Ithaca's food is what you would expect from a quiet Ionian island — simple, fish-led, and reliant on the day's catch. Almost every taverna on the island is family-run, and the menu hardly varies from one to the next: grilled fish, grilled meats, horiatiki salad, fried vegetables, and the local savoro (fried fish in a vinegar-and-rosemary sauce) when in season.
Sirines in Vathy is a long-standing favourite for fish dishes on a quiet side street. Trehantiri on the Vathy waterfront does grills and seafood with view of the harbour. Mythos Restaurant in Kioni is the established choice on the north coast, with traditional Ithacan cooking and a small garden. In Frikes, Penelope and Telegonos is the natural lunch stop.
For something cheaper, the small village of Stavros has a couple of unpretentious tavernas around the square where locals eat. Avoid eating only on the Vathy harbour front — the views are good but the prices reflect that.