Best Restaurants in Lefkada Locals Love to Eat in Autumn
There is a different kind of Lefkada after summer. The beaches are still beautiful. The sea is still blue. The olive groves still glow silver when the afternoon sun begins to fall. But the island slows down. The roads become quieter, the mountain villages feel more peaceful and the long, lazy lunches start to make much more sense. For couples visiting Lefkada in September or October this post is for you to discover the best restaurants in Lefkada locals love to eat in autumn.
For us this is the right way to experience the island: leave the coast behind for a few hours, drive into the mountains and find somewhere simple to eat.
A village taverna under a plane tree.
A little grill in a square.
A family-run place where the menu depends on what was cooked that day.
No rush. Dress code? No and there’s no need to check the time.
Just good food, wine and the two of you.
So here are some of the best restaurants in Lefkada locals love and worth knowing when you want to taste a quieter, more authentic side of Lefkada.
Lazarata: an evening under the plane trees
Klimataria
At the centre of Lazarata, one of the mountain villages of Lefkada, you’ll find Klimataria, right on the village square. This is exactly the sort of place we have in mind when we talk about a traditional Greek Grill taverna. The setting is wonderfully simple: the village square, the old trees, tables outside and the smell of grilled meat in the air.
Recent reviews praise the authentic Greek atmosphere, the generous portions, the grilled meats and the friendly service. One reviewer specifically mentioned the quality of the meats and the excellent local tsipouro, while other comments praise the traditional dishes and the relaxed setting under the plane trees.
For a couple, this is one of those places that feels the authentic Greek atmosphere, the generous portions, the grilled meats and a friendly service.
Order a few things for the middle of the table.
Try the grilled meat.
Pour another glass of wine.
Stay a little longer than you planned.
That is how a village evening in Lefkada should feel.
Karya: a mountain village made for a long lunch
Karya is probably the best-known mountain village in Lefkada, and for good reason. In autumn, when the crowds are thinner, it becomes particularly lovely. Walk through the village streets, sit under a plane tree and have a long lunch before continuing your drive.
Eleni Taverna
Eleni Taverna has a strong reputation for traditional, family-style Greek cooking.
Try the goat, rooster, lentils and other traditional Greek favorites. Enjoy your lunch or dinner sitting beneath the plane trees in the quiet surroundings in autumn.
That is perhaps the best way to approach Karya.
Don’t go there simply for a restaurant.
Go there for an afternoon.
Have lunch or dinner.
Take a walk.
Stop for coffee.
And let the village set the pace.
Eglouvi: the village of Lefkada’s famous lentils
If there is one mountain village you should include in an autumn food trip around Lefkada, then Eglouvi should be in your list.
It is the highest village on the island and is famous for its small local lentils, one of the island’s signature products.
Officially, the Greek tourism board also highlights Englouvi lentils among Lefkada’s local treasures, together with local salami, pies, wine and traditional dishes.
And this is where food becomes part of the journey rather than simply a stop for lunch.
Walk around the village.
Look at the old houses.
Sit beneath the trees.
Take your time.
Ta Lytrata
Ta Lytrata is a lovely taverna with generous portions and particularly recommended the local lentil-based dishes, chickpeas and homemade lemonade. It’s a small mountain taverna with a real Greek feel and local products such as Eglouvi lentils, beans and honey.
That makes it a lovely stop for couples who enjoy discovering food that actually belongs to the place they are visiting.
Try the lentils.
Try a homemade dish.
And save some room for something sweet.
Kolyvata: dinner that feels like coming home
Maria’s Tavern
This is perhaps the most unusual recommendation.
Maria’s Tavern in Kolyvata is a tiny family-run taverna in a tiny mountain village. The restaurant describes itself as a traditional family tavern, serving local dishes, grilled meats and appetizers, with dishes of the day rather than a conventional tourist-style menu.
And that’s exactly what makes it special.
Try homemade phyllo pastry, meatballs, stuffed vegetables, slow-baked chicken and local sausages.
In particular, it is a genuinely different dining experience, and one that many visitors remember precisely because it doesn’t feel like a standard tourist restaurant.
For a couple, this is the sort of place to visit when you want the evening itself to become part of the adventure.
Call ahead for a table.
Drive slowly.
Enjoy the journey.
And don’t expect dinner to happen in a hurry.
Exanthia: The Village with the Ionian below you
There is one more place in Exanthia village we have to include. Because the experience is simply beautiful in autumn. The bar (kafeneio in Greek) sits high above the western side of Lefkada, and the combination of snacks (meze in Greek), the mountain landscape and views towards the Ionian makes it especially memorable around sunset.
Sto Kafeneio
Not every good place to eat in Lefkada needs to be a restaurant.
Sometimes you just want coffee.
A cold beer.
A little meze.
Something sweet.
A table outside.
And nowhere else you need to be.
Sto Kafeneio in Exanthia is the kind of place that fits perfectly into that slower autumn rhythm.
This is one of the pleasures of travelling around the mountain villages: you don’t always need a plan.
Sometimes you simply stop.
And for something by the sea: Pantazis in Nikiana
The mountains may be the focus of this guide, but there is one classic east-coast stop worth mentioning.
Taverna Pantazis in Nikiana has been operating since 1977 and is located at the harbour, beside a small beach. The restaurant offers traditional homemade Greek food and fresh fish or seafood supplied by local fishermen.
It’s a lovely place with a beautiful waterfront setting, traditional feel, friendly staff and Greek dishes such as meatballs, moussaka and veal stifado.
Today, it is certainly not a hidden gem.
But sometimes a place doesn’t need to be hidden to be worth returning to.
Make LefkaSeaBnB Your Home Base This Autumn
Perhaps the nicest thing about discovering Lefkada in autumn is that you don’t need to stay in the middle of everything.
You just need somewhere lovely to come back to.
Somewhere quiet after a long day exploring.
Somewhere to open a bottle of wine, talk about the places you discovered and decide where you’ll go tomorrow.
That is what you will love about LefkaSeaBnB.
Use it as your base for discovering the Lefkada beyond the famous beaches — the mountain villages, the little squares, the traditional tavernas, the local food and the slower side of island life.
Come for the sea.
Stay for the villages.
And leave having discovered a Lefkada that feels a little more personal.
Finally, with all that said are you planning a romantic autumn escape to Lefkada?
Make LefkaSeaBnB your home base and discover the island at your own pace.