaches guide.
