Imam and milk-fed veal in a welcoming garden in Argolis

In Lefkakia, a village of about 1,000 people a few minutes from Nafplio and the seaside village of Drepano, a small taverna has earned its reputation one plate at a time.

Vasiliki Dritsa and her husband, Giorgos Marinis, known locally as “Psalidas,” opened the restaurant 25 years ago. She came from Thebes, he was born nearby, and together they turned an old wine shop into a welcoming taverna through hard work and personal care. Her cooked dishes won the first customers, while his grilled meats later completed the menu. Word spread among holidaymakers from Argolis’s coastal villages and visitors to the Epidaurus Festival, who stop there before performances.

The meal begins under a dense grapevine that provides generous shade and coolness. The menu is small but tempting, with daily dishes presented personally by Vasiliki. A generous village salad combines sweet local tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and plenty of feta. The feta in the spicy cheese dip is soft and homemade, with a restrained heat from green chili.

The imam bayildi disappeared almost immediately: sweet, melting eggplant with potatoes slowly softened in the oven. Roasted horn peppers stuffed with local kefalotyri made a rich shared appetizer. Then came veal osso buco from a Nafplio butcher, braised in wine and served with pasta. The tender meat, marrow and properly cooked noodles created an unforgettable bite.

The meal continued with pork knuckle baked in parchment, served with hand-cut potatoes, and chicken lasanaki from Arta, prepared in the oven like a giouvetsi. There was no room for dessert, so the meal ended with cool watermelon and bunches of grapes cut from the vine above the table, washed and brought to the guests.