Restaurants for Hydra, Nafplio and Athens

In Nafplio, we really liked Pidalio. It has the advantage of not being in the old town, so it's quieter and less touristy. The chef knows what he's doing and he does it well (and there's a good wine selection).

In Athens, we ate once at Thes, which calls itself "Greek Creative Cuisine." We always wonder where the creativity was, apart from the outrageously expensive final bill.

Everything is just as good and three times cheaper at Avli (North of Psyri). Note that the entrance to this taverna is barely visible, there are no signs, no menu, the taverna is at the end of a corridor. I don't remember if they had fish on the menu. So don't go there to eat fish. (no reservations).At 12 Agios Dimitriou street

https://maps.app.goo.gl/jx9oNyHPn62iynGK6

On the other hand, a "higher-end" gastronomically speaking could be Makris, south of Psyri. I don't think Greek cuisine is particularly well showcased in this type of restaurant, but if you're interested...

https://makrisathens.com/en/

Our favorite restaurant in Athens has been Mani Mani (a/k/a MANHMANH), where we’ve eaten every time we’ve been in Athens, and sometimes twice on one trip. Website : https://www.manimani.com.gr/en/

For higher end, look no further than Michelin-starred Botrini’s https://botrinis.com/ . Really was fabulous, and very welcoming.

For tasting something special and traditional, visit "to omorfo tavernaki" in Nafplio and Adam in Athens (google maps).

You really don’t need to make so many reservations this far in advance or even at all!
I live in Athens & rarely make reservations for regular traditional places (I don’t go to high end/expensive places), only if there’s a large group or maybe for a special celebration & I want a specific table.
Far better to see somewhere that appeals while you’re here & if you want you can call in during the day & make a reservation for that evening or the next day, please don’t have a rigid itinerary for every day, it takes the fun out of it & most people don’t make restaurant bookings.

I completely agree with salnav, we never book restaurants in advance in Greece. In Athens, it only happened once or twice at restaurants we had spotted, and that was just because we happened to pass by them earlier that day.

So, unless you absolutely must go to a famous, very popular restaurant at a specific time, just go with the flow and see what appeals to you near where you are.

thank you -
I totally understand the view/choice to go with "no reservations". However my husband and I travel a lot and we have found that - for us- its nice to have reservations. It frees us up to just wander wherever we want during the day and evening and not have to be "on the hunt" for a restaurant. I have bad memories of wandering streets, late at night, reading menus and then being told "no availability". Plus we then end up furiously reading reviews while standing out in the street. So for us - having a list of options and reservations on hand is the way we prefer to travel. And, we are in the NYC area and work in the city - and we always have reservations at home. But as I said - that is just how we prefer to travel.

BTW... for general info ... That "takisbab" contributor is probably a feeder-bot for A-I generated promos ... it/he has only posted 2x, and the 1 other post was to promote "Greece Trip Planner" which has been outed elsewhere as an A-I generated fake advisor ... GTP either only offers vague generalities, or promotes one specific restaurant/event/product ... please ignore both "contributors".

I understand doing the research of restaurants options & listing ones you find that appeal or asking for recommendations, it’s what I often do with a new destination but I don’t book any of them. I do then know areas to head for ( many are close to each other) & see these places for real & decide on the spot which ones to use, I hate the thought of every evening being fixed to a timetable with bookings dictating when to go out to eat, I’d rather go when I’m ready (depends on how full that day of exploring has been & what time we return to our accommodation) & I’ll eat when I’m hungry, sometimes that can be earlier or later than a regular time.
I will note that while I have a list of likely or possibles once I’m there I discount some of them, maybe on a street that too noisy/heavy traffic, annoying music of a genre I wouldn’t want blaring at me while I eat etc but up to you, it’s just suggestions of how the majority do things in Greece.

One of the best meals of our Greece trip was at Aiolos in Nafplio, recommended by Janet.

We also enjoyed our meals at Bounos Psarosavouras in Nafplio so much that we ate there twice. The marina location is wonderful. Located on Boumpoulinas Street.

Hydra - After a bad experience, Annita Restaurant on Vosti Square should be removed from the guide book. High pressure waiter, menu with many missing items, substitutions without consent, items in guide book not on the menu, multiple employees smoking near a no smoking sign, food inedible, etc. I can only assume new owners.
Not recommended.