Arapakos — Restaurant in Municipality of Nafplio

I wish I could say something redeeming about this seaside fish restaurant beyond its location, but it was an utterly deplorable experience. The ambience, sure, benefits from being in front of the sea—hard to mess that up. But the first alarm bell rang when we peeked at their glass fridge, supposedly showcasing the day’s catch. You couldn’t see a thing. The glass was so opaque—stained, dirty, or intentionally obscured—that it screamed neglect. We should’ve trusted our instincts and walked away then, but we didn’t.

The food was an abomination, particularly the seafood pasta. Ordered at 1 p.m., our €17 seafood linguine arrived in less than a suspicious 5 minutes… Don’t be fooled by the picture, it didn’t taste good at all! Not a hint of freshness. The pasta itself was al dente, but that’s where the compliments end. It tasted like nothing—certainly not fish. Baffled by the glowing five-star reviews, we flagged the manager. His response? A defensive outburst, insisting it was “good” by his standards. To his credit, he let us order something else, but that was our second mistake—staying. We should’ve bolted the moment he argued over our honest feedback. For €17 in Greece, you expect flavor, not a fight.

Next, we ordered a 500-gram fish, priced at an exorbitant €70 per kilo. Half an hour later, it still wasn’t ready. When I asked how much longer, they casually said 20 minutes. Fifty minutes to cook a small fish? Absurd. After an hour and 15 minutes of waiting, we’d had enough and stood to leave. Miraculously, the fish was “ready” the second we gave up—convenient timing. We took it to-go, only to find they’d forgotten cutlery until we reminded them. Opening the box later, we discovered no side vegetables despite paying extra for them. The fish itself? Mediocre at best, far from the fresh, high-quality catch you’d expect for that price.

To top it all off, I was never presented with a bill. I have no idea if I paid extra beyond the forgotten veggies—I suspect they slipped in a charge for the bread the manager whisked away after I told him we didn’t need it when he asked. Shady billing on top of everything else? Unbelievable. The sole saving grace was the house white wine—decent, though you’d have to try hard to ruin that in Greece. This place is a sham: overpriced, underdelivered, and run by staff who’d rather argue than serve. Avoid it...

What a charming little seaside restaurant we stumbled upon in Nafplio. Doesn’t look much to look at as you walk towards the frontage and the outside seating but then you smell the wonderful aromas billowing from the kitchen and you know you’re going to be fed well. The shrimp saganaki was a masterpiece. Layers and layers of explosive fishy umami from the cheese infused bisque. I literally dipped everything in it. Bread. French fries. Bits of octopus. And finally a spoon to lap up the remains. The grilled octopus was sublime. Soft yet had bite. Cooked within seconds of perfection. The only let down was the fava the octopus was festooned upon. Disappointingly wet and lacked any seasoning. Catastrophic. I spoke to the waiter who later spoke to the chef. Said waiter returned later to say I was right. Chef had apologised for the poor fava effort. That my friends is the sign of a genuinely good restaurant. When the chef has both humility and pride. Service was exemplary. If you’re in Nafplio for a day or the weekend this place is an absolute must. Delicious. Oh and btw when you ask for a glass of wine don’t be surprised to see half a bottle poured into the...

Such a great place to sit and eat. The food is exceptional and very generous servings. We ordered a selection of seafood and it was all excellent - very large portions, too! I loved the grilled octopus and calamari and wish I had a second stomach so I could have tried the Sea Bream (fish special). Probably the best calamari I've ever had. The owner was quite the character and has a great personality. He recommended a brilliant wine, and one that I'll be buying more of when I get back to Australia. He came out with a brilliant line when I was asking him about the wine "the is great because it is, not because I say it is"....ha hah. Loved it.

Go here if you're looking for excellent seafood in a great setting. Coming from Australia, we pay a fortune for seafood (and, well, just about everything else), so this was a very good price for just amazing quality. We were sending pictures to our Greek friends in Australia who were suddenly very home sick!

We were kept company by Vanessa (I still wonder if that is her real name) and...