La Bussola — Restaurant in Aegean

We had dinner at La Bussola in Kokkari town last night. This was our second dinner on the island, and we decided to explore one of the coastal taverns in the Kokkari town center. With many taverns offering similar menus, prices, and ambiance, we did our homework and checked reviews in advance. We tend to avoid overrated places that gain fame primarily through social media rather than genuine food quality.

La Bussola stood out from our shortlist due to the welcoming and warm approach of the staff. Unlike other restaurants where you often feel pressured by staff eager to pull you in, our experience here was different. We were greeted warmly by Alexis, whom I believe is one of the owners. He welcomed us with a friendly smile, allowed us to review the menu at our leisure, and answered our questions without any pressure.

Our family had varied dinner preferences, ranging from fish to gyro to pizza, and La Bussola’s menu catered to all, with very reasonable prices. Once we decided to dine there, the staff showed us to a table without the usual rush of pulling chairs as soon as you glance at the menu. We are very happy with our choice.

The entire staff at La Bussola was friendly, humorous, and always available. Service was quick, with empty plates promptly cleared. And the food—oh my god, everything we tried was excellent! The shrimp saganaki and fried cheese saganaki were the best we’ve ever had. The Greek salad was just as we expected, topped with a huge piece of feta. The fried sardines were fresh and delicious. Grilled octopus was again one of the best. My daughter’s pizza was enormous and tasted better than many we’ve had at Italian pizzerias. When she couldn’t finish it, they thoughtfully packed it to go before we even asked.

After paying the bill, we were pleasantly surprised with complimentary dessert and more ouzo. We loved the food, the beautiful traditional atmosphere of a Greek tavern, and the politeness and friendliness of all the servers. Alexis made us feel as though we were dining at a close friend’s home.

La Bussola will definitely be our first choice when we return to Kokkari, and we cannot recommend it enough. Thank you for an unforgettable...

Here a very attentive staff cares for you. Only seconds after be seated, you will hold the menu in hands.

La Bussola offers italian food as pasta and pizza, but also greek dishes. So we decided to test both and ordered a) a fried Kalamari (with vegetables, french fries and dip) and b) a pizza greek style. The dishes came very fast (good organised kitchen team) and were well, good filled plates and tasty. The greek style pizza was a big one with feta cheese, tomatoes, olives, onions, cheese base and herbs.

It was the first time we had dinner at the touristic long row of restaurants at Kokkari and we were surprised: fair prices, speedy service, friendly staff and a good food. On top there were finally a dessert and an ouzo for free from the restaurant.

Payment: cash or by card.

If you are from Germany: The owner speeks also german and may support you by the choice of your dish.

We plan to come back to have dinner...

My wife and I had some wine at this place in the evening. When we wanted to pay, we called one of the staff members, settled the bill with him, and left. As we were walking to our car, the head waiter stopped us and, in a very rude manner, told us to follow him or he would call the police. Shocked, we followed him back to the restaurant, where he rudely accused us of not paying. We asked him to call the staff member who had taken our payment, and when that person came, he confirmed that we had indeed paid. I have no idea what kind of game was being played there, but in the end, we were the ones in the right. When I expressed that I expected an apology, I was again met with rudeness. I absolutely don’t...