Went here just one night. Nice location and garden type restauraut. Food is average to below average. Ordered mixed starter for two. Loads of not fresh squid and fried bits and pieces--bit greasy and unimaginitive. Even had two fish fingers on the plate - now they were having a laugh. Ordered fillet steak which was nice. However the pepper sauce was a water/cornflower cheap crappy concoction. Came with cauliflower that had been cooked for about 2 weeks. My wife had a pizza which was so greasy it simply slid down your throat. I',m afraid there are no chefs at this restaurant...just people who pretend.

Fancied a curry one night. We come from Yorkshire so have loads of top Indian restaruants close by--so know what a good curry is. This place is a joke. Tasteless bland food, dodgy interior (yes--even worse than flock wallpaper!!). Both dishes tasted the same even though they were differnet. 4 Euros for a small cobra.

Only go here if every other restarant in Kalamaki has been blown away. It really is that bad!!

Hired a Jimny for 3 days. Good standard of vehicle. However, we asked the price one night on passing (100 Euros). When we went to order one and collect it on the same day it was then 120 Euros. They said that it did not include full insurance on the first quote. I had asked for this in paricular.

They kept going on about all the vehicles being new in May. WE were there the end of June and the 'new' one we had had 23000 k on it. Think someone is telling porkies.

Would still rent of them but cant understand why they do not be more honest

Just back from here in the last few days. Just a few observations {S>

Air conditioning: the hotel runs this at only certain times ie 1030 to 430 in the morning etc. WE had picked the hotel because of the Aircon. We told the Thomas Cooke rep to sort this out and it was. So....if the brochure says Air con then this is what should be on 24 hours a day. Dont take no for an answer the little cheapskates!!!

Food: To us the food in the hotel was pretty crap. The cooked breakfast was absolutely digusting...to look at and to eat. No fresh fruit or anything like that---done a bit on the cheap.
Lunch and dinner were pretty grim as well. Food lacked imagination, salads were pretty good and fresh--but you cant eat them all week. Forget the wine as it was pretty diabolical---red not too bad but you would not pick it by choice. Most dishes were flans or something similar. Meats eg pork chop cooked in the most boring of ways with no spices, herbs sauces etc.
Desserts were pretty grim----jelly for an almost entirely adult customer base. No fresh fruit only melon, melon and more melon!!!

Even mangaged to lose some weight on hoiday as I ended up skipping breakfast and then not much for dinner etc.

The rooms in this hotel are excellent, book B&B if you can as the food is naff. Even with inclusive drinks you will not want to stay in the hotel in the evenings as they dont arrange any sort of entertainment --apart from a few quizzes---whoppy do!!! Dont the Greeks know how to have a wild night!!!

Cleaners do a good job---bit stingy with the towels....they even lifted some of ours of the floor(international standard for used towels) and put them on the rails again.

Dont let the aircraft put you off,,,,not too bad and you dont really here them with the room doors closed ie another reason for aircon.

Make sure you speak to the elderly grey haired Greek bloke--this is the owner. He makes it a point to turn his head in the opposite direction if walkiing towards you!!! Forgets where he gets his income from!!!

Bit cramped.....good atmosphere and wide menu at pretty cheap prices.
Bit dissapointed with the food. Wife had a pizza---came from a packet like Goodfellas...not that they are bad but you would expect a proper one.

I had one of the chicken wraps...was made from preformed chicken escalopes chopped up and not even chicken breast---pretty poor.

Suppose they have about 400 items on the menu so you could not expect made food....it is all a bit premade in the factory and then reheated at Mermaids. Depends what you are used to I suppose but you could pay more and get less like some of the other restaruants!!!

Thought it was all a bit average. Just a couple of long roads with loads of tacky shops and buildings along the sides. Much prefer Tsilivi on the other side of the island. Beach is just pretty average. Not very wide and loads of rubbish. Lots of hazzle from touts trying to get you into bars/clubs. If you like Blackpool then you will probably love the place. Personally i cant think of any redeeming features about it. It was described on this site as having a village feel---you must be kiddding!!

There are a lot of nicer places in Zante and a lot more in other Greek islands with a lot nicer countryside and a lot less tackiness. In Kalamaki there is not one resturant that you can sit and have a nice view ie over the sea or harbour and not over a busy main road.

You either love it or hate...personally I cant understand why anyone would save their hard earned money up to go there for 2 weeks---takes all kinds!!!

Meant to add that my wife has developed an ear infection about two days before we were due to leave. Obviously the cleaning regime on the pool is done on the cheap as well.

Just read Matthews comments. Must have had the same meal as me!!! Everyone has their own standards....some people think Brewers Fayre is good but personally II think this restaurant is all show and no go!!!! As mentioned below---where would you get fish fingers for a starter---not in one place in the UK I bet. I must look for the rose coloured spectacles at Zante airport (beyond about 500 people waiting for cases, cos they are too bloody greedy to spend the money on the airport)...........just another little observation{S>

Absolutely barking Geil.......as mentioned below--good clean hotel, good staff....just the food and lack of effort about arranging things are the problem. Someone mentioned that they went with Thomas Cook. We spoke to the Thomas Cook rep and he stated that the aircon should be on all day.........so dont take no for an answer. Personally we were not going to argue because it was only 3 Euros a day(whats that...a price of a drink!!!). I would recommend this hotel if you want to go to Zante (personally been there twice...thats enough).

If it was somewhere else we would still go there but only B&B...get your food and drinks somewhere else!!!

Thanks Eddie...We can see why people like this place----there are loads of Breweres Fayres busy on a Saturday nite---even more premade food. No accounting for taste!!!!

As for Mr Gladwin....I made valid comments about the food and backed it up with reasons for thinking it was not great. Much better than all the people who pass comments on how bloody fantastic it is but do not state one culinary reason why it was ie fresh mushrooms, freshly spun pizza, fresh fish etc etc

Mr Gladwin..I think you have just shown your lack of culinary knowledge...as for eating fish and chips at Skegness...never been to the place but at least most fish and chips are cooked from fresh ingredients and not out of some packet from a factory in Athens!!!!!

As someone mentioned below 'nothing tacky about Kalamaki' Just think of:

Loads of tat shops selling crap
People hassling to get you into bar and restarants
Shops selling cheap jewellery, fake watches and similar junk
Best selection of inflatable toys anywhere
And certainly the best selection of fake belts, bags, t-shirts you could ever hope for!!!
Bars showing 'Only fools and Horses' ---although I think Del and Rodney are ace...dont really want to fly 1800 miles to watch them on telly.

As for the beach as mentioned below.....narrow, not very nice sand, full of plastic bags and millions of fag butts. The Greeks must not think that much of it or else they would maybe clean the bloomin place. Well, I suppose they dont worry about the junk that lies around most of the island so why worry about the beach. Its on ly the daft English that go there...they wont mind the rubbish!!!!{S>So, its not tacky then??? So if someone can point out to me....if it was tacky....what would that involve....I dread to think.

sorry for the delayed report on this place. we went there about 3 years ago--said it was late!!!{s>

we ordered food..waited for at least an hour and then when we heard other people at other tables complaining about waiting even longer we decided to get up and leave. we offered to pay for the wine and covers ie bread. we had waited long enough. those friendly greek people decided that if we were not going to wait for the food and pay for it they were going to ring the local police. not wanting to end up in the local nick (spiros's brother was probably the policeman), we just paid for the food, went to the table but refused to eat it....we had the feeling they had gobbed in it!!!. there was a queue at the desk of people complaining at this time.

we just left then.....all this nonsense about greek hospitality..this was meant to be a genuine greek taverna.....lets face it, they are all out there making a lot of money for pretty crap food....i am now of the opinion if the greeeks are friendly they either want your money or else want to s**g you.....sorry for being cynical but read other peoples comments about their teenage daughers.

cheers anyhow....back to france next year...they are a bit sour but at least they know how to cook and are not as false!!!!
forget to mention....dont bother going here

Just noticed Mary-Anne Woods comment about both sauces being the same. Mary, love the way you described it as strange. I think I would have described it as 'The chef does not really give a t*ss'
Sorry I think I got confused....did I say chef!!!! now that would be a novelty in a Greek restaurant

Hi Chris....thanks for the fair enough comment...think was something to do with reading all the glowing reviews on this site{S> I always think a lot of Greek resorts are a bit samey....there are some nice places that I think are brilliant but Kalamaki I dont think is one of them....there are a lot more picturesque villages..c

Hi Con

I was not talking about the fish and chips. I was referring to the pre bread crumbed chicken escalopes that you cut up and put in your wraps. I think they may have come from a factory in Athens. Why do you not use fresh whole sliced chicken breast like the way its meant to be???

Just looked at the pictures of the seafood platter....if the bulk of food and not taste is your thing --fair enough. Personally I have never seen so much battered and fried food.....go to Brittany and see how a sea food platter is done...personally the picture you uploaded would make me sick to eat.

Hi Spamos

Thanks for the comments.....I had simply stated what I had found. I dont think it is difficult to ascertain soggy overcooked vegetables. It does not take great skill to cook a bit of cauliflower.....when they get that wrong there is not much hope for anything else.

Regarding the airport...I have travelled the world extensively and been in much worse airports than Zante. What annoys me is that the Greeks love to make plenty of money but dont want to put any back into the infrastructure...it is a bit of a case of 'biting the hand that feeds you". That airport has been like that for probably 20 years at least with no improvements. It was only the holdiday companies that forced the shelter outside in the last couple of years.....the airport did not even want to allow that to go ahead!!!

Andrew

I think you are missing the whole point of this website. Is it for people to put their experiences and opinions on to help others. I stated that the price had changed.....it had. I stated that they said the vehicle was new....the mileage did not indicate this so they were lying....simple.

Take your rose coloured spectacles off and let others post valid comments without being put down by idiots like yourself.

Sorry for speaking Julie

Is this site not for expressing opinions....good and bad.

If you cant accept others opions with a bit of grace tthen you should not even be reading this site.

Cant figure out your comments regarding a bit of class....surely you are not talking about Kalamaki in regarding to class. You will probably be telling us all Blackpool is classy next.

Mr Chadwick

No wonder it was on Greek TV---its world famous isnt it.
and
No wonder that mermaids has a ten out of ten rating with the amount of irrelevant posts that you put on it. Have you never heard of email to communicate with other people.

Regarding you knocking my comments about the food. Please find copied comments from one of your earlier posts below:

21 meals and up to 12 of us going each night, no-one ever had the slightest problem with the meals, back now to microwave meals and Chinese till next year Sorry mate, but if all you eat all year is microwave meals and Chinese takeaways, who are you to comment on any restaurant or food. If you eat frozen c**p all year then you are going to be impressed with anything served to you.

Thanks Con for your messages....I had stated your restaurant served good value food for somewhere with such a wide selection on the menu.
I did state that the pizza my wife got was a premade base....please dont try and say it was freshly made because it most certainly was not. As for the chicken....why do you bread the chicken fillets....no one else does when they make wraps....why not just slice, spice and then cook as everyone else does. The only reason i can think that you do this is to allow you to deepfry them and then slice them to save on time....could not blame you Con with the amount of covers you are doing!!! But sorry,...still dont think they are fresh chicken fillets..sorry{S>

Strange that....mountain spring water even though the restaurant is at sea level---thats novel....no wonder it world famous.

Suppose they ship the water in by tanker....Think its time to waken up Chris{S>

Good evening Chris

Personally I think this forum is for discussions like this. I was just wondering what you sold to restaurants???

REgarding the chicken wraps that I supposedly decry---is this site not for posting opinions on food and restaurants. I had simply stated my opinions.

I liked your other post regarding the mountain spring water stored under the restarant......amazing at sea level---how does that work then.....as in --how does it get there.

Its amazing that they can organize mountain spring water at sea level but cant sort out toilets that work!!{S>Hi Con.....my brother owns two pizza places and my aunt is Italian.....if that was a freshly made base it was pretty badly done...sorry!! I do know what an excellent pizza is like. As said below I have had worse but personally I think if you set your restaurant up with this 'World-famous' gimmick then you will probably come in for a bit of critism sometimes.

Hi Leon

Glad someone else has the sense to post sensible comments about Mermaids. Next they will be saying it is an alias for me.

Did not know the info about top 100 restaruants in Europe--this gave me a real laugh.

Con...did you make this bit up about top 100 restaruants......this is an absolute joke.....Mermaids would never even come a million miles of some of the good restarants I have been in.....and there are loads of better ones than them.

As Leon says and I agree...the food is average...nothing special but this hype about world famous etc.

All I can say is go and catch a grip of yourselves...world famous --still laughing!!!

Leon

I meant to say----dont think Mermaids pretends to be a traditional greek restaurant so cant really knock them on that. They only pretend to be world famous and in the top 100 in Europe.

I wonder how they must rate in the world anyhow.....must go and look in my Michelin guide

Hello Guys

Think this whole thing has spiralled out of control!!!

Here is my initial posting about the restaurnat:

Bit cramped.....good atmosphere and wide menu at pretty cheap prices.
Bit dissapointed with the food. Wife had a pizza---came from a packet like Goodfellas...not that they are bad but you would expect a proper one.

I had one of the chicken wraps...was made from preformed chicken escalopes chopped up and not even chicken breast---pretty poor.

Suppose they have about 400 items on the menu so you could not expect made food....it is all a bit premade in the factory and then reheated at Mermaids. Depends what you are used to I suppose but you could pay more and get less like some of the other restaruants!!!The reason I have kept putting comments on was that noone it seemed was allowed to post their opinion without being slagged off. I just connot believe the comments that have been posted on the 'Resorts' page. I have tried to lift myself out of it all by reposting what I originally posted. This does state that you could pay more and get less for your money than in Mermaids.

I have to say that I do raise my hat to Con has he has always replied to my posts with decency and courtesy. No matter what has been stated he has always remained the gentleman.

As mentioned above, I has initially stated my own opinions. Maybe there are people on this site that should learn that by ridiculing everyone else comments it therefore defeats the whole purpose of the site......and this site is without doubt the best laid out on of a lot.

Anyway...as I have said, I hav simply put down my own opinions to start off with. Maybe I shoudl keep them to myself in the future

Cheers