8 Best Restaurants in The Saronic Gulf Islands, Greece

Seafood is the word at this famed taverna run by Antonis and his sons, and the octopus grilled in front of the establishment lures bathers and other visitors who tuck into options ranging from teeny fried smelt to enormous lobsters. People-watching is as much of a draw as the food, since the tables afford a view of all the comings and goings of the harbor's small boats as well as some sleek yachts. Other than splurging on the bouillabaisse here (expect to pay around €50 euros per kilo for sole, mullet, grouper—you name it), most dishes here, such as the veal and onions or briam ("vegetables in the oven") rarely exceed €12.

Kodylenia's Taverna looks like a whitewashed fisherman's cottage on a promontory overlooking the little harbor of Kamini, with a veranda terrace charmingly set with folkloric pennants and communal tables—it's the perfect perch to catch some sublime sunsets. It is also an irresistibly alluring (if a little pricey) place that has enraptured town folk and off-duty billionaires alike. When there, peek into the kitchen below the terrace to see what's cooking: a whole fish may be chargrilling and, when available, order kritamos (rock samphire), the urchin salad, or share an order of fresh-caught grilled squid in tomato sauce.

Since 1945 O Skotadis has been serving a large selection of mezedes for starters and mostly fresh fish mains (a good option is the fried katsoula fish, cleaver wrasse), usually to be accompanied by ouzo, the classic Greek anise drink. See if you can snag a table (reservations are best) on the second-floor terrace with its panoramic view of Aegina's harbor. Don't forget to try the large fresh salad with caper leaves.

Sit on the waterside veranda and savor seafood mezedes and fresh fish right from the sea in one of the more affordable restaurants on this sometimes overpriced (for Greece) island. As the very friendly waiters will tell you, the house specialties are the fish soup, astakomakaronada (lobster with spaghetti), and a kind of paella with mussels, shrimp, and crayfish. Magirefta (oven-baked dishes) include stuffed aubergines; oven-baked lamb; and roast scarpine fish with tomato and garlic. Expect to pay around €50 per kilo for the fresh grilled fish (compared to €60 in other fish tavernas). The chef makes a mean baked apple for dessert, but before you order, know that mini portions of baklava, karydopita, and spoon sweets with yogurt are on the house.

For a light bite, try this harborside ouzeri restaurant, a hangout for locals as well as tourists, where warm yellow walls are decorated with stencils. Except for the 30 varieties of ouzo, everything is homemade, including palate-pleasing Vouta Vouta (Dip Dip), a dish of shrimp and spicy sauce, and the real don't-miss dishes: custom omelets for breakfast and baked apple in cognac. Reservations are recommended in the evening during the summer months.