Opening days for season 2022
May 2nd - October 22nd
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,-
olive tapenade, anchovies, pickled peppers, whipped feta
- Golden Greek peppers
9,-
deep fried local peppers, sea salt, metsovone cheese
- Patatas bravas
8,-
crispy potatoes, marinara sauce, garlic aioli, parmesan
- Summer tomatoes
8.50,-
chili oil, herbed creme fraiche, pangrattato
- Cauliflower steak
8,-
steak spices, Greek yogurt, egg, breadcrumbs
- Eggplant polpette
10,-
eggplant croquettes, tomato frito, parmesan
- Baked feta
10.50,-
feta, chorizo, tomatoes, peppers, onion
- Paella arancini
10.50,-
seafood rice croquettes, tomato confit, parmesan
- Octopus
12.50,-
confited potato, sun dried tomato, capers, harissa
- Crab kataifi
14.50,-
hand-picked crab meat rolled and fried in kataifi pastry, sesame mayo
- Cucumber and salmon
11.50,-
cucumber, tahini sauce, pickled salmon, oregano
- Albondigas
12.50,-
duck meatballs, almond aioli, fresh mint
- Spinach pie salad
8,-
feta cheese, dill, crispy filo crust
- Dorada a la plancha
18,-
whole grilled seabream, shaved fennel, orange and chili salad, lemon aioli
- Steak and salad
23,-
grilled fillet steak, romaine lettuce, blue cheese dressing
- Carillada
17,-
braised beef cheeks, white bean truffle mash, caponata
- Chicken and panzanella
15,-
grilled chicken breast, Italian bread salad, grape leaf pesto
- Pork chop
19.50,-
chop brined in Zakynthian mountain tea, pickled mushrooms, caramelized onion
- Rotolo of spinach and artichokes
16,-
rolled lasagna of spinach and artichokes, puttanesca sauce, parmesan
- Affogato
7.50,-
vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate brownie, hot espresso
- Cheesecake
8.50,-
white chocolate cheesecake, strawberry, chocolate 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
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Upcoming Events
Upon personal contact, we can also provide special menus for smaller parties.