📝 usncan Note: Where To Eat, Stay, And What To Do In Hydra, Greece
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Hydra is the kind of island that breeds obsession. Once a Greek naval powerhouse, later Leonard Cohen’s ‘60s hideaway, now a magnet for artists and gallery-hoppers, it has a way of pulling people in and slowing them down. No cars, no chaos–just cobbled steps, ebbing waters, and sunsets that might inspire you to write a song (or, at the very least, listen to few as you crack open another bottle of Assyrtiko).
It makes sense, then, that Hydra’s food culture is what it is: thoughtful, creative, a little indulgent. After all, when an island attracts painters and poets, it tends to attract chefs who cook like them, too.
As a result, Hydra’s dining scene swings from unmarked back-street tavernas to true gastronomic gems, both of which tend to come perfectly packaged with remarkable ocean views. I’ll warn you in advcance; the pace of it all–eat, swim, nap, repeat–will make you wish you’d booked a longer trip.
Where to Eat in Hydra
Techne, Hydra Town
Set in a restored boatyard, Techne is Hydra’s most “grown-up” restaurant. Plates are modern but grounded in Greek flavour: “cacio e pepe” Paccheri with prawns and courgette; , Greek “Anthotyro” ravioli wish lashings of summer truffle; short rib so tender it collapses under your fork. The room fills with the art crowd in summer, and the staff actually know their wine list, which runs deep on Greek producers. Pound for pound–or should I say euro for euro–it might just be the best restaurant in Greece.
Captain M, Mandraki Bay
Cocktails by the beach at Captain M
Mandraki Beach Resort
And then there’s Mandraki. Once Hydra’s naval base, and now the island’s only real beach resort, this cove east of town is where everything gets, well, a little bit better. Mandraki Beach Resort is the “dream holiday” name in lights, and its restaurant–Captain M–runs the show from morning until night.
Breakfast is absurdly good (and I’m not a breakfast lover); thick Greek yoghurt bowls with all the figs, local honey, and superfoods you could dream of, baskets of warm pastries, and coffee strong enough to jolt you into the sea. Lunch drifts in with game-changing Greek salads (see: barrel-aged feta mousse, samphire, and oregano from Mandraki’s garden, would you believe it!), sushi rolls worthy of a Tokyo hotspot, lobster tacos, et al. By dinner, things lean richer: flavor-packed ceviches, whole fish roasted in salt, a heavy-handed seafood orzo with scallops the size of your hand, all paired with a wine list that runs from Santorini whites to bold Cretan reds.
The setting is the definition of barefoot chic: tables practically in the water, a backdrop of pine-covered hills, the sea rolling in softly as your wine slips down. And when you’ve lingered too long over dinner, Mandraki’s complimentary boat will shuttle you back to Hydra Town. It’s a small detail, considering you could walk there in 20 minutes or so, but after a few glasses of wine, the ride across the bay, lights of the harbour ahead, is the kind of theatre you don’t forget.
Lefteraki’s Taverna, Mandraki Bay
Lefteraki’s Taverna, Hydra
Lefteraki’s Taverna
Right beside Mandraki Beach Resort, Lefteraki’s is as Greek as it gets–plastic-clothed tables on the waterfront, fishing boats nudging against the quay, plates that never overcomplicate. The grilled sardines here are as fresh as they come, the fava is silken, and the baked aubergine arrives bubbling with tomato and cheese. Order the octopus, charred just enough, and a carafe of house white. The trick? Sit long enough and you’ll be offered watermelon on the house for dessert. It’s unfussy, it’s local, and it balances Mandraki’s polish with the carefree kind of charm you came to the island for.
Omilos, Hydra Town
Tables cling to the rocks at Omilos, waves breaking beneath your chair, octopus strung overhead. With limited covers, it’s the kind of spot that makes you feel smug about your life choices. Sensibly, the menu keeps to seafood and pasta–grilled calamari, lobster linguine, prawn saganaki, et al. Go at golden hour, order the house white, and watch the horizon burn as you order everything you possibly can.
To Piato, Hydra Town
A low-key family taverna with chalkboard menus. Think stuffed tomatoes, courgette fritters, moussaka that doesn’t taste mass-produced. It’s unfussy, it’s cheap, and it’s where you’ll see locals actually eating.
Sunset, Kaminia
Ten minutes west of the harbour, Kaminia is still a working fishing village, and Sunset is its prize. It does exactly what the name promises: sardines and mezze as the sun drops into the sea. The bread is baked daily, the wine poured generously, and the view impossible to beat.
Marina’s, Vlichos
A coastal walk west (40 minutes if you don’t stop) will deliver you to Marina’s, a taverna with its tables practically in the sea. The food is simple–fried anchovies, fava, seabass with lemon–but it’s the honesty of it, and the walk back under the stars, that makes it worth the trek.
Where to Stay in Hydra
Hydra Town is the obvious base, with its web of guesthouses tucked above bougainvillea-draped alleys, and most rooms lean towards the simple and affordable. The trade-off, unfortunately, is the climb. The aforementioned carlessness of Hydra means most will have to lug their suitcase, or suitcases, up an incline that even the most gym-going traveller would balk at. Donkeys are available to assist (though, personally, not something I’d encourage in Greece’s blistering summer heat), but regular ascents and descents aren’t for the faint-hearted.
Mandraki Beach Resort, Hydra
Mandraki Beach Resort
If you want a more relaxing and luxurious stay (and why wouldn’t you), you book Mandraki Beach Resort. Twenty minutes’ walk east of town, it opens onto a private bay (the only sandy beach on the island, in fact) with loungers, paddleboards, and that phenomenal restaurant at its core.
Rooms and suites are pared-back but pretty, and many come with private pool decks facing the water. It’s the epitome of quiet luxury: no grand gestures, just thoughtful details, from beach staff who remember your coffee order to the ease of those complimentary boats in and out of town (but the walking route itself–past the DESTE Foundation’s art gallery in a converted slaughterhouse, past a good hundred cats asleep in doorways–is half the charm). In short, Hydra has plenty of beds, but Mandraki has more.
What to Do in Hydra
Hydra isn’t built for sightseeing, per se, but there are a few things you won’t want to miss out on:
- Swim everywhere. Platforms at Spilia, beaches at Vlichos, the bay at Mandraki. The water is crystalline and cool enough to sharpen every sense.
- Walk the coast. The paths between town, Kaminia, Mandraki, and Vlichos wind past chapels, pine trees, and views that will fill up your camera roll in minutes.
- See the art. The DESTE Project Space hosts a single-artist show every summer, and this year’s is no exception. The most arresting gallery in the Aegean, set beneath Jeff Koons’ gorgeous sundial.
- Trace Leonard Cohen. Cohen’s house still stands, and the locals still tell stories. A quiet walk past his old door, or the dedicated bench beneath it, feels oddly like a pilgrimage.
