Food in Koronisia: the tavernas and what to order
Written by the owners of Asterias Homes, Koronisia
The tavernas in Koronisia cook fish that came out of the Amvrakikos Gulf the same day. The dish people drive here for is Amvrakikos shrimp, while grey mullet, eel and bottarga are the other local products you will not find everywhere.
For a lot of visitors the food is not part of the trip — it is the trip. Plenty of people drive from Arta, Ioannina or Preveza purely for a table over the water and head home the same evening.
What makes the difference here is not fine cooking; it is the distance between the net and the plate. Below: what the local product actually is, what to order, and the practicalities of hours and reservations.
Amvrakikos shrimp
This is the product the area is identified with. Amvrakikos shrimp are smaller than open-sea prawns, thin-shelled and distinctly sweet — a result of the brackish, shallow water of the gulf, fed by the Arachthos and Louros rivers.
You will find them boiled with oil and lemon, grilled, saganaki-style with tomato and feta, or in youvetsi and risotto. If it is your first time, ask for them boiled or grilled: that is the version that hides nothing.
Because demand is high and the fishery limited, they are not cheap and they are not always available. Ask what came in today rather than ordering off the printed menu.
What else the gulf produces
The Amvrakikos is one of the most productive fishing grounds in Greece and the range shifts with the season. These are the constants.
- Grey mullet (kefalos)
- the signature lagoon fish, grilled or fried
- Bottarga (avgotaracho)
- cured mullet roe, the most expensive and most local thing on the menu — sliced, with oil
- Eel
- traditionally grilled over charcoal or stewed in wine
- Sea bream and sea bass
- from the gulf and from the farms around it
- Bogue and picarel
- the cheap, simple, correct thing to start with
- Epirus pies
- the inland half of the kitchen — cheese, meat and greens pies
Hours, reservations and seasonality
Koronisia runs on village time, not resort time. That means planning matters more than you might expect.
- In July and August, particularly Friday and Saturday evenings, book a table. The village fills with day visitors.
- Out of season, call before you drive: several tavernas run reduced hours or open only at weekends.
- Lunch is often the better slot — fewer people, the same fish, and the light across the gulf.
- Sunday lunch is traditionally the busiest service of the week.
- Vegetarian options exist but are limited — pies, salads, pulses, and whatever is cooked that day.
If you are cooking for yourself
Accommodation in Koronisia is mostly apartments with kitchens, and many guests split the difference: a taverna evening or two, the rest of the meals at home.
Do your shop in Arta on the way down — the village has no supermarket. For fish, ask in the village: the freshest option is rarely the one sitting on a shelf.
Every Asterias apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, so that combination works without compromises.
Food — common questions
Are there tavernas in Koronisia?
Yes. The village has fish tavernas, several with tables set over the water, cooking the day’s catch from the Amvrakikos Gulf.
What should I order in Koronisia?
Amvrakikos shrimp. It is the product the area is known for — small, thin-shelled and sweet. If you want something even more local, ask for bottarga or grilled eel.
Is eating out in Koronisia expensive?
It is fresh fish, so the price follows the market and is charged by weight. Mezedes, pies and small fish keep the bill reasonable; shrimp and bottarga are the expensive end of the menu.
Are the tavernas open in winter?
Some operate year-round, though often on reduced hours or weekends only. Outside summer, call ahead before you set off.
Do I need a reservation?
In July and August, and especially at weekends and for Sunday lunch, yes. The rest of the year, usually not.
Continue the guide
- Swimming and beaches— What the gulf water is like, and which Ionian beaches are worth the drive.
- When to visit— Month by month: swimming, birds, quiet, and when the village fills up.
- The Byzantine church— The Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos: history, visiting, and its feast day.
- Back to the Koronisia guide