Kalavryta is self-sufficient and known for the high quality of its products. Dairy, meat, local pasta, vegetables and legumes, honey, sausages and herbs all create a bouquet of options in what is a true paradise for gastronomy enthusiasts, as well as for those in the restaurant and hospitality sector in the wider Kalavryta area.
So, we did a crush test, choosing 5 taverns and restaurants that we recommend. The truth is we didn’t manage to go to all the local taverns. We think that we managed to capture the local spirit, trying a soup in one place, a good meat in another, a pie or a rooster with pasta somewhere else.
Varvitsiotis
It’s a household name in Kalavryta but that’s not why it’s on the list. It’s among our recommendations because the restaurant Varvitsiotis, in Kalavryta, serves food worthy of its fame even on extremely busy days. So, it’s on this list because it’s clear that nothing has been left to chance: not the space, not the service, not the ingredients, nor the recipes or the flavours.
Even though seasonality is the main characteristic of the restaurant’s dishes, there is one and only exception: the signature salad that resembles the traditional Greek peasant salad. It’s served with carob rusks, tomato, onion, pepper, olive paste, capers and armouzi. This special dairy product is made with mixing Kalavryta feta with quality yogurt. “This I remember from my mother, since they used to put the feta in a wooden barrel and add yogurt inside,” Panagiotis Varvitsiotis says, who together with his brother Kostas and their wives, Giota and Sia, as well as with their partners, all make sure they provide the best service to their guests. “They were left there together, and the yogurt added to the feta and the feta added to the yogurt,” he adds. “It’s a culinary memory that leads me to other similar flavours of the past.”
We tried the salad, after we mixed it very well: it has a full flavour, with a rich cheesy texture and the rusk’s taste combined with the extra virgin olive oil complement it very well. The melotiri (cheese with honey) that followed, the pie with the wild greens – it contains 4 different types of greens, to be precise – and the tasty meat dishes contributed to a great meal.
28 Paleon Patron Germanou str, Kalavryta
Telephone: 0030 2692022049
Lithos in Priolithos
I hear about a tavern in Priolithos that serves rooster with pasta but only if you have pre-orders. So, we make the most of the day and go on a circular excursion passing through Apanokampos and Klitoria and we arrange to have lunch at Mrs Maria’s “Lithos”, in Priolithos, that is a 20-minute drive Southwest of Kalavryta.
Entering the hall, a large fire is burning in the fireplace, with two armchairs by its side. Mrs Maria sets the table. Apart from the rooster I also heard about the delicious fries while, of course, they also serve Kalavryta feta. I can still taste of the sauce on the pasta and the grated cheese.
Next to the restaurant there is a small guesthouse. Mrs Maria, every day, prepares cheese and pumpkin pies, cakes and loukoumades (traditional fried dough balls) for breakfast. We obviously tried some of those too, even though it was afternoon.
Priolithos
Telehpone:0030 2692022768, 0030 6974731904
To Spiti tis Marios
Their love for cooking and authentic products was what brough Maria Andriopoulou and Giorgos Manikas to Kalavryta six years ago. Until then they had a restaurant in Patras, but, as Giorgos tells me, they wanted to be “closer to the ingredients” that they used in the kitchen.
You’ll see them using mushrooms, local pasta, vegetables form their vegetable garden, olive oil, legumes and everything the area produces each season. Wine is crucial in their beautiful, warm and hospitable space, with the wine list focusing on local wineries but also including a selection of wines from other regions.
The food is tasty and carefully served. The menu includes among others, a pork stew, great gyros with potato chips, a beetroot salad, a fried twisted cheese pie, airy and fine. To Spiti tis Marios gives the impression that whatever you choose will be made with love and attention to detail.
Kerpini stop, 4th km on the Kalavryta – Diakopto road
Telephone: 0030 2692022264
Planiteros
Giorgos Rapanos is a fisherman on the mountain. And together with his parents, Theodoros and Georgia, they have a trout farm and a restaurant in the village Planitero, near Kalavryta.
The restaurant is a meeting point for visitors, and it’s located in a lovely spot with plane trees, by the river Aroanios. We met Giorgos there and we go visit the trout farm. He explains how trout grows and talks us through the reproduction process of trout, while we also discuss the difficulties of the job, as well as the many beautiful moments it offers.
In the restaurant apart from the grilled fried trout you can also try it smoked, plaki (baked in the oven with onions and tomato sauce), wrapped in parchment paper baked with cognac, in a soup, and also cooked with roasted almonds and butter. It’s a lovely excursion to a place with truly tasty food.
Planitero
Telephone: 0030 6975851043
Peri Orexeos
The oldest tavern of Kalavryta used to be here, in operation for 45 years. Today, in its place, you’ll find Peri Orexeos that focuses on traditional cuisine, with Georgina and Vasilis doing what they love the most: cooking delicious food and politely serving their customers.
Peri Orexeos serves family food like lamb with oregano oil, pork, beef in tomato sauce, soutzoukakia (traditional type of meat balls with origins in Asia Minor), imam bayildi and a variety of homemade appetizers.
57, 25 Martiou street, Main pedestrian street, Kalavryta
Telephone: 030 2692024444
