Some eating places lure you with location. Others, with spectacle. And then there are these locations that don’t have to shout, like Patio Dining. It sits, quietly confident, only one avenue again from the vacationer tide in Vasiliki, and but someway on the very coronary heart of the village’s culinary soul.
Opened in 2019 by husband-and-wife duo Dimitris and Lena, Patio Dining is testomony to Greece, to Greek hospitality, and above all, to good meals finished proper – seemingly with out attempting too laborious. But it’s clear that they’ve poured themselves into the enterprise — not simply into the menu, however into the temper, the pacing, the welcome. We’re warmly welcomed by Dimitris himself, who greets us like outdated buddies, despite the fact that we’d beforehand merely exchanged a couple of messages through WhatsApp.
The meals
Whilst the tavernas on Vasiliki’s seafront jostle for consideration and waiters attempt to beckon you in as you move, Patio Dining sits again and easily lets its meals to the heavy lifting. Instead, they depend on individuals discovering their approach, and for that customized to maintain on returning, with out the necessity to harrass passers-by.
And when the meals arrives, you perceive why.
Among our starters are the steamed mussels, in a broth of lemon, garlic and white wine, the halloumi cheese, griddled till golden and served with a candy chilli marmalade, and – my favorite – the saganaki prawns. The latter are nestled in a sauce of contemporary tomato, garlic, and inexperienced pepper, with a deliciously indulgent sprinkling of feta.
Our mains embody the beautifully-presented, and equally succulent, selfmade rooster skewer, which is subtly seasoned, completely grilled and bathed in a mustard sauce.
We additionally benefit from the Patio specialty dish of drunk big prawns, served with wild rice and accompanied with a sauce of metaxa 5*, orange juice and creamy tomato. It’s decadent and lightweight, and joyfully Greek.
And the linguine marinara? A tangle of completely al dente ribbons with a contemporary tomato sauce that actually captured the style of vine-ripened tomatoes, and that you simply’d be hard-pushed to duplicate again house.
For dessert, we tried a trio of Greek classics: the baklava with ice cream, sticky and indulgent, and laced with spice and syrup; the molten and unapologetically wealthy chocolate lava cake; and the aromatic and sun-kissed orange pie, the syrup chopping by means of the citrus with good stability.
The chef
The kitchen is led by Mary Polites — a Greek-Australian chef whose story is as layered as her baklava. Raised in Australia by Greek mother and father, and surrounded by Italian neighbours, her meals displays this cultural mosaic: Greek in soul, and Mediterranean in intuition. Having lived and labored in Vasiliki for over 35 years, her meals retains bringing diners again time and time once more.
The atmosphere
Patio Dining enjoys a mild buzz with a cover that shields diners from the solar’s glare, with out shutting it out solely. As the night progresses and the solar dips behind the mountains, the cover is drawn again, revealing the night time sky above and letting the breeze do the remainder. Warm lighting, smooth shadows and bursts of greenery full the setting.
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The value
Prices are trustworthy and proportionate. Starters are available in round €10–15, whereas pizzas and conventional Greek dishes hover within the €15–€20 vary. Seafood dishes are nearer to €30, as are the prime steak cuts. For the standard, it feels virtually underpriced.
The ultimate verdict
Patio Dining isn’t attempting to be something aside from itself — and in at present’s performative eating world, that’s uncommon. There’s no web site past the standard social media channels, no QR-code menus or branded hashtags. Just a couple of blackboard specials, high quality meals made with care and served with coronary heart, in an area that breathes with the rhythm of the island. Make positive you go to if you happen to ever end up in Vasiliki and you’ll want to strive the saganaki prawns.
Disclosure: This submit is sponsored by Patio Dining. Our journey was sponsored by AEGEAN Airlines.
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has labored within the journey business for greater than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED journal. In addition to different awards, the weblog has additionally been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.
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