Lela's Taverna — Restaurant in Municipality of West Mani

This night, after +10 years we went back back to Lela's. We remembered well the incredible food at this lovely spot in Kardamily. At that time there were just a few things to choose from, basically, the story was that Lela cooked a few dishes and those you could choose from. All delightful and a very relaxed atmosphere. Ofcourse we went back! However, i wish we didn't and kept our great memories. It' a Saturday night so it's busy. No reservation but we still managed to get a nice spot. This time we were presented a menu and looking at some of the dishes they were slightly more upscale then most tavernas present...anyway, the rates are. We ordered the watermelon salad with roasted peach, a lovely salad however low on the peach which basically gives most of the taste, nevertheless, wstill quite nice. The traditional meatballs we ordered were OK, I had them more tasty but with the large fried potatoes it worked quite well although the yoghurt based sauce was minimal. The lamb cooked in yoghurt was tasty and the aubergine mash gave it what it needed . Wine comes here from a bottle and at higher rates, again indicating the 'higher end'.... so if the food ain't that bad...what is you may wonder. Well, as of the moment we sat down all were in a rush to get us done. Food was delivered in no time but that by itself isn't an issue. We ordered just a few dishes to order more after. We'll, not at one moment we had the impression we were welcome to stay longer. Plates were removed from our table without ask, one time someone did ask however the plate was still half full. After half an hour a guy passed by to tell us 'all was very nice' meanwhile removing again plates but also shoving leftovers from plates to another plate. As I was really surprised by his rudeness I asked whether they were in a rush. His response was that he just wanted to empty the table.

One of the things you never do in hospitality is cleaning dishes in front of your guests ofcourse so while I wanted to pay I confronted the owner, giving him compliments on the past but also confronting him the 4 of us all felt rushed and not much welcome. The answer I got was not an apology I felt that way but he came with excuse after excuse...Covid, a missing cook and other crewmembers that were sick were the issue, nothing he could do about that. However, we shouldn't feel rushed, we could stay the whole night as that table would not be sold again. I tried to explain that he was missing the point but he basically walked out of the discussion. So...I.paid, an amount giving for what we had 2x what you would normally pay and went back to our table. As my wife and children went to the bathroom I found... a table with new guests! So before they could return now the table was occupied by the next victims. Offcourse, this time more annoyed, I confronted the owner asking him what exactly he meant with ' the table was ours and would not be sold again'. He now responded these guest had a reservation so he gave our table. Again, no apology, no empathy, just a stubborn man. I advised he should listen to his customer not being happy but instead he advised me he already did this kind of job for 40 years.... there you go, if you ho here you receive ok food at high rates and 40 years of ignorance or plain stupidity. I think Lela would be much ashamed knowing this is the left over from of her once so great and...

The best restaurant of the region and honestly, one of the best restaurants in Greece, “Lela’s Taverna” holds the traditional “Taverna” name to honour its legacy, now offering a gourmet fusion cuisine with all of the ingredients coming directly from the region. The owners even handpick many of the fruits/vegetables/mushrooms and other goods that they use in the dishes, themselves. The quality of the food is extremely high and the every year is even more creative and tasty. Prices are elevated in comparison to other local restaurants, but in my opinion they are justified by the superbe cuisine. The wine lists presented are beautifully and very carefully composed by K, a true wine expert and an incredible person! The selection is breathtaking, with many rare greek exclusive wines but also bottles coming from all over Europe also. No words needed for the placement and the “mise en scène” a wonderful scenery right on top of the sea, accompanied by a marvellous sunset. If you’re interested in a greek traditional “traverna” Lela’s is not the place. It offers a unique culinary experience, as this year was also awarded for its excellence. I wish you all the best and I really cannot wait to see what Lela’s will bring next! All my love.

P.S. The Greek Rosé wine K. suggested was a perfect match with our food, which contained mostly...

Please PUT THIS INTO CONTEXT, this is marketed as a a fine dining experience with a price point to match. The food isn't bad.

The Tzatziki was the second best Tzatziki we've been served in Kardamili restaurants this week with the mint overpowering the dish a little too much. The other Tzatziki we tried at another restaurant had more depth with Dill and Lemon. The Lamb dish I had was heavily over seasoned, the salt dominated a decently presented dish. The Moussaka, while presented in a way that looked like a dead blackbird, wasn't a bad dish, but not outstanding. The salad, with Feta, Tomato, Capers and Caper leaves was probably the best dish,although again, too much salt.

Front of house and the service was OK, the setting is truly amazing, but I'd advise you book, we were turned away once.

For what we were served, €91 (with 4 drinks) was expensive, especially when we ate better for €38 elsewhere the...