Xenia — Restaurant in Municipality of Sparta

Tourist trap! First they brought a glass of ice cold red wine en much warmer white wine. In a climate like Greece that doesn’t have to be a problem. But here it was. The red wine was too cold, because they want to mask that it had been open for too long or that the bottle was not good anymore. And the white wine I ordered was not the Muscat, but they still gave me the Muscat. When we told the ober, he did not say sorry, but instead was defending what he brought to us. That was an unpleasant experience. The food was not good, but ok. But when our daughter ordered the orange pie with a scoop of vanilla ice, the ice was deep frozen and not fresh. Our Son had ordered just a scoop of vanilla ice. They forgot to bring it. When we reminded a different ober, he brought a scoop of vanilla ice that was really good, way different of colour, texture en taste than the scoop that our daughter got 30 minutes before. This felt like a two tier restaurant: the good stuff for the local Greek people and all the rest for the tourists. And last but not least: we arrived early when all the tables were still available. And instead of placing us at a nice outside table out in the open (where all the Greeks were eating later that night), they placed us just outside the restaurant under the roof with a pretty cheap atmosphere with too much bright light. This was our 8 diner in Greece. All were good and some very good, so maybe we are a bit spoiled, but this was also the first restaurant where we did not get a bill, but instead only the paying machine with a Total price amount. Therefore: a tourist...

Xenia was an amazing stop for our family. My husband and I are vegan, my parents and sister are not. We were all absolutely thrilled with our food. They had a special vegan dish (black eyes peas and greens) and a vegetarian dish (eggplant and tomatoes roasted in the oven with feta -which they can make vegan by removing the feta). The pasta dishes my father and sister had were beautiful and filling. My mother was very happy with her lamb. We also got zucchini and eggplant sticks with the garlic sauce (which they altered to meet our vegan needs) delicious fresh homemade bread, and of course a traditional salad. The portions were great and price-point was perfect. The staff was amazing and the views astounding. Very grateful for...

What a pleasant surprise! After a day of hill climbing and exploring the sights of Sparta and the ruins of Mystras, we were hungry and thirsty and this place had outdoor dining with a beautiful view of the valley. I hesitated because it is next to a tourist destination and often places like that are overpriced and of poor quality. I’m certainly glad that our hunger prevailed! The service was top notch. Our server, Gregorious, was super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, helping us pick local Laconia dishes. The warm black eyed peas and greens, baked feta with olives, peppers and tomatoes as well as the cured pork (think delicious flavored ham) were all delicious. A delightful experience...