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A secret family taverna

June 3, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 21 Comments

FOOD AND DRINK

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia

Twelve years ago the Gonata family opened their restaurant on the Greek island of Kefallinia. Back then, in the town of Ay Eufimia, there were only a few other businesses.

The port had once been the main stopping point for ferries to the island but that all changed after the facilities were destroyed in an earthquake in 1953. For decades, the place had been off the radar.

But as life slowly started to come back to Ay Eufimia and the yachts began to use the port for refuge of the evening, commerce returned. The Gonata family, who had long been residents of Kefallinia, opened shop. This was not so strange back then… but today their story is a rarity.

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

The restaurant is called ‘Amalia’ and it’s a short walk from the marina where we’ve moored our yacht. Although it’s not far, it seems like we’re leaving the bright lights of the town that services the boats and their crews.

If it hadn’t been for the Greek skipper of the sailing tour I was on, it would have been hard to find.

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

“How did you know to come here?” the waitress asks our captain in Greek.

“Someone down at the port recommended it,” he replies.

“Who?”

“Ah… but you know I can’t tell you that,” he answers with a smile.

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

When the conversation was translated for me, I didn’t understand. Why couldn’t he tell the waitress who had made the recommendation? It seemed like it would be a nice thing to do.

But the captain explained. The restaurants down by the boats are very competitive and try to attract the business of the sailors. If they knew that a local was sending business away from them, up the hill to ‘Amalia’, they’d be very unhappy.

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

Because that’s the difference between ‘Amalia’ and the flashier restaurants. The Gonata family has not created a business for the tourists or the foreigners – and they don’t play the game with the others.

It’s for the locals on the island. The quality and the price prove that!

Best food at Ay Eufimia, Kefallinia

The waitress turns out to be the 18-year-old daughter of the family. Also working tonight are her mother, father, uncle, aunt, two brothers and cousins.

She was just six years old when the restaurant opened (and I’m given a stern and disapproving look from the captain when I try to ask how old she was when she started working).

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

She explains the philosophy behind the meals. It’s the kind of food you would find in every house in Greece, she says. Nothing has been frozen and everything is cooked fresh.

Each day the family members go down into the town to buy the food from the markets or directly from the fishermen.

We don’t need an invitation to order generously from the menu. Sardines, lamb chops, zucchini balls, and more.

The seafood is definitely a stand out – my favourite, the grilled octopus, which is moist and not chewy. But the real specialties of the Gonata family, they tell me, are the roast pork and the peppers stuffed with rice.

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

We wash it all down with the traditional ouzo, mixed only with ice and water. At the end of the meal, the family offers us a free dessert of baklava, just in case we hadn’t already been suitably impressed with their hospitality.

And when the bill arrives, it’s unsurprisingly low.

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia, Greek island food

You see, I’ve found around the world that the quality of food is often inversely proportional to its cost. The evening at ‘Amalia’ proved to be no exception. The restaurant wouldn’t be the same, though, if it was full of tourists.

It’s nice to know it’s still a favourite of the locals and hasn’t been corrupted by the game down by the water. So, thank you, to the anonymous man who pointed our captain on this tack.

And, thank you, for not telling anyone else.

Time Travel Turtle was a guest on Intrepid Travel’s Sail Greece – Ionian Sea trip but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

Greece Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT Greece?

See my Greece Travel Guide

To help you plan your Greece travel:

  • As 3 day itinerary for historic Athens
  • Hoe to get a free local tour of Athens
  • The wonder of the Acropolis in Athens
  • How to see the origin of the Olympics
  • An ancient civilisation as a day trip from Athens
  • Is this where modern medicine all began?
  • The Greek island where Jackie Onassis escaped to

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a tour of Greece, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours of Greece.

You could consider:

  • Sailing Greece – Mykonos to Santorini (8 days)
  • Best of Greece (15 days)
  • Sailing Greece – Athens to Santorini (15 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you should use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Cathy Sweeney |

    August 8, 2012 at 2:18 am

    Reply

    I won’t tell a soul! 🙂 Amelia’s was such a great find. The people, the food (although octopus isn’t quite my thing), the location — all makes it look so inviting.

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 20, 2012 at 7:01 am

      Reply

      The octopus was the best! So juicy – I miss it already!!

  2. Micki |

    August 8, 2012 at 3:40 am

    Reply

    Lovely! This is exactly the type of place I love to find when I’m traveling. Fresh, local food and great owners. Thanks for the tip, btw, I may be in Greece this winter (crossing my fingers) 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 20, 2012 at 7:10 am

      Reply

      Fingers crossed! I hope you make it. And I hope you can get to Amelia or find somewhere like it.

  3. D.J. - The World of Deej |

    August 8, 2012 at 4:00 am

    Reply

    Great story…This foodie is supremely jealous!

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 20, 2012 at 7:11 am

      Reply

      If I have achieved nothing else, I’m pleased I have managed to make you jealous 🙂

  4. Angela |

    August 8, 2012 at 8:20 am

    Reply

    Lovely post, the food in family-run restaurants is always the best 😉

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 20, 2012 at 7:11 am

      Reply

      Always the best! I just wish there was a way of always knowing how to find them in each city!

  5. Laurence |

    August 8, 2012 at 7:56 pm

    Reply

    That octopus looks pretty awesome 😀 Love finding little places like this!

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 20, 2012 at 7:12 am

      Reply

      I have never had octopus that good. You’d be amazed how many times I ate it in Greece after that.

  6. Monica |

    August 9, 2012 at 12:57 am

    Reply

    Mmm, looks delicious. And I couldn’t agree more, I never find expensive food to be any tastier and budget restaurants always have the best atmosphere.

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 22, 2012 at 2:46 am

      Reply

      Atmosphere is so important when you’re looking for places to eat in foreign countries. It’s a much more local experience… which is, ultimately, the whole point of travel, right?

  7. Wandergirl |

    August 14, 2012 at 6:21 am

    Reply

    Looks like fun! It’s so true – all my favourite meal memories have been that kind of homestyle, delicious but cheap food, meant more for locals that tourists. The outdoor dining looks fabulous!

  8. Ashleen Moreen |

    August 16, 2012 at 9:00 am

    Reply

    Oh I wanna taste that grilled octopus it looks really delicious. One of my favorite octopus dishes is the octopus stir-fry.

  9. Linda McCormick |

    August 23, 2012 at 11:34 am

    Reply

    God I love fresh grilled octopus – my mouth is watering!

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 25, 2012 at 1:42 am

      Reply

      I think I would eat it for every single meal if that was possible!! 🙂

  10. vagabondette mandy |

    September 16, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    Reply

    yum! The small family restaurants are always the best! I always ask the locals where they would go out to dinner to get the best recommendations. I have added this post to my resources page here: http://vagabondette.com/travel-resources/greece/

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:13 am

      Reply

      Thanks for adding the story to your resources. I think you’re right about asking the locals – they’re not going to waste their time (or their money) at the tacky places.

      • vagabondette mandy |

        September 20, 2012 at 7:02 am

        Reply

        It also gets you the occasional dinner invite! 😉

  11. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    October 9, 2012 at 8:24 am

    Reply

    Yum, not just Greek food, but family-run-small-business-homemade-fresh Greek food. Mouth watering for grilled octopus…

    • Michael Turtle |

      October 22, 2012 at 11:58 am

      Reply

      I don’t think you understand how much I have missed that octopus since I left. It washes down so well with a little bit of ouzo…

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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