Nobelos in Zakynthos: A Delightful Seafood Experience in a Magical Setting

It’s impossible not to be captivated as you wind down the private lane towards the restaurant and the sea. Towering pine trees, colourful flowers, a stunning cove with crystal-clear turquoise waters, and a uniquely textured beach form a truly breathtaking setting. There, the Nobelos family has created a wonderful… relais & châteaux with just four rooms and a genuinely delightful restaurant. The atmosphere is centred around relaxation and carefree enjoyment. Everything appears "casual" yet is meticulously curated, blending rare tastefulness with high aesthetics. This unique combination has the charm to immediately relax you within moments of arriving.

When you open the menu, everything initially appears to be that of a classic seafood tavern offering a little more. However, the true essence of the place reveals itself when the impressive—yet genuinely substantial—dishes begin to arrive, and even more so when you start tasting them. The ingredients are bursting with freshness and vitality: vegetables from their own garden, eggs from their hens, and fresh fish delivered daily by trusted local fishermen. The lobsters and slipper lobsters are alive and kicking, while all the flavours are brought to life by the remarkable salt they harvest in winter from the surrounding rocks—a salt that is almost "fruity and sweet."

The fish are cooked carefully, the calamari is a true poetic highlight, but it’s the lobsters and slipper lobsters that steal the show here. Of course, there are also some pasta dishes—try the (now almost cliché) lobster pasta, served in beautiful shell bowls, and you’ll remember me. Additionally, the fantastic “bourdeto” prepared by Alexandros Nobelos, especially when made with scorpion fish or grouper, is truly unforgettable. However, the restaurant’s absolute must-try is the slipper lobster “saganaki.” Juicy, flavourful meat that can stand up to the richness of feta and tomato, elevating the traditional saganaki to a level we’ve never experienced before. When, a few years ago, Alexandros first suggested pairing it with garlic bread, despite initial hesitation, he revealed a culinary dream... a meal we continue to build upon every time at Nobelos (yes, it’s one of those rare restaurants—and hotels—that we loyally return to every year for a few days).

Beyond all these delights, here you will also savour top-quality French fries, a fresh salad loaded with an array of seafood, one of the best moussaka I`ve had in recent years, and a selection of carefully curated meat dishes.

The impressive wine list, featuring over 200 labels, is now organised on tablets delivered to the table, with choices that cater to every preference. Some of the labels, such as select top Burgundy wines, Petrus, and many others, attest to what truly goes on behind the seemingly boho and deliberately unkempt exterior of this place. Nobelos’s prices are quite high—wines by the glass are three or four times the normal price, lobster costs €170 per kilo, and moussaka is €24—but trust me, the experience more than justifies the cost. Six years ago, on my first visit to Nobelos, I wrote — among other things — this closing paragraph, which I still think of every time I’m here:

"...As the hours passed, and I sampled various dishes while letting myself relax, I realised that Nobelos truly justifies its prices; it `deserves` to charge these rates. We may be used to paying such amounts in more upscale, modern venues, in more cosmopolitan destinations, or in exotic restaurants. You see, the factor of exoticism carries a significant psychological added value. But think about it — why can`t traditional Greek cuisine, within its authentic Greek setting, also claim such prices?"