Review: Lamda Casual Dining, Vasiliki, Lefkada, Greece

Built in 1846 and re-imagined in 2024, Lamda Casual Dining occupies a lovingly restored home with a sun-faded stone façade, situated directly at the water’s edge in the heart of Vasiliki. The history of the building is there for all to see but what’s happening there now is anything but old-fashioned. Instead, it’s a culinary reboot of Greek tradition: reverent, but not nostalgic. Greek cuisine with a modern twist — and perhaps a touch of theatre.

The food

Dishes arrived with understated drama – never pretentious, but always composed. And served with the utmost care and attentiveness We began proceedings with the cornbread sourdough – delicate and warm, it was accompanied with salted fish roe and citrus-marinated olives — a nod to tradition, yet with a gently rebellious note.

My favourite dish of the evening was the lentils, one of the humblest of pulses, elevated with the most delicious smoked eel, cauliflower purée and aromatic oil.

Feta cheese, usually a rustic staple, was served breaded in polenta, drizzled with a thyme honey from Lefkada and a generous sprinking of black sesame.

Don’t also miss the grilled octopus, beautifully tender, paired with a carrot purée, pickled pearl onions, rice chips and a tarragon oil – a textural masterclass.

Also worthy of mention is the crispy mozzarella, set on a canvas of eggplant and tomato marmalade, and laced with basil oil, and the rich and comforting shrimp saganaki, reimagined with a touch of sweet chilli, Metsovone cheese and basil.

For me, the standout main was my seafood orzo, glistening with shrimp and squid, in a tomato and basil reduction that struck just the right chord of simplicity, whilst still being packed with flavour.

My wife swore by her Black Angus burger, served with pickled cucumber, Cheddar, onion mayo, and crispy potato rocks. And the indulgent deconstructed pastitsio — with layers of beef ragu, pasta, béchamel foam, and seared parmesan, even got the better of my son’s enormous appetite.

Desserts didn’t disappoint either, from the deconstructed lemon tart with blueberries, caramelised Aegina pistachios and chocolate flakes, to the chocolate fondant, served with crème anglaise, Madagascar vanilla, yuzu, dried rose, and ice cream. Decadent, dreamy… and quite probably more calories than we should have had, but nothing that a run the next morning couldn’t sort out.

The chef

Menelaos Chalikiopoulos is not just a chef. He is, in the best sense, an architect of appetite and memory. His food feels like it’s searching — for lost flavours, for new frontiers, for the stories in between.

Having trained in some of the sharper corners of European cuisine, Chalikiopoulos returns to Lefkada not with a mission to modernise for the sake of novelty, but to listen more closely to the land and sea he grew up with — and to let them speak. There’s humility in his innovation. He doesn’t shout through the plate; he whispers.

His dishes dance between confidence and restraint — bold without being brash, elevated without alienating. That balance is hard to teach. It’s instinctual.

The ambience

What better setting could you find? We were seated just a couple of yards from the water’s edge, interrupted only by the gentle hum of other happy diners, seemingly envious passers-by, and the hush of boats nudging against Vasiliki harbour. And against this backdrop of stone and sea, the waiting-on staff are very attentive, but never overbearing.

The cost

Don’t expect traditional taverna pricing, but do prepare yourself for exceptional value. Most starters hover around €14–17, and mains largely sit in the €24–28 range.

Wines start at €36 a bottle – we had the Chardonnay from the Karipidi Estate (near Larissa in central Greece), priced at €48.

The final verdict

In a village best known for its windsurfing and relaxed vibe, Lamda Casual Dining offers something a little different to anything else on Vasiliki’s waterfront. Quitely radical and offering a more refined dining experience, Lamda is a place to savour – not just for the food, but the also mood, the moment and the mellow tempo of a special Lefkada evening.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Lamda Casual Dining. Our trip was sponsored by AEGEAN Airlines.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.