"The old town's most serious modern-Greek kitchen — technically ambitious, Peloponnese-produce first, and the correct answer for a Nafplio first date."
Wild Duck opened in 2018 in a stone-fronted corner room in Nafplio's old town, a two-minute walk from Syntagma Square. The chef-owner was previously at Spondi (Athens, two Michelin stars) and Botrini's (Athens) before returning to his home region. The room seats thirty-five — a bright interior with blonde wood banquettes, a small counter at the open kitchen, and a sheltered alley terrace for summer service.
The cooking is modern Greek with explicit Peloponnese emphasis. Signatures include a beef carpaccio with roasted hazelnuts and aged Kefalograviera; a slow-cooked octopus with smoked white-fish roe and pickled sea beans; a handmade kritharoto (orzo-risotto) with local crayfish; and a charcoal-grilled lamb shoulder served with a yoghurt of Argolid honey. The menu changes every four weeks.
The wine list is short but exceptional — forty references across Nemean Agiorgitiko, Peloponnese Moschofilero, and a handful of Mantinia whites. The by-the-glass programme is the best in Nafplio and includes single-vineyard bottles that are unusual to find outside Athens.
Service is informal but technically correct. The chef appears in the dining room between courses. This is the most-requested reservation in the old town and the restaurant that most serious Athens diners recommend on the Peloponnese.
For a first date in Nafplio, Wild Duck's scale (thirty-five covers, acoustic privacy), pacing (two-and-a-half hours), and menu bandwidth (ambitious without being intimidating) are all correct. Book the alley terrace in summer or the two-top by the kitchen window in winter.
Took her to Nafplio for the weekend. The kritharoto course was the moment the conversation shifted. We still come back for the anniversary.
Lunched with a Greek shipping client. The octopus course earned a full explanation from the chef. The deal was signed over the coffee.
If you like this room, our editors also rate these in the same city.