Zorba's Parthenon: Zorba’s Taverna: A Funny and Heartwarming Greek Village Story

by Peter Barber

Peter Barber, author of the bestselling Parthenon and Zorba series, invites readers into a world of Greek sunshine, eccentric characters, and unforgettable village life.

Zorba’s Parthenon is a sunlit story of food, friendship, and the joyful unruliness of Greek island life
In the sleepy fishing village of Telios, the wine flows freely, the gossip flows faster, and there’s usually an opinionated goat on the patio. But when Peter’s favourite taverna is shut down by Greek bureaucracy, Telios loses its heart and soul.
Led by the fiery and pragmatic Alex, the villagers pull together to bring Zorba’s Taverna back to life. None of them have the faintest clue how to run a restaurant, but what can’t be fixed with a splash of ouzo and a few strings of fairy lights?

"Durrell’s, move aside - Greece has a new king of comedy.
Zorba’s A Taverna by the Sea had me laughing out loud from the first chapter."

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2025

About the author

Peter Barber is the award-winning, bestselling author of Greek travel memoirs, including A Parthenon on our Roof and A Parthenon in Pefki.

A native Londoner, he lives between England and Greece. Marrying his fiery Greek wife Alexandra not only made him part of a Greek family but also immersed him in Greek life and culture. Fascinated by the people, history and traditions, Peter dove in head first. He wished to be among the locals and experience Greek life first-hand.

From his cultural and language flubs to the trials and tribulations of life in Greece, Peter sometimes got more than he bargained for. But with his signature wit, he found humor in their escapades. And, as he learned more about Greece’s history, his new family, and modern life in Greece, he knew he had to share his insights.

His humorous and heartfelt travel memoirs reveal the real Greece—not just sun and sea, but the wonderful people, rich history and culture. If you can’t get to Greece, live Greece through his books.

Peter is a proud member of the UK’s Society of Authors.

Reviews

[Chris]

Another book from the fabulous Peter Barber. Not a memoir as such, although I'm led to believe that some of it is true to life, but this is a fictionalised account. We're still on the Greek island of Pefki with its rich cast of eccentric characters. Alex, of course, is ever present. There's a lot of humor, and I laughed aloud many times: but there's drama too, and an intriguing back story that draws you in. Let's face it, haven't most of us sat in the Mediterranean sunshine, a feta salad and Greek coffee in front of us, and dreamed of giving up the daily grind to run a taverna? And for most of us, reality sets in, and we realize it's not all that easy. But Peter and Alex followed the dream, and so this book was born. If you've read Peter's memoirs, you will love this book. But you don't need to read the memoirs first, as this is a stand-alone, and hopefully the first of a new series. A fabulous cast of comedic characters, a beautiful Greek island, and a well thought out plot - what more can you ask for?
I was an Alpha reader for this book, but this is my honest and unsolicited opinion.

[Rebecca]

I have loved all Peter Barber's books to date and he has surpassed himself with this new venture, a cross between memoir and fiction. It's gloriously Greek in character, vibrant, defiant, funny and poignant too. If you love Greece - you will love this series. In the village of Telios, Zorba's Taverna was a place at the heart of village life. Sadly when new bureaucratic decrees forced the Taverna to close it was a huge upset. The village was changed, having lost its favourite meeting place. However, Greeks have a disdain for rules and the villagers, including Katerina the voting goat agree that the taverna must reopen. Plans are argued over and various tasks are eventually agreed. I guarantee a giggle on every page! It's chaos but those who dare eventually succeed. If you have ever sat at a Greek taverna with your feet in the sand you will be rooting for their success. Delicious food, glowing tsipoura -opa! I'm so pleased this is a series and I don't have long to wait before the next.

[Suzi Stembridge]

Henry Miller acclaimed author of the Colossus of Maroussi suggested that the qualities of passion, but also contradictoriness, confusion and chaos were sterling human qualities and could be ascribed to the Greek character.
It seems that Peter Barber the acclaimed author of books about an Englishman’s endeavours to assimilate himself into the Greek culture, after marriage to a fiery Greek, was of the same opinion.
His latest book, part fiction, part memoir explores all these different aspects of Greek life and I have to say there can be but two or three full sentences that are not full of humour, and tongue in cheek wisdom in the entire book.
Know you not the place called Greece yourself, after reading this book I suspect you will hard pressed not to scamper to the nearest travel agent to book yourself the first flight available to Telios, although a place apparently far too remote to boast an airport.
On the other hand know Greece well and you will find yourself praising Zeus and all the Greek gods you can name, that you have been blessed by an introduction to Northern Evia, alongside Zorba, who can shut down a taverna one afternoon - suddenly; giving the villagers no option but to spring to action.
These colourful and beautifully drawn persons: Spiros, and his sacred bench of course, who once declared he might marry a squid or Dimitri, famed for his tsipouro, a dubious form of firewater. The cook extraordinary in the revived taverna by the sea, Theodora, her husband George and also cheese maker extraordinaire, and their beautiful defiantly single daughter Mary; Maria, village reporter or should that read - village gossip? Claude, always in linen, summer or winter with notebook halfway open.
Vassiliki, a baker whose creations evoke more than taste, Stamos, a cigarette behind his ear, a bent tape measure, and the air of a man who had no intention of following any building codes written this century. Eleni whose duties included navigating paperwork, regulations, and anything written in uppercase Greek with a stamp in the corner, and Father Evangelos who can and does calmly bless everything in reach.
All characters or real villagers, leading to this amazing book, written by the Colossus of our own literary age the Author, Peter Barber; not forgetting the importance of Peter’s wife Alex so that the story could be told at all.
But then neither could I forget the hoof-shaking goat, Katerina fully able to reduce every one to size, even those that invent the rules and impose the bureaucracy. A goat with opinions.
And then ….
I will leave it to you to decide if Peter Barber together with Alex built the dream along with ‘the poor decisions’ or if Peter, the author learned to be Greek and became an honorary Greek.
And then…

Fortunately if you don’t want this book to finish there are I believe two more volumes.

[Kathryn Gauci]

"Yet again, Peter Barber has written a wonderfully hilarious and observant book about a taverna in a Greek village on the island of Evia. Although this book is fictitious, it is based on Greek life and larger-than-life characters merged into a new setting, Zorba's Taverna, where life goes on the way it has for centuries - chaotic yet peaceful, full of dreams and drama, and always love and kindness. In the many moments of craziness and hope, where a night of home-made tsipouro-filled madness might see someone hugging the matriarch of the family, or maybe even Katerina, the goat, village life is lived to the full. One thing is for sure. It is never dull. I have read two of Peter's books so far and loved each one, but I think this might even be his best to date. Knowing Greek bureaucracy, the threat of a city inspector with a nonsensical new rule might arrive on the doorstep any moment to find an excuse to close it down, but Greeks, being Greeks, are prepared for such events, and armed with determination and the courage of Bouboulina (and a tray of bougatsa), are ready for anything. One thing is for sure, I would love the recipe for the lemon tsipouro, which shines in the dark like radium in Marie Curie's lab. Highly recommended."

[Shelley Dark]

Utterly Greek, gloriously human, and laugh-out-loud funny

Zorba’s Tavern is a sun-drenched feast of character, chaos, and charm. When bureaucrats threaten to close Zorba’s seaside café, the villagers rally in a gloriously uncoordinated campaign to save it—a battle fought with stubborn pride, tsipouro, and sheer Greek defiance.

The cast is unforgettable: philosophers, romantics, misfits, and one goat—Katerina—who steals every scene. And then there's Zorba himself: weary, wry, impossible to push around, and quietly heroic in his refusal to bow to officialdom. The setting is so real you can smell the coffee and salt air.

Barber writes with deep affection for Greece and for Alex, the woman who clearly lights up his world. The dialogue crackles, the humour’s dry and sharp, and beneath it all runs Peter's quiet wisdom about human nature.

If you’ve ever sat in a Greek taverna waiting for your meal while everyone argues philosophy, this book will feel like home. Pour yourself a glass of tsipouro, settle under some lemon trees, and prepare to fall for this chaotic little slice of paradise.

Bliss.

[Jan Orrnert]

This is a book that truly gets Greece right. It captures the Greek temperament with remarkable accuracy, and for those of us who live here, every chapter feels instantly familiar. The characters, the old taverna with its broken chairs and wobbling tables, it all rings true. After so many years on Skiathos, I feel as if I have met many of these characters myself here on my own island.

Everyday life becomes a small Greek drama in these pages: sometimes loud and unmistakable, sometimes hidden between the lines, visible only to those who know Greece and the Greeks. And through all the chaos, life moves forward in that wonderfully unpredictable Greek way, rarely in a straight line, yet always somehow arriving where it needs to.

This is a book you will read with a big smile on your face from the beginning to the end. Peter Barber writes with humour and irony woven in just the right measure, never overdone, always illuminating. His storytelling feels both sharp and generous, revealing the Greek everyday life as it often is: chaotic, human, unpredictable, and endlessly alive.

This is a book I can really recommend. You will enjoy it!

[Kathleen Harryman]

Once every so often, a book comes along that touches your core, with warmth, humour, and the vibrancy of Greek life. Zorba's Parthenon: A Taverna by the Sea is such a book.

This is an immersive read that opens the door to the real Greek, where chairs and tables wobble and never match, and the characters become friends. There is a poignancy about the author's writing style that makes you smile, laugh, and feel deeply moved. "The village had stirred. Not all at once, and certainly not in harmony. But somehow, unmistakably, together." And this is what this book will do to you. It will sweep you away to a chaotically beautiful place, where the characters become your friends, and you navigate with them between each debate, all the while soaking up the sun, and always staying on the goat's good side.

There was a sense of loss when I finished this book, because I never wanted it to end. Lucky for me, I've got book two.

[Christine Weald]

This was a delightful read. The saying "don't judge a cover ..." certainly applies to the authentic old tavernas that did look a little like shacks. Their food is amazing, unpretentious and so delicious. This story captivated all of this, plus the Greek way of life typical in these 'village' places. The author wove a little romantic story into this background which was amusing, and even managed to include humorous bureaucratic and village politics events. However the antics of 'THE GOAT' was the icing.
This was a kindle unlimited book and my review is entirely my own.

[Paul Woodhouse]

I’ve read a couple of Peter’s books before and found them very entertaining but a little disjointed. However his latest series seem much more ‘polished’ and I found I was enchanted with his stories and couldn’t put them down reading well into the night. I could picture myself sat in the lemon grove listening to all the villagers talking, arguing, laughing and enjoying life. I’m on book 2 now of the taverna series and have preordered book 3. Brilliant!!!!

[Jerry Jensen]

A very entertaining book. It gives you a humorous insight into the Greek culture and its people. The characters are very believable and fun as you get to know them as the story unfolds.

[Alvin Narsey]

ha!! hilarious and relatable!!
superbly well written!!
I'm moving to Greece now!!
will revisit the series for sure

[Lynne]

Peter and his wife Alex organise a village co-operative to run the local taverna. The usual Greek chaos ensues, complete with a goat and kittens.

[Reading]

Charming

[Shelley Dark]

A heartfelt, funny story about a community fighting to save its soul

Zorba’s Tavern is the story of a small Greek village rallying to save the one place that holds them all together — Zorba’s taverna. When the authorities move in with closure notices and rules no one asked for, the locals refuse to let their gathering place disappear. What follows is a wonderfully chaotic, warm, and very Greek battle: part protest, part farce, all heart.

We meet the whole cast — the regulars, the dreamers, the philosophers, the busybodies, and the goat who behaves like a senior citizen with voting rights. Each brings their own brand of mischief and loyalty, and Barber gives every character a distinct spark. The taverna isn’t just a business; it’s the village’s living room, confession booth, theatre, and battleground, and they defend it accordingly.

Barber captures island life beautifully: the humour, the contradictions, the fierce pride, the maddening bureaucracy, and the way a community becomes a family when something they love is under threat. The dialogue is sharp, the setting vivid, and the collective spirit is what makes the story sing.

Warm, funny, and deeply human — a delight from start to finish.