The restaurant “Melia” started as a project by the award-winning Chef Yannis Baxevanis, the former footballer Nikos Karabelas and Vasilis Lagadianos, with the main focus on Greek creative cuisine, so that each visitor can enjoy something deliciously Greek, with strong modern touches on the dishes. On Karidi beach, in the forest of Vourvourou, in a magical location on the second leg of Halkidiki, you will taste Greek flavors, based on local products, with fish playing a primary role on the menu.

Completely integrated into the greenery of the area, the “Melia” restaurant has been made of plenty of wood and stone and entirely from natural materials in every part of the decoration, from the ropes and baskets that adorn the outdoor space, to all the table seats.

The “Melia” menu, curated by Chef Yiannis Baxevanis himself, reflects his deep love for Greek cuisine and Greek products and his commitment to highlighting local production and society. Throughout the season, from May to September, “Melia” is an experience and destination in itself…

Fresh fish, local meats, local ingredients

The fresh, locally sourced cuisine of the “Melia” restaurant responds to all the senses.

Fish is the protagonist. Always fresh, daily, and whatever the fisherman brings, is perhaps the most valuable raw material of the “Melia” cuisine. The meats are mainly local, along with imported cuts, which complement the menu.

The mussels of Olympiada, the octopuses and fish from the waters of Halkidiki, the pasta from local cooperatives and producers and the wines of the Halkidiki Estates, compose a table of flavors and aromas, where beyond the experience and the faith in tradition, the ingredients themselves make the difference.

The latter include exclusively goat feta cheese, the white, excellent quality taramas, the Orestiada potatoes, the katiki Domokou, the sheep yogurt and the pastourmas from Drama. Also, plenty of carob, as well as sea fennel collected by the “Melia” team from the Sithonia region and seaweed, which is dried until it takes the form of powder, and then served.

The olive oil and olives, produced by the owners from a privately owned estate in the prefecture of Ilia, raise the level of the meals even higher and the Chef’s skill in handling local products literally explodes the flavor.

The most special dishes

Try the black linguine with roe, mussels and lemony shellfish cream, the calamari souvlaki – on a tabbouleh with pesto, sea fennel and aromatic yogurt – the shrimp baked on pebbles with ouzo aromas – served with carob bread, white tarama and dried fruits – the steamed mussels in their shells, with ouzo, wine, onion and celery.

Among the appetizers, the smoked eggplant salad with pasturma, the feta loukoumades with salad, arugula and Florina pepper sorbet, the grilled cheese pie stand out.

New dishes have appeared on this year’s menu, such as wild rice with squid or very large shrimp and whole fresh fish, baked in a crust of salt, vegetables and pine needles, a truly exceptional dish that will impress you both in taste and appearance.

The dishes that can be prepared exclusively for vegans, with modifications to the original recipe, are marked by a leaflet on the menu, while the children’s menu is no different from the other dishes and consists of fresh and pure ingredients, from fresh tomatoes to grated feta cheese. After all, as the Chef claims, “children must learn to eat like adults”!

For desserts, the traditional baklava will seal every meal in the most delicious way.

Meals in hand

In addition to dining on site, you always have the opportunity to enjoy the Chef’s sandwiches with take away and taste them on the beach or in hand. Suggestions with chicken leg gyros, with pancetta like gyros with peppers and tomato, vegan sandwiches with halloumi and mint and sandwiches with fried squid and tarama. All of them are truly special and are also addressed to the residents of the “Karidi Beach Boutique Suites”, which also belongs to the “Melia” group.

Wines from all over Greece

You can accompany every taste with wines from all over Greece with those from the Chilandari Monastery of Mount Athos, as well as organic wines from Ilia, standing out.

In a space that combines a unique atmosphere and delightful suggestions, “Melia”, as a restaurant of high aesthetics and affordable luxury, under the pine trees, ensures you, beyond the serenity of nature, some of the most exquisite dishes of Mediterranean and Greek cuisine. It is worth every bite!

Tip 1: The kitchen of “Melia” operates from 9 in the morning, for breakfast, until 11 at night.

Tip 2: Choose “Melia” also for special days or occasions for you, such as your wedding or baptism.