Under the Pine Tree — Restaurant in Skiathos Municipality

We visited this restaurant twice. We gave it a second chance as the food was excellent. On the first visit I asked about an item on the menu (the menu gives no detail so you would expect the waiter would be used to such questions). The waiter smirked and gave the briefest of descriptions. I then asked if we could order wine by the glass. He said "No", nothing else.. just "No". We ordered a bottle (€24), only to find later on that we could have ordered a caraffe of local wine for much less. To make matters worse we found the same bottle of wine for sale in the supermarket on the same street for €7.

We visited again a couple of days later. I asked if I could order a mixed grill for one? "No" came the (now familiar) response from the same waiter. No alternatives offered, no explanation, just "No". We ordered beer this time. A different waiter delivered our beer, didn't say a word, just plonked the beer on the table and left.

The starters arrived, we enjoyed them, and then the waiter came with our mains, he left them and also left our empty starter plates on a now crowded table.

We thoroughly enjoyed all the food we had on both visits so top marks for the Kitchen staff. But a restaurant visit isn't just about the food its an experience - you want to feel looked after and welcomed.

The service we received on both visits was awful. I would say its the worst we have ever had in any restaurant we have visited in Skiathos, Crete, Corfu, Zakythos, and Rhodes.

I would never visit this...

This is an excellent example of simple, honest and guest-friendly place which every holidaymaker hopes to find next door to their place. We have been to Koukounaries at the beginning of August and we immediately fell in love with this "gyros h(e)aven" :o) We have tried about everything from the menu and have not been disappointed by any of our choices. The quality of food, the prices and the staff has been excellent; add a wonderful pine trees in the yard and you have everything you long for after a day at one of the local beaches.

My only regret is I have not asked the young waiter who usually waited on us his name. He was very friendly correcting my attempts to speak the bit of Greek I know; when we told him it was our last night before we flew back home he brought my wife a bag as a gift. Efcharistó! :)

Update: I have learned that the name is Aris - so, efcharistó, Aris! :)

However hard I have tried to resist, I cannot but add one remark: You, ladies and gentlemen, who cut down on stars for this place because there were wasps spoiling your otherwise perfect night, are you trolls or...

Shocking!! We read the reviews and were even recommended by a couple while on holiday to go to this restaurant.......what a disappointment it was. The service was less than inviting and was done at break neck speed (think he would get 5 stars at Mac...you know Donald). We then had a lengthy wait before we were given our drinks followed by another, wait for our starter. The starters arrived and where reasonably tasty, however, our main meals arrived halfway through our starters??!!!? What can I say about the mains.....terrible, salty, dry and boring, we left some of it (which should have been all of it, but we were very hungery after a hard day on the beach). The waiter, when called to pay our dues said (and sumed it up well) 'How was your food' we said 'Ok'. The waiter said ' ah, food was ok and the service bad'. We had to agree and left. If you want great food and service, we found the Cookoonari Plus is excellent, can't recommend you go...