It’s not the prettiest of towns and generally when one mentions Karditsa people imagine the surrounding areas, stunning Plastiras lake and the majestic wooded Agrafa mountains. and when it comes to the fare of the area again the mountain meat tavernas with their smokey grills and their hand made pies dominate the conversation. All this is a tad unfair. The town of Karditsa, small, neat, in the plains, in essence the heart of Thessaly and the “gateway” between the vast Thessalian plains and the wondrous Agrafa region of Thessaly, has its own, in fact, quite unique culinary charms.
This has been helped along by a combination of the excellent hotels around lake Plastiras raising the bar, by sourcing local ‘slow food’ ingredients – meat, dairy, vegetables – and employing the traditional methods of grilling passed on from generation to generation that ensures meat lovers return again and again.
But the region of Karditsa is more than just Agrafa and the Plastiras lake. It’s the plain, and the cuisine of the Karagounides (native people of the lowlands of Thessaly). It’s also the actual town of Karditsa, the capital of the prefecture. As far as the cuisine of the Karagounides is concerned, only few traces remain. As far as the town is concerned, however, it now has the proper dining a town of its stature deserves with restaurants, an international bistro, an exuberant tsipouro (traditional pomace raki) taverna and a fine sea food taverna.
In the whole prefecture of Karditsa, both in the capital and in the surrounding villages, in the plains and on the mountains, avid foodies will search for, but rarely find, authentic dishes of the traditional local gastronomy, that is not limited to “plastos” (traditional cornmeal pie with spinach and feta), “batzina” (traditional crustless courgette pie), leek sausage and pork shank.
“Katsamaki”, the “casserole meat dish with potatoes and plums”, the “psarozoumi” (vegetable soup prepared with the broth of boiled fish), the “hinari kavourmas” (a chicken, duck, or turkey soup made with onion and flour), the pan-fried boar with leeks, to mention a few of the traditional dishes, are barely on the menus of the local eateries. The local cuisine is a contrasting mixture of frugality and abundance, that has developed over the years morphing with the times and the social circumstances.
Bistro Arni
When you enter Bistro Arni, on the ground floor of the historic hotel “Domotel Arni” you’ll feel like you just stepped back into somewhere in central Europe in the mid-war period. Perhaps Vienna, or Berlin. Certainly not in Karditsa. A lofty dinning room with a high-ceilinged hall with green and beige tones and a wonderful chandelier. The space is decorated in the Art Deco style, it has an amazing marble bar, big windows, and they play great music. The chef Apostolis Stergiopoulos masterly moves in the space of international cuisine. He loves Italian flavours (he’s had a long tenure at the beloved “Il Salumaio d’ Atene, in Kifisia), but also the French and some Asian fusion. The wine list includes around 70 labels, mostly Greek, and for drinks, there is a mini collection of premium whiskey, and interesting cocktails. Great coffee and orderly service add the finishing touches to your dining experience at Arni.
4 Karaiskaki str, Karditsa, tel. 0030 2441022272
Apomero
Apomero is a special little restaurant in Karditsa and one of the best in Thessaly that has been consistently excellent for over 25 years. A beautiful hall with a fireplace, wooden beams supporting the roof, walls decorated with a variety of plates, some old, others local and others brought from abroad. Urban aesthetics with fancy dinnerware and crisp white tablecloths. Ms Tasoula Koufopoulou creates lovely dishes. This winter you’ll find soups (chicken soup, beef soup), leek and smoked pork tart with yogurt dough, grilled pork with a sauce with whole plums in red Mesenikola wine. From the dessert menu, try the cheesecake made with anthotyro cheese (a local fresh soft white cream cheese) and quince preserve, and the orange pie with dondurma ice cream. The wine list show cases grape varieties, like Stavroto and Roditid of Thessaly.
47 Kitrous Episkopou str, Karditsa, tel. 0030 2441070793
Vogiatzis
Dimitris Vogiatzis and his wife Stavroula are household names in the cuisine of the Karagounides. Karagounides is a tribe of Greeks consisting mainly of people from the lowland farming communities of Thessaly with their own language and culture, and of course cuisine. Their cuisine has almost been forgotten, much like their history, but Vogiatzis’ taverna holds strong. One iconic dish is duck kavourmas. The duck is boiled and then slightly fried. With its broth, flour and butter they then prepare a thick gravy to which they add garlic and vinegar. It can be eaten on its own or as a sauce over the duck together with garlic vinegar. That’s how it’s served at Vogiatzis. As well as this dish, you’ll also find amazing Dutch oven duck, goose and lamb with spinach, lamb soup with bulgur, ox tail in tomato sauce with orzo, guinea-fowl stew, etc. Just make sure to call before you go, to see what’s available or what they can make for you.
Karditsomagoula, tel. 0030 2441025467, 0030 6974677415
Gkekas
One of the most popular tsipouradika in Karditsa, on a quiet pedestrian street with the rather whimsical Past and Present: Eating in Karditsa, Thessaly. It the only taverna in town with lots of seafood and fish options on the menu, which makes a welcome break from meat, meat and more meat that you’ll come across (fear not, those who’ve not had their fill there are some meat options). The fresh fish and seafood is brought up from either Halkida and Volos, depending on the season and the weather. Famous for the fried dishes, and classic Greek flavours. Call in advance to see what’s the catch of day.
3 Kolokotroni str, Karditsa, tel. 0030 2441023289
Steki tis Kira-Giotas
A popular tsipouradiko on a quiet pedestrian street, pleasantly decorated. They offer many meze (tapas) including seafood – each carafe of tsipouro is accompanied with it’s own little meze dish, as is local tradition. The service is fast and the staff polite. Since it’s generally crowded, booking in advance is recommended.
19 Iezekil str, Karditsa, tel. 0030 2441075071
To Tsardaki
This eatery first opened as an inn in 1939 and turned into a taverna when it fell into the hands of Giannis Korobilias in 1951. The second-generation owner, 82-year-old and still going strong, Vasilis Korobilias grills with his son in law, Babis Tsilikas, and his daughter, the third generation owner, Stavroula Korobilias. She makes mean casserole dishes (chickpeas with aubergines, beans with pasturma in the wood burning oven, as well as a marvellous plastos, a pie with lamb, greens and herbs. Red gingham tablecloths cover thetables while naïve paintings and dried peppers adorn the walls and the fireplace and wood stove constantly lit. They offer skewered meats cooked over an open fire, succulent lamb chops, beef steak matured for 22 days (from the butcher Theocharis). The family produce their own galotiri cheese with milk the get locally. For desert try a home made spoon sweet (traditional sweet preserves), like greengage and fig retseli (a traditional preserve that is a bit thicker than marmalade, with whole pieces of fruit in it), and Cornelian cherry preserve. These are often served up as “sekleti” creamy sheep’s milk yogurt topped with fresh and dried fruit and nuts.
Mesenikolas, tel. 0030 2441020024
O Zarnavalos
The epitome of the butchers tavern as it was in the past. A very plain dinning hall, without any unnecessary ornaments, where they serve great grilled meats, and many more. The family also sells amazing local meat at the butcher shop next door, as well as amazing sausages they make themselves. At the tavern they cook meat, on the grill or in casserole dishes, and also offer various other traditional stews and casserole with home grown vegetables. They favour cheese from Argithea (an area with Protected Designation Origin) that you’ll find in hit-dishes like “the shepherd’s pouch”, lamb and various cheeses, wrapped in grease paper baked in the oven, and “the peasant’s jug” with beef, various cheeses and potatoes prepared in a ceramic dish. You can also try tomato sauce beef stew, rooster in red wine sauce, pork shank, pork and leek stew.
Plastiras Lake, Kalivia Pezoulas, tel. 0030 2441092008
Dolopes
Food made with their own meat (free roaming cows, goats and pigs) and everything else that’s great from Agrafa. The dining area is rustic and has a fireplace on the back wall, their balcony is hangs over the green and overlooks the gorge, the Borlero and Arapi peaks, and the Plastiras lake in the background. In the kitchen you’ll find the three women and two men of the Kerasiotis family: Eleni Kerasioti, her daughter Anta Stergiou with her husband Kostas Moustos, and her brother Giorgos Kerasiotis with his wife Vaso Sapiera. The women prepare the casserole dishes and the pies, and are in charge of the frying, while the men take care of the grills and skewers. The Dutch oven goat, the fried lamb pluck, the skewered goat, the wild boar meatballs, the wild boar stew, the fried pork with feta and wild greens are delicious. They make their own sausages and their own spoon sweets, and the potatoes are from their vegetable garden out back.
Agrafa, Karditsa, tel. 0030 2441094993
Fagotopi
The dining area located at the back of the building and has arched stone walls, the tables and chairs are dark wood and warm colours blend to create a welcoming, cosy ambience. The dining space at the front is more modern, and has an odd collection of about 1000 miniature houses on display, however it has the benefit of the large windows and pleasant views. The menu is one of the few in Karditsa that includes ‘Karagouni’ cuisine, probably because the owner, Xenia Psifi, has tribal origins on her father’s side. You’ll find wild boar casserole with leeks, wild boar with chestnuts and plums, sheep or lamb in bulgur soup. Other options include trout dishes – fava spread with smoked trout or tagliatelle with smoked trout and dill. Lamb pasta, sheep meat balls with sheep’s milk yogurt sauce, and of course plastos and batzina. They have vegetables from their own vegetable garden and sourdough bread.
Plastiras Lake, Kalivia Pezoulas, tel. 0030 2441092998
Manitari
Housed in a beautiful stone building a stone throw from the lake side, with a stunning view that alters depending on the time of day and the season. A roomy area, with plenty of between the tables, a lovely fireplace and minimal décor. From autumn on, they have seasonal mushroom dishes, with the fabulous mushroom soup standing out among them. You’ll also find good local meat. The menu mainly includes dishes like wild boar with hilopites (traditional Greek pasta in the shape of small squares), boiled goat, rooster in red wine sauce, Dutch oven lamb etc.
Plastiras Lake, Kalivia Pezoulas, tel. 0030 2441093322
Hromata
A new all-day diner with light ambience, one of a kind in the area. It offers breakfast, brunch and light lunches and dinners with international flavours: classic American burger, burger with slow-cooked pancetta, pasta (amatriciana and carbonara), rib eye beef and tenderloin pork with mashed celeriac, cocktails, drinks etc. The whole place is painted by hand – walls, floors, furniture – with boho décor and a view of the lake. They play country and jazz music.
Neohori, tel. 0030 22441093476
