Opening days for season 2023
May 2nd - October 21nd
Essence Restaurant
Established in 2010 by an Austrian chef Filip Blazek and his Slovak business partner Oxana Litvajova.
The mission of Essence is to provide fine dining in a relaxed and romantic atmosphere. Tapas, in Greek „meze“, is a style of dining, common in the Mediterranean.
You will be delighted to eat your dinner slooowly - like the Greeks do - and enjoy several courses and delicious wine under the stars in our garden.
Shared joy makes love grow.
Oxana

SINCE
2010

MENU
Our seasonal menu is accompanied by our daily special menu to offer you the freshest produce of the season, preferably local and hand-picked daily

Vegetarian & vegan
We love veggies too!
Our menu satisfies all vegetarians.
Vegan?
Don’t be shy to ask.

FISH
We offer catch-of-the-day and seasonal fish, delivered daily by local fishermen of Zakynthos.

Wine
Our wine is a selection of excellent Greek wines. Our philosophy is to serve local products for your authentic Greece experience. Try outstanding Greek varieties like Preknadi, Malagouzia, Assyrtiko and many more.
- Bread basket
7,-
tirokafteri (spicy cheesy dip), olives, oregano oil
- Potato Salad
7,-
- Patatas bravas
8,-
crispy potatoes, marinara sauce, garlic aioli, parmesan
- Cauliflower
8,-
tomato-chili salsa, walnuts, yogurt
- Octopus xidato
13,-
fava puree, Greek style pickled octopus
- Roastbeef
12.50,-
cold sliced roastbeef, goats curd, honey-sesame dressing
- Squids
10.50,-
potatoes, tomato sauce, herbs crumbs
- Prawn spanakopita
10.50,-
prawn pie with spinash, feta and garlic
- Calamari
18,-
taramasalata, harrisa oil
- Seabream plaki
18,-
whole seabream, tomatoes, olives, preserved lemons
- Mussel saganaki
16,-
fresh mussels, tomato salsa, feta, oregano
- Pork chop
19,-
parmesan fondutta, cotto ham
- Salmon
18,-
tomato - clam salad, herbs
- Rabit
18,-
confit rabit, butter beansm pancettam mustard
- Roasted chicken
15,-
1/2 chicken, lemon yoghurt, tomato relish
- Mushroom youvetsi
12,-
Greek rice pasta, mushrooms, creme fraiche, truffle oil
- Golden Greek peppers
9,-
salted cod, oregano, capers
- Beef soutzoukakia
10.50,-
beef meatballs , mint yoghurt, tomato salsa, Graviera cheese
- Stracciatella
12,-
creamy burrata, mushrooms, roasted hazelnuts
- Affogato
7.50,-
vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate brownie, hot espresso
- Burnt Greek cheesecake
8.50,-
melted chocolate, halva crumble
image gallery
Nice place to eat and relax.

Amazing place, Amazing people, Amazing cuisine!
We visited twice essence and we had a lovely experience! We got lucky as they had in the specials tuna which was so fresh (it was caught in the morning)! We will definitely visit again next time we are in Zakynthos!
NadyaMiteva, Sofia, Bulgaria
August 10, 2021
Excellence!
We are visiting Zakinthos for the 5th time the last 20 years. This is the best tapas restaurant on the island. Food was excellent, service is great, there is space between tables which makes you feel really comfy and classy, the hostess is a person worth to meet and chat. Simple, straight, funny, really professional and with great passion for her restaurant. She is beyond a simple owner of a restaurant. Excellence lies in the details and this resto is a “must do”. Will be back for sure!
makjohn91, Athens, Greece
August 10, 2021
Beautiful setting & incredible foodAbsolutely AMAZING food! Best on the Island with the friendliest Slovakian hosts. The chef trained in Michelin star restaurants and it definitely came through in both the tastes and appearance of the dishes. There was a mixture of tapas on the menu which we sampled and the scallops were delightfully simple and beautifully presented. The restaurant itself is off a quiet unsuspecting road and situated next to old castle ruins. A must visit restaurant if you’re visiting the island for a week!
HuwWarren, St. Albans, United Kingdom
July 13, 2021
A culinary gem in KalamakiWe were pleasantly surprised to find this culinary gem hidden away in the backstreets of Kalamaki. It is located not too far away from the infamous Kalamaki strip. Restaurant Essence offers a culinary experience which you will be unlikely to find in many other restaurants in this area. Food was beautifully presented and was served by friendly and knowledgeable waitresses. The setting is typically Greek in a beautiful garden lit by candles and moonlight, which makes the entire setting very romantic.
DemiDemi2, The Netherlands
August 28, 2020
Innovative and delicious foodWe had a lovely dinner at this restaurant. The food was innovative and really tasty. The owners are very passionate about the food and make you feel so welcome. They were also accommodating of dietary requirements - one of us being vegetarian and the other pescatarian. It’s a very romantic setting. Highly recommend.
Laurenedwinaobrien, London, United Kingdom
August 8, 2020
Upcoming Events
Upon personal contact, we can also provide special menus for smaller parties.