Allegro — Modern Greek in Zakynthos Town

Name: Allegro Restaurant
Rating: 4.5

Most restaurants on Zakynthos Town’s main dining circuit play it safe with traditional taverna menus. Allegro takes the same ingredients and techniques and does something more considered with them — without leaving Greece behind in the process.

The Setting

A converted building on a quiet street behind the waterfront, with a terrace under mature trees and a dining room that manages to feel intimate without being cramped. White and stone, soft lighting, proper table settings. It’s the kind of place where you book ahead rather than walk past and look through the window.

The Food

The kitchen works with traditional Greek foundations and adds structure and precision without turning into something unrecognisable. Lamb fillet with kritharoto (orzo cooked risotto-style in lamb stock, finished with local hard cheese) is the best thing on the menu on most visits — the pasta absorbs the stock and the lamb stays properly pink. This is Greek cooking that’s been thought about.

Grilled octopus with fava — octopus braised and then chargrilled, served over Santorinian fava (split pea purée) with capers and red onion. The textural contrast works well, and the fava cuts through the richness.

For starters, the cheese saganaki is fried firm cheese — crisp outside, molten inside — drizzled with thyme honey from the hills above Zakynthos Town. The salt-sweet combination is intentional and correct.

The wine list is genuinely interesting: Robola from Cephalonia, Zakynthos whites, natural wines from Peloponnese producers the restaurant has actual relationships with. The staff know the list and will give you a straight recommendation rather than just pointing at the most expensive bottle.

When to Go

Allegro is an evening restaurant — it doesn’t do lunch. Best on a weekday in July or August when the town is buzzing but the tables aren’t frantic. In June or September the pace is easier and the kitchen has time for more special dishes. Worth booking for a birthday or a night you’ve decided to spend properly.