On the main road, leave the house, going left, after Peesses beach, in middle of valley. Margarita defines good Greek home-cooking: decently priced Greek cuisine, some from the pot, some from the oven and grilled local meats or souvlaki. Margarita herself stands out as a personality but also for the good basic Greek food with Kean fresh bio products and vegetarian dishes, one of the few truly value-for-money Kean restaurants. Service can be very slow if busy, that is why it missed the 5/5 mark.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: **

(green restaurant on far right on the beach)

It's prime location may attract you but overall food quality is mediocre and expensive, not always the freshest. For a light nibble or salad may be a viable choice if you are on the beach already but go to Margarita if not too lazy.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: ***

Up-scale taverna in the beach bar complex offering a selection of various salads, fish, and tavern items. If you are on the beach chairs you can also order sandwiches and light lunch items. Is overall pricey, among some on the grill, a lot of fried food and pre-frozen items. Convenient but far from quality or value-for-money. Good for a drink at all hours!

Our rating: 2/5
Price: ***

The beach bar on Koundouraki beach offers some very decent fair. Huge burgers from local meat, fresh salads from organic products and apart from all kind soft drinks, beer, soda, some very interesting cold mint teas! On the pricey side overall but you are on the beach!

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

Newcomer (2018) fine dining restaurant in the new ANAMAR boutique hotel. Expensive and not worth it by popular opinion. Tries to serve Greek nouvelle cuisine but somewhere fails in the greater picture. Ambiance and view are nice but does not justify the 3-digit bill at the end. See Porto Kea Restaurant instead for fine dining.

Our rating: 1/5
Price: *****

Basic fare at decent prices. Good for a light lunch if in the area, close to many nice beaches. Its tour-de-force are home-made pies (mushroom, vegetable, meat) and lately lamb-on-the-spit, a Greek tradition! Service is a bit slow and marginally un-professional.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: **

as you enter the town of Ioulis (Chora) through the arch, on your immediate left you will see the Piatsa . Owned by Yannis and Evangelia, it serves a great assortment of carefully prepared Greek cuisine dishes at very decent prices, making a favourite among the locals. Does not take reservations so arrive early on weekends or…wait for one of the few tables outside. Definitely value-for-money with lots of local ambiance and good home cooking.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: **

It is Kea’s less-known gem. It is a family-run restaurant in the middle of the beautiful Ioulis, next to the St Dimitri church. Mom Ritsa cooks, Dad & Son serve, cannot get more…homey. Great, real, HOME-MADE cuisine with a very tasty, originally Greek menu, good local fresh materials. My favourites are the aubergine wraps with minced meat and the rabbit in beer sauce. Some times slow service when busy but the very polite Yiannis the owner, a joy. Due to popularity, portions have grown lately smaller and more expensive so it misses the 5/5 mark by a sliver but that is no reason not to go. If the walk up (down is easy) does not deter you, recommended whole-heartedly. You may have to wait a bit for a table on busy weekends.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

In the Chora, to your left on the way up, nearly across from Museum. More of a wine bar than restaurant , offering a variety of small and larger dishes. Overall expensive though the food is nice. Terrace has nice view.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ****

The big tavern on the main square, across from the impressive neoclassical town hall. Typical Greek tavern offering some pot dishes, a lot of grilled meat, gets crowded in the summer. Decent food but not exceptional, some dishes stand out more than others. Service can be very slow when busy.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: ***

Main square to the right from Town Hall. A newcomer offering nice Greek cuisine, some dishes exceptional. Worth trying. Finding seating may be challenging on busy days.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

(past the main town hall square 80m)

You have a sweet tooth? You want to have a relaxing cup of Greek coffee with some nice oriental delights? Panorama is THE place. They make their own oriental sweets (baklava, kataifi, ravani, ekmek, etc) and many more. Their terrace offers sweeping Aegean and sunset views so get there early before sunset to get a seat. Music can be a bit loud and annoying at times.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: **

Much advertised, supposedly gourmet “nouvelle Greek cuisine’ bespoke restaurant and bar, offering an impressive view of Hora and the Aegean. Overall severely over-priced, portions are tiny, at prices like those of a 1-2 star Michelin restaurant, less the taste and quality, and service is from slow to erratic for the genre. Worth to go for a drink during sunset and no more. Trek to Steki from there and skip dinner there: too much hype, too little substance.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: *****

It is located across from where the ferries stop, in a you-cannot-miss neoclassical yellow building. Lagoudera features and array of Greek mostly local dishes. Do not miss the eggplant in red sauce with local cheese!

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

Very popular restaurant with tourists due to its location smack in the middle of the port and in front of the marina. Food is mediocre, nothing to write home about at times stodgy and inedible. I would avoid.

Our rating: 1/5
Price: ***

Small tavern up in the port, you have to really look for the sign to take you up the small cobblestone back street to find it. Not much of a variety or the food is exceptional. Nice for the view. Better choices in the port.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: **

They say that Greek pizza is the best! This little family run joint verifies the adage. The only issue is that it is quite…pricey for pizza and what it overall offers. If you have had it with Greek cooking, try it. Pizzas are very tasty and at decent size.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ****

With new building and extended menu. Offers great view of the port area plus many Greek delicacies on the grill or spit, the succulent piglet being what they are famous for but also many other grilled local meats.

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

A fancy souvlaki joint that also has a small (expensive – Vourkari obliges) restaurant section. The grill/souvlaki part in the back does not enjoy the nicer views of the by-the-water restaurant but is quite pleasant and airy. Portions are generous but overall on the pricey side for the kind of fare. Remains the «budget» solution in Vourkari...

Our rating: 3/5
Price: ***

(on the way up to Kastriani)

Definitely stands out as on of the top 3 value-for-money, blue-chip eating places in Kea. Open year-round, it serves delicious meat and fish dishes and vegetables too. Excellent Greek cuisine that includes rarities like saligaria (escargots/snails in red sauce). Fish are decently priced and always fresh. A MUST during your visit.

Our rating: 5/5
Price: *** (**** for fish meals)

(Simon’s old Tavern)

Since Nektarions, Antoni’s brother from ANNA’s Vourkari took it over from Simon, the tavern has seen an amazing transformation in quality of food served. The spacious tavern (that can also host weddings and events) with the large terrace offers an array of local dishes and typical Greek cuisine foods, all well prepared and nicely served. One of the best eating-out choices if you are in the south of the island. Nice and cool on hot summer days up in Ellinika. Beware of the Greek live music on certain summer weekends, if not to your taste.

Our rating: 4/5
Price: ***

The cute little restaurant next to the mini market on the main square, if you want to hang out with the locals, this is the place. Cute small coffee shop/tavern in the evening serving limited meze and some dishes for...unlimited drinking.

Our rating: 2/5
Price: **