Greece – Ionion Blue Tavern Mprinia (En)
We decided to go to Ionion Blue Tavern because it’s highly regarded for its traditional Greek cuisine, relaxed atmosphere, and prime location right on the Ionian Sea sand. Plus, it was free to stay there.
Where to stay
We stayed in the huge car park of the Ionion Blue Tavern (30.045799, 21.318899, lat, long), right next to the beach. The place is enormous, and there were quite a few campervans and motorhomes when we arrived. At the entrance, to the left, near the beach, some trees provide shade. You can fill up and empty your water tank, as well as empty the chemical toilet. There’s free Wi-Fi, but it only works in the tavern. The tavern is right on the beach and has a cold shower to rinse off the salt water. The food is delicious and not expensive. You can use the tavern’s spotless restrooms. We loved the place, so we’ll definitely stop there again on our way to the ferry, as they were fixing up the sunbathing area and the beach bar when we were there!
What to do
The best thing about the place is its fine sandy beach. We went for walks and swam in the sea. Well, I swam; Ben only went in up to his knees, saying the water was cold. It’s a shame they were still setting up the beach bars and sun loungers when we went. That’s why we’ll be back.
What to eat
The tavern offers a menu that highlights traditional Greek dishes and fresh, local ingredients. We tried the sardines and a dish of peppers stuffed with tomato and feta cheese. The sardines were delicious! The waitress, Stephanie, was very friendly and treated us to a dessert she had made herself—melon with honey, which I loved—and a shot of a local liqueur. We paid for the entire meal with a pitcher of white wine, 22 euros. The menu also includes a mixed grilled meat platter that looked amazing, which we’ll definitely try when we return. The terrace has both sunny and shaded areas, as well as a ping-pong table.
Since we enjoyed our free stay at the tavern so much, we decided to go to another one, the Kalamias Tavern in Kastro, to taste more delicious food on the beach, which you will be able to see in the next blog.
