Elies Restaurant — Restaurant in Municipality of West Mani

My family and I stayed here eight years ago and had dinner at the restaurant at least twice. We had a wonderful experience then and we were excited to revisit when we came to Greece with friends this summer. We arrived on time for 9:00 pm reservations and were directed to a table for six that only had five chairs. Not a big deal but it was a sign of things to come.

A server helped us get another chair then dropped three menus on the table. We tried to get a staff member’s attention (there were three chatting by the reception area) and one of the servers held up his hand to motion us to wait. They continued their conversation and the person who signaled us disappeared. I went up to the station and asked for more menus and was met with a surly “how many do you need”? He handed me three more menus with no apology and did not offer to bring them to our table.

A waitress came to take our order and was unbelievably unprofessional. I was the only Greek-speaking person at the table yet she remained at the far end of the table even when it was apparent I could not hear what she was saying. She offered no assistance with respect to the size of the portions or any other information we asked as we tried to decide on what to order. Finally we placed our order and also ordered a bottle of wine.

The appetizers were fine, nothing special but okay. By the time they cleared the table to bring the main dishes, we’d finished the wine and ordered another along with an order of potatoes. Two of us ordered the whole fish and it was prepared well and was tasty. The rest was mediocre. Not particularly bad but certainly not on the level expected given the prices. One of the dishes, a pasta dish, was prepared with a fish sauce that was not mentioned in the menu nor by server.

The second bottle of wine never arrived and neither did the potatoes and no one came to check and see if we needed anything or if the food was to our liking. Meanwhile, the table next to us had a server checking on them on a regular basis and it was clear they were also receiving dishes that were not on the menu which were never mentioned to us. The restaurant was not at all busy and we observed the wait staff chatting with one another and basically hanging out. Finally, we got someone’s attention to get the check. When it arrived I told the server (a different one yet again) that we never received the second bottle of wine. He replied “we didn’t charge you for it”. Not even a tiny apology for totally forgetting and ignoring us. I then told him we’d also ordered a plate of potatoes. Same response: “we didn’t charge you for it”. He was absolutely impatient and seemed annoyed.

Finally, I couldn’t stand it and I asked him if there was a reason the staff was treating us so badly. He said “I don’t know what you’re talking about”. So I reiterated all of the above to which he said I was being unreasonable. To the issue about the menus, he said “we gave them to you didn’t we”? I replied that it is not my job to tend to our table, it is the staff’s. He basically scoffed at me. I told him he and the entire staff should be ashamed of themselves and, as a Greek woman who takes pride in my fellow countrymen’s reputation for excellent hospitality, I was appalled at the entire staff’s behavior.

I truly can’t fathom what could’ve been the reason for such awful service. As I mentioned, the restaurant was not at all busy and they even seemed over staffed. In any case, I advise you to proceed with caution and, frankly, there are so many wonderful restaurants in the area with terrific food and service (and lower prices) there’s no reason to take a chance with...

Possibly the best place for lunch locally. Beautiful shady setting in amongst olive and mulberry trees. Truly delicious dishes, make sure you arrive in good time to ensure widest choice. Much is locally sourced. Salads are always good and the mezze selection delicious. Even if you are late you will not be disappointed. Every time we have been delighted and eaten well. Staff all very good and helpful. Plenty for both vegetarian, piscatarian and carnivore. Good level access, though the loos at the back and wheelchair users will have to go the long way round. Plenty of carparking on site. May 2024 update: very pleased to say everything continues to be good, very competitive prices, fine food and local ingredients remain the strong points for Ellie's. 2025 A new front of house team who know exactly what they are about and have clearly been very well trained. The food is as good as ever and the shady outside seating is very welcome...

I visited the restaurant last weekend due to its high rating but I couldn't put more than 2 stars.

The location is very hard to access, in a narrow seaside road where cars come in both directions and cars parked on both sides of the street. To the positive, the restaurant had a parking and we avoided the extra effort to try to find somewhere to park.

The food is definitely not 4.5stars, with average size dishes and average quality. Maybe for tourist who want to try Greek cosine it's ok, but for a Greek, is just average, something that can cook by himself at home. Prices near to average price for the size and quality.

On the negatives I would put the bread quality which was hard and tasteless and most of the tables are on a sandy surface in a windy place.....

Most possible the rating comes from foreign tourists who just enjoy the sea and a cooked food, for a Greek is just an common...