A family, a garden, a kitchen. The story of Kostas Brother begins in 1978 and is still being written every evening in this garden.
In 1978, Yiannis Amanatidis and his family opened a small taverna in the village of Vassilikos, in the southern tip of Zakynthos. The idea was simple: cook honest food from the land around them, open the garden to guests, and play music in the evenings.
What started as a village taverna became one of the most loved restaurants on the island. Word spread — first among locals, then among visitors from across Greece and the world. The secret was never a secret at all: real ingredients, real recipes, and a family that genuinely cares about every table.
Today, the same values guide everything we do. The olive oil comes from our own trees. The herbs grow in our garden. The recipes belong to the family. And the music still plays on summer evenings, just as it always has.
The Amanatidis family opens Kostas Brother in Vassilikos. A garden, a kitchen, and a handful of tables under the trees.
The courtyard expands. Locals make it their gathering place. Live music with mandolin and guitar becomes a fixture of summer evenings.
Awarded the Greek Cuisine seal by the Greek National Tourism Organisation and marked as Best Quality Taverna by the Hellenic Organisation for Standardisation.
Still family, still here
Four decades on, the same family tends the kitchen, the garden and the wine list — now one of the most extensive on the island.
Over the years, Kostas Brother has welcomed many well-known faces from Greece and abroad. Artists, actors, musicians and public figures have all sat at our tables — drawn by the same things that bring everyone here: good food, a beautiful garden and an evening that feels unhurried.
The taverna has also served as a backdrop for documentary productions and film crews looking to capture the authentic character of Zakynthos. There is something about this garden that cameras are drawn to — the same thing our guests have always felt.
Our olive oil and herbs come from our own land. We grow what we can and source the rest from farmers we know by name.
Every dish is prepared in our kitchen with natural ingredients, local produce and recipes that have belonged to this family for generations.
Live kantades on summer evenings. The sound of the mandolin has been part of this garden since the very beginning — and it always will be.
Greek National Tourism Organisation · Since 2007
Hellenic Organisation for Standardisation · Region of Ionian Islands
Four decades of the same kitchen, the same garden, the same family
Open Tuesday to Sunday · 18:00 – midnight