Taverna by the Sea Paradeisos — Restaurant in Zakynthos Municipality

The owners were extremely rude and showed clear racial bias, and the food was absolutely terrible. I am a young Asian woman visiting Zakynthos on a solo trip, and unfortunately, this was by far the worst dining experience of my life. I arrived around 8:20 PM and was seated. After ordering, I waited 30–40 minutes for my food, while local diners next to me received theirs in about 10 minutes. I ordered the rice with shrimp (recommended by the staff), but when it arrived, it was cold and the shrimp smelled extremely fishy. I only took one bite before trying to address the issue. When I mentioned that the food was not good, the staff asked me to wait. I waited another 30 minutes, and by 9:30 PM, I had to go to the counter myself to speak with the female owner (the male owner did not understand English). She claimed they were short-staffed and busy but seemed dismissive, saying I was the only customer giving negative feedback and that I was wasting her time, so I should pay immediately. (If the staff is short-handed, they shouldn’t be trying to serve so many tables just to make money, right? Quality control should come first.) When I asked for some form of compensation due to the terrible service and inedible food, they clearly did not understand and responded aggressively, questioning why I hadn’t paid yet and why I didn’t give feedback sooner. Despite my explanation that I had only taken one bite and already reported the problem, the female owner explained that her staff didn’t understand English and kept urging me to pay quickly, which made me even more upset and resistant to paying. She and the male owner then shouted at me to leave. I was alone and scared, so I had to run out without paying. The food was disgusting, the staff were rude, and the owners showed clear disrespect and racial bias. I strongly advise all visitors, especially solo travelers or Asian tourists, to avoid this restaurant...

An unforgettable experience, great atmosphere, great food, fair prices. Would strongly recommend.

While many restaurants in Tsivilli have become tourist traps serving unauthentic food, this was a breath of fresh air.

Amazing setting with an incredible sea view, lovely traditional decor, friendly service and seems to be family run by people who care about serving good food and showcasing the best of Greek cuisine. Having lunch here is the definition of la dolce vita...

The stuffed squid, for example, is a great modern creative take. Simple but done extremely well. Wine list is also very good with fair prices. Grilled seabass was delicious as you'd expect from a good Greek restaurant.

While the food is great, but not exceptional, the combination of food, decor, setting and service makes it a great experience and I'd definitely say that this a restaurant that you should not miss in the area.

We had the stuffed squid, grilled seabass and a lovely bottle of Verdea, €52 total and worth every penny.

I hope to come back...

Beautiful setting...but that's about where the good review ends. Service was terrible, sat a good while before being asked for drinks from a waiter who looked rushed off his feet while who we presumed to be the owners chatted to customers, which is lovely but not when the only waiter is struggling and customers are waiting. The food was mediocre in our opinion though others may like it, below standard of the other 5 local restaurants we have visited this week. We were then left waiting for 20 minutes after our plates were taken and not asked if we wanted more drinks or a desert, finally we had to summon someone twice to ask for a bill. A real shame as the setting...