(hotel-delphi.com) – Delphi, Greece

How I heard of this place: My sister and brother-in-law stayed here, after much deliberate research on Trip Advisor. We decided, rather than do our own research, to follow in their well-experienced footsteps and book our Greece adventures with them. Thanks, guys!

Type of cuisine: Turkish style breakfast, and then some! We had fruit juices galore, in all the bright colors imaginable. We were invited to enjoy three types of cereal: Corn Flakes, a chocolate version of the same, or meusli, plain yogurt, deli meats and cheese, nutella-stuffed donuts the size of cream puffs (with or without powdered sugar), mini baked croissants, bread, chocolate or vanilla cookies with nuts and dried fruit, several whole fruits, including apples, pears, oranges and kiwi, or canned, diced peaches. Hard-boiled eggs, tea, coffee and milk, cucumber, tomatoes and a years supply of olives.

Ambiance: Walking down the stairs to our basement level dining area, we are pleased to see the natural light still streaming through the large windows at the stairwell. The white tiled floors add to the brightness, meeting with the stone and white-painted walls. Two accent walls in red complement the red, glass chandelier and linens at our buffet. As with the lobby, the dining area is covered in a clutter of trinkets from Christmas-tree angels on the circut breaker box, to a turn-dial phone on a small white shelf, paper mache butterflies on the walls and Japanese-inspired, red, paper lanters sitting in the corner. The tables are nicely matched with sunny yellow tablecloths, and tall backed, wooden chairs. The lighting, other than natural light coming through the windows, was kept simple and homey with the use of a lamp in each corner.

What I ordered: We soon came to find that the Greek breakfast is very similar to that of the Turkish breakfast. On this morning, we were welcomed with four types of juice, deli meats and cheese, hard-boiled eggs, croissants, meusli and cereal, as well as a selection of sweets: donut holes, stuffed with a soft, muted chocolate custard, pound cakes, and two types of hard cookie. Tiered bowls of fresh fruit (apples, oranges, kiwi and pears), and a plate of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. On my plate, one Golden Delicious apple, a small bowl of chocolate flakes cereal, one hard-boiled egg, three mini slices of cheese (cheese is generally cut into slices that are about half or one-third the size of American slices) and a plethora of cucumber and tomato.

What I loved: A hard and slightly pungent cheese, similar to Parmesan, the first we had been offered on our trip was the perfect complement to the juicy vegetables on my plate.

Why I loved it: Despite the clutter as far as the eye could see, the space is quaint and very cozy. It feels like one has entered the home of a great aunt or elderly loved one. The food is simple and abundant, with options for all tastes!

Cost: Included in the cost of the hotel