Ksamil is the most sought-after stop on the Ionian Riviera, known for its turquoise water and the small islets just metres offshore. The restaurants follow the sea: the day's fresh fish, mussels, prawns, grilled calamari and Mediterranean plates, often with tables set straight on the sand.
The main road and the lanes running down to the coves hold family tavernas, beach bars and newer kitchens with a modern menu. In July and August tables go fast, so booking ahead makes the difference.
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Most Popular Restaurants in Ksamil
Beachfront seafood, traditional tavernas with southern Albanian dishes, beach bars for a light lunch, and restaurants looking out over the Ksamil islets.
Dining Areas in Ksamil
The beaches and islets
Restaurants right on the sand with views of the Ksamil islets — ideal for a long seafood lunch.
Ksamil centre
Family tavernas and pizzerias along the main road, many of them open outside the summer season too.
The Butrint road
Quieter restaurants overlooking the Butrint lagoon and the Vivari channel.
FAQ
What are the best restaurants in Ksamil?
Ksamil has beachfront fish restaurants, traditional tavernas and Mediterranean spots facing the islets. Browse Resto.al to compare and book.
Should I book in advance in Ksamil?
Yes. In July and August the beachfront restaurants fill up very quickly. Booking through Resto.al is free and confirms instantly.
Are restaurants in Ksamil open off-season?
Some tavernas and restaurants in the centre stay open year-round, while most beach bars run from May to October.
Ostro is a beach bar and restaurant on the sand in Ksamil, its bamboo-and-rattan terrace and fringe-lamp lounge looking out over the turquoise bay and its islands. The kitchen leans Mediterranean and sea-focused — grilled octopus, salmon and fresh seafood — alongside a full cocktail and champagne list, with sunbeds on the beach below.
Why We Love It
Watching the sun sink behind the Ksamil islands from a lounger or a terrace table, cocktail in hand, is about as good as the Riviera gets. It shifts easily from a barefoot beach day to a candlelit seafood dinner.
Ohana is a relaxed beach bar and restaurant on the Ksamil islands bay, with thatched umbrellas, sunbeds and decks reaching over crystal-clear turquoise water. The kitchen runs to seafood risotto and pasta, grilled fish and salads, with cocktails and shisha for long afternoons on the sand.
Why We Love It
Days here drift by easily, with a lounger over water so clear you can see the bottom, a plate of prawn linguine and a cold cocktail, and the little Ksamil islands just offshore. It is a family-friendly beach hangout that slides comfortably into a sunset dinner.
Nysa is a beach club and restaurant built onto the rocks in Ksamil, with wooden decks, white fringed umbrellas and sunbeds set right over clear turquoise water. The kitchen keeps things beach-casual and Mediterranean, from seafood pasta and grilled steak at lunch to artisanal cocktails and Albanian wines at sunset.
Why We Love It
Swimming off the deck straight into that impossibly clear water, then drying off over a plate of prawn linguine and a cocktail, is the Ksamil day you came for. As the sun drops behind the islands it settles into an easy, unhurried evening spot.
Monavie is an upscale Mediterranean seafood restaurant on the seafront in Ksamil, the signature dining room of the Camelot Luxury Hotel, with white-clothed tables and floor-to-ceiling windows over the bay. The kitchen is refined and sea-led, from langoustines, prawns, tartare and carpaccio to house pasta and risotto, with a beach club on the sand below.
Why We Love It
Lunch here comes with the turquoise bay filling the windows and a parade of glistening seafood, from raw prawns to a whole platter of langoustines. The polish of a hotel dining room meets the ease of a beach day, and it carries both off.
Grill Zone is a casual family-run grill house on Rruga Butrinti in Ksamil, built around meat cooked over the flame. Steaks, lamb, grilled fish and mixed platters arrive on rustic wooden boards with chips, fresh salads and creamy dips, served on a plant-lined covered terrace or in the lively neon-lit dining room.
Why We Love It
Tiered boards stacked with charcoal-grilled meat land at the table built for sharing, and the smoky flavour does most of the talking. Friendly, loud and generous, it feels exactly like a proper family grill night should.
The Smoke House is a laid-back, family-run grill restaurant in Ksamil, built around a wood-clad open kitchen and a garden terrace shaded by a huge rubber tree. The menu centres on the zgara, with chargrilled steaks, chops, qofte and loukaniko alongside fresh fish and grilled prawns, all served in generous portions with house-made sides.
Why We Love It
Tables under a big tree strung with lights give this grill house an easy, convivial feel that carries on late into the evening. The kitchen keeps things simple and honest: well-charred meat, fresh fish and a cold beer, done properly.
Basilico Restaurant is a family-run Italian and seafood restaurant in Ksamil, set under a wooden pergola a short walk from the beaches. Open from breakfast until late, the kitchen turns out seafood pasta and risotto, mussels, grilled fish and grilled meat platters, with a few burgers and tacos for the beach crowd.
Why We Love It
Tucked just off the main road, this is where Ksamil's holiday bustle slows to a relaxed dinner under the pergola with a plate of scampi pasta and a glass of wine. Generous portions, kind service and fair prices for the resort explain the steady stream of returning families.
Abiori is a beach bar and seafood restaurant on the Ksamil bay, facing the islands, with a glass-fronted dining room, a cocktail bar and sunbeds and white cabanas set out over the water. The kitchen is led by fish selected daily, with raw prawns and ceviche, whole grilled fish, seafood pasta and sushi alongside wood-fired pizzas, served from breakfast through beach-day lunch into the evening.
Why We Love It
Few Ksamil spots pair the view this well with the plate, from a cabana over the clear water to a platter of raw langoustines and a whole grilled fish. It works as easily for a full beach day as for a relaxed seafood dinner as the light fades over the islands.
Museum Restaurant is a traditional Albanian restaurant in Ksamil, set a few steps away from the main street. The dining room is decorated with folk costumes, vintage objects and woven rugs, and the kitchen serves home-style Albanian classics such as lakror, tavë kosi and meat from the wood-fired grill.
Why We Love It
Dinner here feels like eating in an old Albanian home, with clay dishes on the table and the smell of the grill drifting through the garden. It is a calm, generous break from the beach-bar rhythm of Ksamil.
Ujvara is a welcoming seafood restaurant in Ksamil, its airy wooden dining room dressed with greenery and a stone waterfall feature that gives the place its name. The menu centres on fresh Ionian seafood, from generous mixed platters and grilled octopus to mussels, seafood pasta and risotto.
Why We Love It
The stone waterfall trickling beside gingham-covered tables gives the dining room an easygoing charm, and the kitchen backs it up with seriously fresh seafood. The mixed platter, ringed with mussels and piled with grilled fish and prawns, is the kind of dish that makes a table go quiet.
Beach Bar Restaurant Landi is a relaxed beachfront bar and restaurant on the Ksamil coast, with a bamboo-shaded terrace set right above the water and sunbeds on the sand below. Open from early morning until evening, it serves simple fresh seafood such as grilled fish, mussels, calamari and seafood pasta, alongside drinks with a clear view over the bay.
Why We Love It
Tables sit close enough to the sea that lunch comes with the sound of the water and a straight look over Ksamil's turquoise shallows. The seafood is simple and generous, so a plate of grilled sea bass or shrimp risotto here feels exactly right after a long beach day, and the bill stays kind.
