Places bring out different feelings in people. The home you grew up in, the playground you used to play hide and seek in, the sea you learnt how to swim in... We all get attached to places for one reason or another. For me, Kefalonia is special. Not just because I spent every single summer of my life there, or because it is beautiful or because I have family and friends there that I know I will see every year I go back. It is special in a magical way. It draws me back every year - even when I have been off travelling the world, I have to spend at least a few days in Kefalonia to feel myself again.
I know I am not being 100% objective here. I grew up spending every summer there, in my Nona's house, close to the beach. I learnt how to swim there, I learnt to ride a bike there and I ordered my first drink in Lixouri. But it definately has something special about it even to people who don't have a direct connection with the island. I see that from many friends and family who came over once to visit and are still coming all these years later!
One of the places that I have been going to from a very young age, and that is still one of our favourites to visit while we are out there, is Apolafsi Taverna. It is just outside of Lixouri and has great views of the bay looking over to the other side of the island. The interior of the Taverna hasn't changed much over the last 40 years, with its mosaic floors and large ceiling fans, but the outside space is beautiful and a great place to spend a warm summer's night stuffing your face with good food.
The Taverna is family owned and the quality of cooking has remained consistant throughout. I have probably ordered everything on the menu (and off) and I have never had anything bad there. The pre-cooked dishes (Stifado, Cephalonian meat pie, Kokkinisto etc) are all pretty heavily spiced with cinnamon and cloves, but if you like that kind of thing, you will very much enjoy them.
Last Sunday night I went there with my husband for a fairly quick dinner alone, as missy was behaving in her sleep! We weren't too hungry, as Nona had cooked another big lunch, but we decided we could handle a couple of starters to share and some meat and fish. We ordered fried tomatoes and fried courgettes with some tzatziki to dip them in and then fried red mullet and beef stifado.
The fried starters were both good, though the tomatoes were amazing! They retain their shape in the flour batter and they just get crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The tzatziki was a perfect accompaniment with the starters as the cooling yoghurt and cucumber cut through the hot, rich batter. I thought I wouldn't have much tzatziki, as I felt quite tired and raw garlic can just send me straight to bed, but I couldn't resist...
The fried fish was good, though not the best I have had there. They were not quite crisp enough, but the flavour was good. The beef stifado was very good and extremely tender. As I mentioned, it has quite a strong flavour of cloves, but the stifado can take it as a flavouring. The fries on the plate were also great, having absorbed some of the stifado juices.
I do love this place, mostly because of its familiarity, but also, of course, because of the good food, friendly service and lovely ambience. We paid 33 euros for all that (including bread, a litre of draught Greek beer and a bottle of water). It is not as cheap as it used to be, but Greece isn't in general any more (we can have the euro dicussion another time!). If you ever happen to be in Lixouri or even the other side of Kefalonia, it might be worth the drive over.
I know I am not being 100% objective here. I grew up spending every summer there, in my Nona's house, close to the beach. I learnt how to swim there, I learnt to ride a bike there and I ordered my first drink in Lixouri. But it definately has something special about it even to people who don't have a direct connection with the island. I see that from many friends and family who came over once to visit and are still coming all these years later!
One of the places that I have been going to from a very young age, and that is still one of our favourites to visit while we are out there, is Apolafsi Taverna. It is just outside of Lixouri and has great views of the bay looking over to the other side of the island. The interior of the Taverna hasn't changed much over the last 40 years, with its mosaic floors and large ceiling fans, but the outside space is beautiful and a great place to spend a warm summer's night stuffing your face with good food.
The Taverna is family owned and the quality of cooking has remained consistant throughout. I have probably ordered everything on the menu (and off) and I have never had anything bad there. The pre-cooked dishes (Stifado, Cephalonian meat pie, Kokkinisto etc) are all pretty heavily spiced with cinnamon and cloves, but if you like that kind of thing, you will very much enjoy them.
Last Sunday night I went there with my husband for a fairly quick dinner alone, as missy was behaving in her sleep! We weren't too hungry, as Nona had cooked another big lunch, but we decided we could handle a couple of starters to share and some meat and fish. We ordered fried tomatoes and fried courgettes with some tzatziki to dip them in and then fried red mullet and beef stifado.
The fried starters were both good, though the tomatoes were amazing! They retain their shape in the flour batter and they just get crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The tzatziki was a perfect accompaniment with the starters as the cooling yoghurt and cucumber cut through the hot, rich batter. I thought I wouldn't have much tzatziki, as I felt quite tired and raw garlic can just send me straight to bed, but I couldn't resist...
The fried fish was good, though not the best I have had there. They were not quite crisp enough, but the flavour was good. The beef stifado was very good and extremely tender. As I mentioned, it has quite a strong flavour of cloves, but the stifado can take it as a flavouring. The fries on the plate were also great, having absorbed some of the stifado juices.
I do love this place, mostly because of its familiarity, but also, of course, because of the good food, friendly service and lovely ambience. We paid 33 euros for all that (including bread, a litre of draught Greek beer and a bottle of water). It is not as cheap as it used to be, but Greece isn't in general any more (we can have the euro dicussion another time!). If you ever happen to be in Lixouri or even the other side of Kefalonia, it might be worth the drive over.
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