Taverne METAPONTIS — Restaurant in Municipality of Symi

Avoid at all costs!!!

If you're planning to spend a day at the beach in Symi and happen to come across Emborio, do yourself a favor and keep walking. Do not get me wrong, Symi is great, the beach itself is great but the taverna, it completely ruins everything!

This place was a complete disaster from start to finish. The sunbeds were in terrible condition, the changing rooms and toilets were dirty and barely usable, and the overall setup was extremely poor. There's absolutely no proper infrastructure for a comfortable beach experience.

What made things even worse was the attitude of the older lady managing the place – incredibly rude, aggressive, and outright unpleasant. She clearly has no idea how to treat guests and seems more interested in arguing and scamming people than offering any sort of hospitality.

We were told that the sunbeds would be free if we ordered food or drinks from their taverna, or €10 for two sunbeds and an umbrella if we didn’t. That seemed fair at first, and we decided not to eat there because it just didn’t seem worth it. Instead, we got food from the lovely beach bar right next to them – and that’s when the problems started. The staff immediately became hostile, and suddenly the price doubled to €10 per sunbed, just because we didn’t give them our food money! It was a classic bait-and-switch scam, and a very ugly way to treat visitors.

The quality of everything was awful, and frankly, this place shouldn't be operating as a beach venue at all. It’s clear they’re just trying to exploit tourists without offering even basic comfort or decency.

On the bright side, the small beach bar right next to them is absolutely amazing – great service, fair prices, and a peaceful vibe. It’s quite small, though, and fills up quickly, so be early if you want to grab a spot.

If you think it can’t be that bad, you might thank me later, it...

This traditional Taverna is located at Nimborio bay, which is a little bit of heaven.||||We took the short but enjoyable taxi boat journey from Symi to get there (4 euros pp), and afterwards walked it back to Symi to enjoy the wonderful views (a fairly easy 30 minute dander approx. unless you have any mobility issues or just unfit).||||Sitting by the crystal clear, blue Aegean Sea, all you can hear is the sound of the water and the birds. Bliss. People come here for peace and quiet - no music blaring, no-one shouting or talking loudly - so lovely away from the bustle of Symi and the daily crowds off the cruise ships. ||||There are no menus, as such, just a daily list of what is available written up with chalk on a board outside, such as "Shrimps" or "Sardines" etc - as simple as that. The jolly lady that owns the Taverna encouraged us to go in and have a look at all the fresh fish available. It was a difficult choice but we eventually went for a selection to share: whole grilled Calamari, Symi Shrimps, Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers, and Tzatziki. To be washed down with a few beers and carafe of white wine.||||With the aroma of fish being freshly prepared wafting out from the kitchen inside, we waited patiently, enjoying the drinks, the views, and the silence.||||Well, what a feast. Beautiful freshly cooked food full of the flavour of Greece. Possibly one of the nicest meals we had in Symi. Simple, unpretentious, delicious. ||||Places like this are we come to Greece, why we love it so much. Not the busy, noisy resorts full of tourists and shops all selling the same cheap, merchandise. This is the real Greece. Please...

This traditional Taverna is located at Nimborio bay, which is a little bit of heaven.||||We took the short but enjoyable taxi boat journey from Symi to get there (4 euros pp), and afterwards walked it back to Symi to enjoy the wonderful views (a fairly easy 30 minute dander approx. unless you have any mobility issues or just unfit).||||Sitting by the crystal clear, blue Aegean Sea, all you can hear is the sound of the water and the birds. Bliss. People come here for peace and quiet - no music blaring, no-one shouting or talking loudly - so lovely away from the bustle of Symi and the daily crowds off the cruise ships. ||||There are no menus, as such, just a daily list of what is available written up with chalk on a board outside, such as "Shrimps" or "Sardines" etc - as simple as that. The jolly lady that owns the Taverna encouraged us to go in and have a look at all the fresh fish available. It was a difficult choice but we eventually went for a selection to share: whole grilled Calamari, Symi Shrimps, Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers, and Tzatziki. To be washed down with a few beers and carafe of white wine.||||With the aroma of fish being freshly prepared wafting out from the kitchen inside, we waited patiently, enjoying the drinks, the views, and the silence.||||Well, what a feast. Beautiful freshly cooked food full of the flavour of Greece. Possibly one of the nicest meals we had in Symi. Simple, unpretentious, delicious. ||||Places like this are we come to Greece, why we love it so much. Not the busy, noisy resorts full of tourists and shops all selling the same cheap, merchandise. This is the real Greece. Please...