Elies Hotel

Eating

One of the highlights of Elies is its restaurant. Not only is it a delight to be served at pretty tables under the olive trees - geraniums spilling from pots, gravel crunching underfoot - but the food is among the best we have sampled in the area. Wild greens, herbs, grilled meats and fish: it is fresh, flavoursome and liberally infused with the oils of Kalamata. The only proviso is that the restaurant only opens for lunch (not dinner) outside the summer - ask for exact dates when enquiring.

There's also a boho-chic bar for cocktails and espressos, and a more sophisticated dining room with wonderful high rafters.

For breakfast, you can prepare your own in your kitchen, or pay extra for the hotel's. Kitchens are reasonably well equipped (toaster, kettle, cafetiere, hob, fridge) but they don't have ovens or microwaves, nor do they have dishwashers.

As for dining out, we highly recommend Lela's taverna in Kardamyli for its fresh home cooking and unrivalled seaside setting (and not just because Lela is Stavros' mother!); also Petros Spireas’ Kastro set amidst olive groves on the way into Kardamyli. There is a good Italian restaurant in Kardamyli (unusual for Greece), and several European-style eateries in nearby Stoupa.

You'll find 2 small but well-stocked supermarkets at the entrance to Kardamyli, with fresh fruit and veg as well as lots of familiar packet food. There are a butcher and a baker in the village, and several roving fishmonger vans.